Bent tension pulley on Mower

[woodlandfarms]

I think running with the protective lid off has its disadvantages. I think a branch got in the belt system and...

It looks like I bent up the tenstion pulley on the mower... I can straighten it, Just a PITA.

Oh, and continue the saga of the bolts on the deck backing out that hold the spindles down to the deck...

 

[MossRoad]

You try any locktite on those bolts?

 

[woodlandfarms]

No, only because I think this year I am going to have to pull the spindles. I am having a heck of a time getting broken bolts out. Really hard time. I have tried everything I can think of... I let my mower sit out and I think rust builds up inside those drums..

But yeah, it is so weird they vibrate out...

 

[MossRoad]

I don't know how your mower is constructed. My finish mower just has a regular bolt holding the blade on like any lawn mower would. My brush hog, on the other hand, has free swinging blades. What type of blades does the mower you are talking about have?

 

[woodlandfarms]

Free swinging...

 

[MossRoad]

So you have a drum with free swinging blades bolted to it? If so, that's what my 48" brush hog has. I frequently break bolts and toss a blade. It was heck getting them out. So I got longer bolts that thread all the way through the drum and stick up about an inch and a half through the inside of the drum. When I snap one of the bolt heads off, I remove the drum and thread two jam nuts onto the bolt from the inside, then turn them up and bring the broken bolt out from the inside. Its kind of a pain to drop the drum, but an air impact wrench makes quick work of the lug bolts that hold the drum on and an allen wrench to remove the lovejoy connector. Takes me about half an hour to drop the drum, pull the broken bolt, install a new one and put it all back together.

 

[MossRoad]

For that matter, I am working on installing on board air on my Suburban so I can run air tools out at our remote property. It never fails, as soon as I get going, I find a new rock and shear the bolt. Then I'm done brush hogging for the day. Grrrr! :laughing: