deck spindle mounting bolts

[38racing]

i have a flux core mig welder and have the regulator for gas but have yet to get the gas tank. maybe this spring i get do it. i find with the core wire i still struggle on the thinner materials. i have a second exact mower unit and i had to patch that deck too.

[StarTech]

38, you need to stitch weld allowing metal to cool some between stitches. It takes lots of practice too. I actually can do better with Ace/Ox welder as I can control the temp better; the problem is getting the welding wire for it, about everyone has quit carrying it. Now of course rusted metal will still have a tendency burn through and disappear.

As the flux wire used it take finding the right one. The one that Air Gas here was selling me for my Miller Cricket was lousy for doing it even through was supposedly the right spec. I got a spool off Amazon and what a world of difference the welding; hardily any spatter and very nice welds. I was thinking it was my technique that was the problem before. Must have been some that Chinese junk.

[Arkie]

Don't need to rebuild on deck because the housing was broke. Now I found the deck has some perforation too. Might still be usable by me for a few years but not something I would sell without making a buyer aware of it.

38, You would probably be surprised at the number mower decks I have repaired because of either rust though, wear though, or simply impact damage. With a acetylene torch, a wire welder and hammer plus a good source of donor sheet metal, be it a scrape mower or other items. Just need a little cleanup afterwords and paint.

I will admit some decks that come are so bad that I simply get the customer a new or used deck if they are will to part with the money. There is some customers that would rather have teeth pulled without pain killers then try open up the wallet.

I have fabricated new MTD deck hangers out angle iron recovered from bed frames (rails) many times. These is where brackets was completely missing and not available as weld on item from MTD. I also got currently 7 ea 24 x 48 x 69 shelving units with plywood as shelves made from these angle iron bed frames.

I know of one 1966 Ford pickup that is part Ford riding mower because of use of recovered sheet material to repair rusted out body parts.

That seems like it might be a good idea. Use MTD parts on the old Fords. I like and still drive old Ford pickups and make sure and haul lots of tools and spare parts and bailing wire when I'm going to make a trip to town.. I'll now throw in a few MTD parts.

Some people drive old cars because they like too, I drive old cars because I have too.
and I can repair them old ones with minimum effort and minimum $$

[KE4AVB]

Some people drive old cars because they like too, I drive old cars because I have too.
and I can repair them old ones with minimum effort and minimum $$

Plus it don't take two days to replace a heater core. My current and only working vehicle is a 2000 Silverado and it has a bad heater core. To replace it requires removing the whole dash while making sure you don't trigger the air bags. Plus if I need an another part I would need to order it for delivery. I miss my old 73 IH.

[RoyM]

That is why our 05 Ram is parked for the winter. The heater blend doors have failed and the whole dash has to come out, I'm reluctant to tackle that job. Back to the original topic, I wouldn't bother rebuilding the deck spindles. The customer can either buy assemblies or pay labor, if he wants pick up parts and rebuild it himself that is still money in the shop till. Just my $.02 cdn.

[Fulltilt]

Yeah, I don't rebuild them harry homeowner spindles either, I just zap the mtg. bolts out/off ( they usually wring off ) with the airgun and install a new unit...quick, easy, and profitable.
Now , on the more complex timken units, and most larger sealed bearing units, then, yeah I rebuild them.
Otherwise not worth the time or effort.

[KE4AVB]

Fulltilt,

Its not that hard to change a set of $4 bearings per spindle (I mean both bearings, one is was $1.55 and other one $1.73 last week when I purchased 20 ea of them for the AYP spindles) as I usually got to disassembly the deck somewhat even to install new spindles. That's what they made blind hole bearing pullers for. I have more problems pulling the cups for those cone bearings.

Of course I don't use those cheap Chinese spindles either.

[38racing]

that blind hole bearing puller not the cheapest. I can get it from amazon for about $100 CDN . Princess auto regular is $170 cdn so not likely ever better than amazon ,even on sale.

[KE4AVB]

Boy have they gone up I only $35 USD for my set about 5 yrs ago. ANd it has used many time pulling bearing and outer shells here especially those pesky needle bearings.

[38racing]

this was interesting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggsEewAg2YM
wet paper towel