Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): Mower not going into gear, woodruff key, drive pulley

Question
We purchase a Lawnchief used and I mowed the lawn once.  It ran out of gas and I pushed it (in neutral)back to the shed.  The next day my husband went out to finish the lawn and it ran but when we shift it into gear, it goes into gear but does not move.  It just acts like it is still in neutral.  We are not sure what year it is b/c the person we bought it from also bought it used from a widow an she had no information.  Thank you for your help!  Cindy S

Answer
If you have no forward gears as well as no reverse, there are couple of things it could be.  First you need to check the drive belt and tensioner pulley to the transmission to make sure the belt is fully tensioned when the clutch is released.  You will also want to check the drive pulley on the transmission doesn't have a sheared woodruff key and the pulley spins without turning the pinion in the transmission.  If the belt is OK, you should then verify the brake is not stuck on (if you can still push it in neutral, brake is OK).  If the brake is not stuck on, it could be an internal transmission problem related to the pinion or shift forks.  Make sure you eliminate the obvious before you dig into the transmission.  Hope this helps.