Do keep in mind that the 700 is a trans
mission, not a trans
axle. What this means to you is that you not only have the ability to adjust gearing with the engine and tranny input pulley sizes, you also have the ability to alter sprocket sizes between the output and axle. This gives you a lot of flexibility, and you can consider many options when selecting your gearing.
Another nice thing is that the 700 is available with several gearing options (from 2 speeds up to 5) and different ratios. Also, the internals are compatible with the common-as-mud 800 transaxle, so you can do what I have- throw all the gears from both trannys in a big pile, and choose your exact ratios. Then, you can step it up a notch- My 700 came from the factory as a 3 speed. Using 800 parts, I made it a 4-speed.
Now, some cautionary words: In a low-speed mower environment, the Peerless units seem tolerant to shifting-on-the-fly. This is not suggested in kart or race applications. None of them are of a synchromesh design, and abuse will chew up shift keys. It's best to keep this in mind when selecting your gearing so that you can still start off in high gear, without having to upshift. Apparently, down-shifting is even harder on them.
The other red-flag warning for you- Reverse... The 700 uses a #41 chain on sprockets for reverse, and clearances to the case are fairly close. IF the chain should fail, it WILL bind and blow the case apart. Most racers simply remove the chain as reverse isn't needed in racing, and indeed most sanctioning bodies have it written right into the rules. If you put on a brand new chain and treat it right, you will probably be okay, just keep it in mind.
If the transmission is from a mower, you're probably not going to get much speed out of it. Most transmissions gear down so that won't help you any.
Not to put too fine a point on things, but I have to clarify something here. As a general rule, ALL transmissions gear down, and that's because they have to- and indeed what you NEED. Think about your average kart, geared by chain and sprocket to maybe 6:1. The clutch, sprockets and chain constitute a transmission, and indeed gears down. The key factor in all of it, is selecting a transmission arrangement that will gear down to the right ratio.
