Onoff
In the land of the unfinished project I am King!
- Messages
- 10,148
- Location
- Sevenoaks, UK
Well...the repaired mower deck is good but the mower gearbox isn't well. Factory filled apparently with (mega expensive) Bentonite lubricant and then the casing sealed with "Permatex 599 Ultra Gray". It changes up/down OK but it feels like something is slipping in the gearbox, it's SO slow. Belt is not slipping.
Went off to a neighbours yesterday to rescue the seemingly good gearbox from an abandoned mower that hit a stump and has the front end all bent up. (Social distancing on a 5 acre plot is not an issue btw ). There were in fact two similar mowers there. Both in a very sorry state. I had permission to turn both over on their bonnets.
The salvaged Peerless (American made) "crash" gearbox c/w wheels/tyres removed and back home sitting atop my mower after a cursory jet wash and attempt to pump the tyres up. The nuts and bolts that attach the gearbox have been put in an open topped plastic bag and lowered into the citric acid barrel for it to work it's magic. Of the two salvaged wheels one pumped up OK to 10psi the other is all cracked and leaking like a sieve.
Typically as is the case with these mowers the n/s rear wheel was seized solid on the shaft of this salvaged gearbox/axle. (People will bin them just for this). Lucky tbh it's not both wheels stuck as was the case with my mower under the tarp. I managed way back to get the o/s wheel off as it's that you have to remove to access the brake caliper. I still have to get the n/s off of mine, not done as its a mission but I'll have to now. Sods Law the stuck wheel on the salvage axle had the perished tyre. The stuck wheel on my mower has the good tyre!
So that was one problem to sort. Sat it upright with copious amounts 3 in 1 & penetrating oil on the end of the shaft hoping it'd seep down. Left it a couple of hours then the stuck wheel came off after some persuasion involving a pair of trestles, two pieces of 4x2, a drift and a hammer. Actually easier than with the gear box in situ. Shafts all emery clothed and lubed. Bosses in the citric acid bath.
Next problem:
The gear change rod attaches to this lug atop the gearbox (yellow gearbox filler bung just behind):
That won't move for me to check the gear changes until I can un-seize the brake which is solid.:
It was this that stumped me for a while on mine until a mate in the States kindly sourced me a new caliper from over there. That's on, working a treat and all lubed up on my mower with the now suspect gearbox. Needs to likely come off and go on this salvaged one. The problem is the aluminium caliper and two fixing bolts etc become "one" through the corrosion. Last time I sheared the heads of both bolts I'm pointing to. Again I've lubed it up with penetrating oil and I'll come back to it.
Just waiting for the brake to free up! Might end up barrowing it to another neighbour and trying his oxy torch on it if MAPP gas doesnt help.
Tried getting the rusted pulley off the gearbox but the circlip just disintegrated and the pulley wouldn't budge. More penetrating oil, more waiting, can't find my really big gear puller either!
Went off to a neighbours yesterday to rescue the seemingly good gearbox from an abandoned mower that hit a stump and has the front end all bent up. (Social distancing on a 5 acre plot is not an issue btw ). There were in fact two similar mowers there. Both in a very sorry state. I had permission to turn both over on their bonnets.
The salvaged Peerless (American made) "crash" gearbox c/w wheels/tyres removed and back home sitting atop my mower after a cursory jet wash and attempt to pump the tyres up. The nuts and bolts that attach the gearbox have been put in an open topped plastic bag and lowered into the citric acid barrel for it to work it's magic. Of the two salvaged wheels one pumped up OK to 10psi the other is all cracked and leaking like a sieve.
Typically as is the case with these mowers the n/s rear wheel was seized solid on the shaft of this salvaged gearbox/axle. (People will bin them just for this). Lucky tbh it's not both wheels stuck as was the case with my mower under the tarp. I managed way back to get the o/s wheel off as it's that you have to remove to access the brake caliper. I still have to get the n/s off of mine, not done as its a mission but I'll have to now. Sods Law the stuck wheel on the salvage axle had the perished tyre. The stuck wheel on my mower has the good tyre!
So that was one problem to sort. Sat it upright with copious amounts 3 in 1 & penetrating oil on the end of the shaft hoping it'd seep down. Left it a couple of hours then the stuck wheel came off after some persuasion involving a pair of trestles, two pieces of 4x2, a drift and a hammer. Actually easier than with the gear box in situ. Shafts all emery clothed and lubed. Bosses in the citric acid bath.
Next problem:
The gear change rod attaches to this lug atop the gearbox (yellow gearbox filler bung just behind):
That won't move for me to check the gear changes until I can un-seize the brake which is solid.:
It was this that stumped me for a while on mine until a mate in the States kindly sourced me a new caliper from over there. That's on, working a treat and all lubed up on my mower with the now suspect gearbox. Needs to likely come off and go on this salvaged one. The problem is the aluminium caliper and two fixing bolts etc become "one" through the corrosion. Last time I sheared the heads of both bolts I'm pointing to. Again I've lubed it up with penetrating oil and I'll come back to it.
Just waiting for the brake to free up! Might end up barrowing it to another neighbour and trying his oxy torch on it if MAPP gas doesnt help.
Tried getting the rusted pulley off the gearbox but the circlip just disintegrated and the pulley wouldn't budge. More penetrating oil, more waiting, can't find my really big gear puller either!