Questions on JD 25A Flail Parts etc.

[jthibodeau89]

Me again!
I just pulled the side cover off the 25A to find the upper pully is cracked. It is the pulley that droves the gearbox.
Deere wants about $300 for this.
Any idea where I could get a replacement that isn't so costly?

The upper would be the pulley on the drive shaft. Can the crack be welded? Please attach a pic of the crack.

Storming here now, but I'll pull the cover off mine tomorrow morning. Time to grease the rotor and drive shaft bearings, anyhow. If it is a tapered hub pulley, oem may be your only choice.

Did you check the idler pulley bearings? They are lubed for life. When they fail, their life is up....LOL.

 

[wirlybird]

Can the crack be welded? Please attach a pic of the crack.

I guess I should have said a piece broke off!
Fortunately the piece was still there.

 

[jthibodeau89]

I guess I should have said a piece broke off!
Fortunately the piece was still there.


View attachment 709638

I forgot it was a tapered spline to the shaft. Looks like someone tried to use a puller on the outside of the cast iron pulley. I had to heat mine with a torch to get it free. Only pull on the hub or use a 3 spoke puller with plates at the holes. Apply medium tension to pulley and then heat the hub.

You may be able to TIG braze the piece back on with AL Bronze and dress up on a lathe. If you don't have the tools for that, then OEM may be your only choice.

If you do have a lathe you may also be able to turn the outer rim down and press on part of a generic pulley. Lathe needs to be big enough to hold OD of generic pulley and to put the OEM drive shaft through the spindle. Again, if you don't have the tools, and have to pay for shop time, you are better off just buying new.

Keep the old f3x 207 housings. Unless the housing is cracked, they usually don't wear out. Just be gentle removing the old bearings. Finesse and penetrating oil win over brute force. Use a punch 90° to the relief grooves to flip the bearing and it will fall out. When reinstalling the bearing be sure the grease hole in the race is close to the grease zerk.

Good luck

 

[leonz]

I do not think your going to find one unless you call Wengers of Myerstown, PA to see if they
have a 25A mower that they are parting out and hope that they do not act like the Samsonite
Gorillas when pulling it apart.

 

[wirlybird]

I do not think your going to find one unless you call Wengers of Myerstown, PA to see if they
have a 25A mower that they are parting out and hope that they do not act like the Samsonite
Gorillas when pulling it apart.

Thanks for the info and great analogy! I'll look them up.
I do have a friend who is a welder and he says he can make it hold so we'll see. Maybe it will work so I have time to find pulleys.
I just now noticed that the lower pully has a repair done on a spoke. I imagine it had cracked. Very clean weld.
Got cracks to fix where the gearbox mount attaches to the main body also. Those will be easy.

 

[wirlybird]

I do not think your going to find one unless you call Wengers of Myerstown, PA to see if they
have a 25A mower that they are parting out and hope that they do not act like the Samsonite
Gorillas when pulling it apart.

Wengers sent me to Fry Machine. Said they don't do any disassembly.
Haven't had a chance to call Fry's yet.

I've been searching but I would guess this pulley is likely used on other stuff but how do I find out?

 

[jthibodeau89]

If you search the P/N on the JD parts web site, it will return with the applications that use that P/N

 

[wirlybird]

Good idea thank you.