stuck because of wear,remember both gears are supposed to free spin
in neutral position,therefore when placed in forward gear you still had
reverse or neutral for that matter,ususally the piece that the shift fork
sets on usually wears on forward or reverse, causing it to pop out of gear
as it goes along,but in this case,the actual gear was seized to the shaft
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE FINDING A used rearend is almost virtually
impossible in most lawnmower junk yards,since a backend for a riding
mower is almost half the price of a new mower a used rear end is often
the best option,and I usually refuse to go in and repair,but this particular
one had my reputation on line.So I BIT THE BULLET and spent the time
to fix the stuck gear,after pulling the rearend three times,which I WOULD
RATHER DO THAN PUT BELTS ON THIS PARTICULAR MOWER,WHICH
I did also.
22 hp intek briggs under the hood,which in my opinion is way over
priced,with to much engine for a 42 inch deck,some zero turn riding
mowers dont have that much hp.My advice is if you own one,start looking
for another frame to put your engine on, if you wont to eventually get
your money's worth.
The drive belt situation and the rear end problems on this model will
drain your wallet in the right shop.
MOWERS OF ALL TIME AND WHY!