JD power flow system

[ridgerambler]

I have a JD X500 with the three bag power flow debris collection system. The blower housing has a elongated hole from sand etc moving through the chute. I could repair by plastic welding, but don't think it will last long. Anybody have any suggestions or ideas how to repair this? Have thought about sheet metal (on the outside) with pop rivets but there is not a lot of clearance inside the chute and would be concerned with debris building up around the rivets and tear something else up. I suspect this may be a somewhat common problem, so wondered what others have done. Deere wants me to buy a new housing (or even better an entire new unit), but there has to be another way. I use the power flow in the fall only for leaves on a 1.5 acre lot and there are bare areas, so it picks up sand, dirt and small sticks. System should have been metal, but it ain't. To clarify, the hole is in the blower housing itself where it curves around to the discharge chute just past the fan.

 

[bigtiller]

I would try making a patch from an empty household plastic jug like laundry soap or what ever you have. I have had good luck using silicone to "glue" odd things to dissimilar things. It comes in a tube about 6" long and costs about 6 dollars and squeezes out like caulk.

You may have to hold it down with duct tape or a few small screws until the silicone cures in a day or two. Then remove the screws and plug the screw holes with the same silicone.