Just a bit more information: Last night I discovered that the right rear wheel is also a drive wheel, but did not work. I found that where the pawl plate attached to the plastic wheel it was damaged causing the pawl not to align with the ratchet wheel (I had to lookup these part names). I was able to drill a new hole in the wheel and attach the pawl plate in a different spot on the wheel. So what I would like to understand more is how the rear wheel drive is suppose to work, When I manually turn the pulley clockwise, the wheels turn one directiosn. When I turn the pully counter-clockwise, the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction. This seems logical and seems to all work. WHen I let go of the drive bail I am able to push the mower forward and the wheels move freely as the pawl skips over the ratchet wheel. However, when I pull the mower backward, the pawl will engauge the ratchet wheel and thus takes some effort to pull in reverse. Is this the way the mower is suppose to work? Or when pulling in reverse is it suppose to disengauge from the gears somehow so the wheels spin freely?

On most RWD mowers, if you disengage the drive and then try to pull backwards, the drive wheels are still engaged and it's hard to pull. The proper way to do this is to disengage the drive but keep pushing the mower forward for 3-6 inches. Now when you pull back it should be easy. That's how my 2009 model Craftsman works and Toro recommends the same technique.

Thanks junebug, I will give that a try!