Newbie needs information re mower deck damage repair attempt

sngleshot · Oct 25, 2016

Been away from the net for quite a while. Have BX 24 with belly mower 60 inch. Bolts came loose on pulley and destroyed the pulley and bearing seal on spindle. Have acquired new parts, cleaned bearings and bearing race, repacked with grease and seal is in place. I am ready to replace parts. My question is this: What torque force is needed for the 30 mm bolt on top of spindle? (This bolt fits over the grease zerk nipple on top of the spindle) Also, is there a torque requirement for the 4 bolts that secure the pulley to the spindle? I have looked EVERYWHERE, in my manual and on the internet. I have asked a couple of so called 'mechanics' and have received different answers. Thanks in advance for any replies. Major D.

David_Kb7uns · Oct 27, 2016

Looking at my G2160-60 service manual, my BX manual has no deck section but decks are the same. These torques are for the previous deck design with the 6 bolt flange and not the 4, have never had a 6 bolt loosen up but all my friends with the 4 have and the holes start to egg out until failure if not caught early enough. If you start hearing a wow sound check them.

Pulley mounting nut 144.7to 166.4 ft-lbs 196.1 to 225.6 Nm

Pulley boss mount nut 17.4 to 20.3 ft-lbs 23.5 to 27.4 Nm one friend went to grade 8 hardware with grade 8 flat and spring washers and torqued as much as he could

Pulley holder mounting bolt (bearing housing) 57.1 to 66.5 ft-lbs 77.4 to 90.2 Nm

Mower blade bolt 72.3 to 86.8 ft-lbs 98.1 to 117.7 Nm

These should be similar for the newer deck and are found in the Work Shop Manual WSM

David

stuckmotor · Oct 27, 2016

sngleshot said:
Been away from the net for quite a while. Have BX 24 with belly mower 60 inch. Bolts came loose on pulley and destroyed the pulley and bearing seal on spindle. Have acquired new parts, cleaned bearings and bearing race, repacked with grease and seal is in place. I am ready to replace parts. My question is this: What torque force is needed for the 30 mm bolt on top of spindle? SNIP I have asked a couple of so called 'mechanics' and have received different answers. Thanks in advance for any replies. Major D.

At the beginning of a small engine class the instructor told us that we'd do things by the book in class because people tended to be less careful when on their own. We all got started on our projects and one of the older students asked the instructor for the torque wrench. The instructor said they didn't have one. So much for the torque wrench in that class.

sngleshot · Oct 27, 2016

David, Thank you for that complete reply.

hawkeye08 · Oct 27, 2016

Often, manuals will list torque settings by bolt sizes in a single table. I was puzzled when working on something and not able to find the torque values in the manual section for that work. I found them later in a table in the back of the manual.

David_Kb7uns · Oct 27, 2016

In the case of this situation, with as many failures that I have seen from the hardware loosening up, I would upgrade hardware to highest possible and would eithertorque to manual or chart for maximum allowed on the flange fasteners with the flat and spring washers added. I do not think there is room for nylock nuts but the crimped locking nuts and thread locker would also be used.

Kind of silly that going from a round flange with 6 bolts to one that is a cross with 4 bolts would cause such a problem with the pulleys but have had at least 3 or 4 friends see this problem.

David