Right or left handed thread?

[stuckmotor]

I need to remove the blade carrier bolt from a 5ft. Woods Cadet slasher, the one that holds the blade carrier on the splines. Is the thread right handed or left handed.
Many thanks for any help,
Stuck

 

[stuckmotor]

211 views so far and no answers. Now I feel better about not knowing myself.

 

[ovrszd]

Hey, 211 views in less than an hour. Not bad.

I'm guessing everyone is reluctant to commit as I am. If I said, put an impact on it and try to turn it, and it twisted off, I would clearly be corrected as having given bad info.

If it were mine, I'd secure the blade shaft from turning. Then put a long handled rachet or regular breaker bar with a cheater on the bolt and try to remove it assuming right handed thread. By feel I would know if I was going the right direction, hopefully before twisting it off.

If I were reluctant to try that, I would contact Woods and ask them.

 

[cycle_gator]

Can you see the end of the bolt/stud? Which way are the threads pitched?

If it the blade/hub rotates clockwise pretty good chance the threads are RH, vice-versa if it rotates counter-clockwise.

 

[RickB]

Every Woods blade bar retainer I can recall is RH thread.

 

[Wagtail]

Well, I didn't comment because I have no knowledge of your slasher and I haven't had to do anything with the blades on my own... which is a Fieldquip... which you wouldn't have any knowledge of 'cause it's made in Queensland.

Off hand, I'd go with the standard Lefty-Loosey Righty-Tighty mantra.

 

[ovrszd]

Me too.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

My old Woods hog is Right hand FWIW :confused3:

 

[stuckmotor]

Thanks for all the answers. I want to get the carrier off so I can weld a nut to a broken off bolt that retains the blade pin. I may just drill it out through the access hole and rethread it or drill all the way through and put a nut on it.

In answer to the questions I can remember, looking at the carier from the bottom, it appears to be left hand rotation (this kind of thing fuddles my brain) and I can't see any threads, a bolt into the splined shaft, similar to on a push mower, seems to be what holds the carrier on.
It's interesting how they keep the bolt from working out. A washer with an off center hex hole fits around the head of the bolt and is tack welded to the carrier.

 

[Steave]

My woods M5 5 footer is right hand threads. If its like mine ? look very close and scrape off and clean very good the end of the shaft and the nut. Mine has a round washer about 3/16" thick, the round part is the size of the housing with a cut out in the middle the size and shape of the nut. After the nut is tightened the 3/16 thick special made washer is placed over the nut then tacked welded on. I know this sounds far fetched but thats how mine was installed from the factory. After the locking type washer is installed it looks like a small nut is protruding but its a large nut after you remove the locking part. I just took a grinder and barely ground the spot weld off then replaced it the same way. Now for the kicker my dads Woods 5 footer don't have that lock. Mine has the slip clutch and his has the shear pin is the other difference.

 

[Steave]

I just reread your post # 9 and I see now you aleady know about the welded on locking washer. You also worded it and described it waaayyy better than I did and it is a right handed thread. I going to learn how to describe things in writing one of these days.

 

[stuckmotor]

Steave,
Your description was spot on. Those Woods mowers must run in families. My granddad had one too. I took the carrier off of it over 40 years ago and it didn't have the tack welded retainer either. I really appreciate your advice on that crazy thing. I'd looked at it briefly and it wasn't until I had a second look that I figured out what was going on. Today I remembered that I have an extra heavy breaker bar that I loaned to my brother. I'll probably use that and a cheater next week and see what happens.

 

[stuckmotor]

Steave,
I forgot to thank you for the magic answer when you confirmed that the thread is right handed. I thought there must be someone on the forum who'd pulled a Woods blade carrier.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have only removed one carrier from a bush hog and it was standard right hand threads. I suspect all bush hogs have right hand threads as they all turn the same direction. I have found that an impact removes hard nuts from bolts much better than brute force (as in cheater bar). I bought a HF 3/4" drive impact just for my tractor and equipment needs. It removed the bush hog nut with ease. It supposedly has 650 Ft. pounds of torque but I doubt it delivers that. I had to reduce the air input size from 3/8" to 1/4" to match my hose so I doubt it delivers the max breaking force but it still moves anything I have put it on so far.

 

[Steave]

When I was trying to remove mine I couldn't imagine why the bolt head only had a small space to get the wrench on it. After a few tries is when I discovered the locking device. I like that idea it's simple and safe.

If it wasn't so hard to cut a hex shape in a washer I'd use that idea on other things. I don't like tack welding the nut itself in place.

 

[stuckmotor]

Sodo makes cutting a hex hole in tubing look easy. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/358260-welding-nut-into-thin-wall.html A thick washer might be more difficult.

 

[Steave]

Thanks for the link. Some good ideas here and I usually find the good ideas after I've made a mess trying it my way.