Reclaiming Long Abandoned Rotary Cutters.

[flyerdan]

If you need to take it all apart anyway, the best way would be to put in in a hydraulic press. The arbor plates should hug the pulley boss nicely, and something like an old wrist pin should press the shaft out without any distortion, as there is no impact. The heat and penetrating oil treatments are still advisable, because the easier you can get something to come apart the better for all.

 

[Diggin It]

Well, it may not be that easy. I looked at them again today and it looks like they may be be threaded on, if that makes sense. I can see threads on the spindle shafts below the surface of the pulleys/sheaves, but I can't tell for sure if the pulleys/sheaves have threads or not. Thing is, it also looks like there's a key or pin of some kind. I'll try to get a better picture if I can get focused clear enough.



Does anybody have a service manual for a Befco Cyclone C50 84" Finish Mower?

 

[flyerdan]

It looks like Befco has one right on their site. From the looks of it, there is a woodruff key holding the pulleys and they should press off.

 

[Diggin It]

Now that you mention it, I think I recall seeing one there.

Dunno, whaddya think? Sure looks threaded to me:



I don't see a key either so far. I'll try and blow the oil out of there tomorrow and see if I can find out any more.

 

[5030]

Now that you mention it, I think I recall seeing one there.

Dunno, whaddya think? Sure looks threaded to me:

View attachment 644044 View attachment 644045

I don't see a key either so far. I'll try and blow the oil out of there tomorrow and see if I can find out any more.

No, threads end about 1/4" below the boss. Do what I told you to do. You are over complicating it.

 

[Diggin It]

Pulleys are off. Got the 10 ton puller. Had a bit of trouble getting it adjusted to where it would pull as it's almost too big/tall. Destroyed one Grease Zirk before I found out I could use a deep well socket to take up the excess space and straddle the Zirks in the process. Tightened the puller up into place on the first one getting ready to go to the next (heat) step. One more pump to make sure it was secure and the pulley broke loose and came right off. Next two came off easy as well.

Drilled out the broken Zirk and replaced it.

Now I need to finish cleaning the deck surface off and find the weather to paint it. Need a spray gun for that ... don't want to rattle can it if I'm going to try to sell it.

 

[Diggin It]

Got Red tipped over and propped up. Ground off three broken bolts and replaced them. Ground the loose scale rust off the bottom and hit it with Rusty Metal Primer. Probably won't do much more to the underdeck. Next decent weather day, I'll work on the spindles and blades, then see about what reassembly can be done before painting the upper deck.

Can't get anybody to answer me about replacement labels for some reason.

 

[5030]

Pulleys are off. Got the 10 ton puller. Had a bit of trouble getting it adjusted to where it would pull as it's almost too big/tall. Destroyed one Grease Zirk before I found out I could use a deep well socket to take up the excess space and straddle the Zirks in the process. Tightened the puller up into place on the first one getting ready to go to the next (heat) step. One more pump to make sure it was secure and the pulley broke loose and came right off. Next two came off easy as well.

Drilled out the broken Zirk and replaced it.

Now I need to finish cleaning the deck surface off and find the weather to paint it. Need a spray gun for that ... don't want to rattle can it if I'm going to try to sell it.

View attachment 645092 View attachment 645093

See, my advice is usually good.....lol

That puller is **** on frozen brake rotors and drums too and the occasional harmonic balancer as well. One if my favorite labor saving tools. Probably should have told you about the socket trick though........... Only issue is, they are a bit cumbersome to work with. I 'borrow' my wife for an extra set of hands....

 

[Diggin It]

Got news blades, blade bolts and cup washers for Red. Book calls for 103 Ft Lbs. My 3/8 Clicker don't go that high. Might could borrow one from a neighbor. But how exacting is that number? I can run them on with the electric torque wrench I took the old ones off with, but I don't want to overdrive the new, expensive cup washers.

Also had to pull all three spindles apart and replace the bearings. Makes them spin a whole bunch easier.

There was a lot of goop around the bottom of the gearbox under the mount and on top of the output pulley and the oil inside was fouled. I drained that oil, put some cheap motor oil in and ran the gearbox by hand for a few minutes then drained that. Filled with 90W, ran it by hand again, then let it sit for several days. Oil Seals on the gearbox aren't showing any leakage that I can see at this point, but I went ahead and got new ones since they didn't cost much. I should probably go ahead and replace the bottom one while I have it all apart, but I don't really know how to get the old one out. Probably pry it like a dust seal on an axle bearing, but I don't want to gouge the race or shaft.

Blades
Blade bolts and cup washers
Bearings
Gearbox Oil Seals and Vent Cap.
Tubes in the tires and one new tire
Labels
Miscellaneous hardware
Paint

Getting close to $300 and I have no idea if I'll be able to sell it, or for how much.

 

[Diggin It]

Tore into Yellow a bit this morning. Had to grind off several bolts/nuts. Too rusted and bunged up to use again. Blades are rusted pretty good, but edges are fine. Just some light sanding to clean them up. Spindles rotate freely, pulleys came off without the aid of a puller. Quite a bit of sanding needed before the deck can be repainted. One of three idlers is trashed, rusted through. I think those are common mower idlers though, so should be easy to replace.