New idea model 254 sickle mower

The sickle will not stay down, the lift arm just keeps cycling lifting the sickle bar and up and dropping and repeating. I"ve adjusted the nut on the lift arm as per the manual. It seems the trip arm is not dropping back enough to catch and hold the sickle head down. I am thinking about attaching a spring to it to pull it back to catch and keep the sickle in the down position. What else can I do?

Cannot find a manual in my stash of manuals for that number but unless I am mistaken it is just a newer version of the 30. Does it have a arm comming out of the gear box that a trip rope fastens to? If it is like that And I had what if I remember correctly a parts 254 and a parts 30 and the parts were the same. So if that is what I am thinking then follow this. Unbolt the lift cover and take it off lifting straight up, after you do that clean out all the old grease so you can see the parts and to get rid of any broken parts so they do not chew up the bearings or gears, get it as clean as if you were going to paint it. Now look fore several small springs inside that like to break. Part no. 0432 HS, Lift paul spring, Compression, 5/8" OD, 2-5/8" long. 11 coils. Next is 0436 HS, Clutch spring, extension, 9/16" O.D., 2-11/16" long, 26 coils. 0437 HS, Lock paul spring, .035 x 3/4" flat, 7-1/4" long. 0576 HS, Back stop spring, compression, 7/16"I.D., 13/16"long, 3-1/2 coils, 2 used. 4 part numbers in 5 springs. If any part of any of those springs are left in they will tear up your gears or bearings, that is why I say clean very good. There should be 5 bolts holding it on, 2 3/8" x 1", 2 3/8" x 2 1/2", and 1 3 1/4" long bolts and the 3 longer ones have a nut on the bottom. Both mowers I had bought for parts for a No. 40 that I have but it is the scarce semi mount type but the cutter bar parts are the same but both parts mowers had that clutch lift gear box broken. Do not try to put a spring on the outside as you will just destroy the inner parts with the broken parts. And no I do not know where to get the springs, if you can find all of the broken springs then you might be able to match something up at a hardware store.

There is a lot on this problem back in the archives from a few years ago.