Mid-Mount Mower Newbie Question

phmezz · Mar 6, 2011

I'm removing a Woods L59 Belly Mower from my tractor. I have everything off except for the belt wheel attached to the PTO. For the life of me, I can't figure out how to get this thing off the PTO. There is no visible set screw or other devise that seems to be attaching it. I've used penetrating oil and have beaten it to death with a hammer an it still won't move. Any ideas? I have a cat 1 3-point hitch.

dex3361 · Mar 6, 2011

Welcome to TBN. Some of the woods pulleys are held on with taper lock bushings. Does it look like the one in the attached pic?

phmezz · Mar 8, 2011

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I think it is a taper-lock bushing. Here is a pic. The three large holes had bolts in them that I removed. The large holes go completely through the belt pulley. There are two small holes that go through the bushing but stop at the pulley.

I understand that I use screws/bolts to push off the bushing but the bolts I removed are too small to fit in the smaller holes. I must be missing something.

RogerMc · Mar 9, 2011

Thats is correct you need two smaller bolts. That will push them apart. Sometime you can tap on the pulley and get them apart. Key word there is tap because they can break easy. the correct size bolts is the correct way.

Roger

dex3361 · Mar 11, 2011

The other holes are to push the taper lock bushing out. Use plenty of penetrating oil and then use grade 8 bolts to push it apart(I see only 2 bolt holes on your bushing is the other filled with mud or does it have a bolt broke off in it(common when you don't use grade 8 bolts)?

phmezz · Mar 12, 2011

Thanks for your help. I got the pulley wheel off this morning. The bolts that came out of the three larger holes actually fit into the smaller holes. The larger holes were not threaded - the threads were in the pulley behind it. Once I pushed the pulley off the bushing came off with minimal effort. I found it kind of odd that there were only two threaded holes to push the bushing off. Nevertheless, it worked. Now I can look forward to mounting 3 pt attachments and plowing some ground this year for a big garden.