Lawn sweeper refurb.

[Stormin 4,458]

  Last year I got a Wheel Horse lawn sweeper. Not that I've got a big lawn, but I cut the grass on the village green.

 

 

That's number 3 grandson, not me.

 

  While doing a neighbour a favour by cutting, then sweeping, her very large back lawn/field, one of the brush spindle bearings collapsed. On stripping things down, I found the other bearing not in the best of health either. I knew that getting OE bearings could pose problems, I decided to modify to metric bearings.

  The difference in the outside diameters of the OE bearings was 2 thou. Two metric bearings were procured with 35mm o/d. These tapped nicely in to place.

 

 

  The inside diam is greater than the brush spindles end inserts.

 

 

 You can see where the worn bearings have scored the inserts. The plan is to turn up two sleeves, that will be heat shrunk onto the inserts, then turned down to suit the metric bearings I/d.

[Ian 2,417]

I like your plan Norm, your soon have it sorted now the sweeper is apart

[meadowfield 1,900]

Awesome, go for it. Look forward to seeing it back in action

[neil 524]

This is gonna be interesting Norm , I also have a sweeper that needs restoring , looking forward to your progress

[Anglo Traction 1,016]

Well Norm, you get another Lathe and your already pulling bits of machinery apart to find parts to 'Spin Up' on it  . There is no cure for this obsession, so you just have to go along with it..... Good project and I'll be following it  . 

[Stormin 4,458]

Had an afternoon familiarising myself with the new lathe. Here's the result.

 

Skimmed up the inserts for the brush spindle and turned a couple of sleeves.

 

Finished insert on left. Sleeve ready for fitting on right.

 

 

The sleeves were heat shrunk on the inserts. This was done by putting the inserts in the freezer and heating the sleeves on a camping stove. Complete assembly was then put in the lathe and the sleeve machined down to fit the bearing.

 

And they do.

 

 

Now all I've got to do is put everything back together and see if it will work.

 

For reference for anyone going to do this mod, the bearings are 35mm od x 17mm id x 12mm. Cost me £6 the pair.

[Anglo Traction 1,016]

Had an afternoon familiarising myself with the new lathe.   For reference for anyone going to do this mod, the bearings are 35mm od x 70mm id x 12mm. Cost me £6 the pair.

Nice job Norm, and I spotted the juxtaposed numbers       

[Stormin 4,458]

17 Not 70.

[diggerjames 543]

Hi Norm I have a chance of buyin one of these do you think it would pick up horse manure ?

[Stormin 4,458]

Possibly. May be better if the brushes were change for rubber flaps.

[Stormin 4,458]

It's all back together now ready for the next grass cutting session.

 

Note to self. Take note of the order things come apart. Then you won't have to take things apart again to fit other bits.

[Ian 2,417]

That's good news Norm, it didn't take you long to get it fixed

 

So what's next to test the lathe out with?

[Stormin 4,458]

  Used the sweeper for the first time yesterday. Working great, as good as new, until a wheel came off.   The wheels are held on by just a circlip, those horse shoe type. Hub cap still in place on the wheel and circlip inside that. Nothing lost. Replacing the wheel and clip, I thought the clip a bit loose, though tight to put on. Squeezed it up a bit in the vice, replaced and off we went again. Then the wheel came off again.   This time the pawl that's inside the brush spindle drive gear had disappeared.

  Inside the wheel are two plain bearings and on close examination, I noticed the outer one a fraction proud of the wheel. This would account for the clip being hard to replace and not seating in the groove as it should. I tapped the bearing in until it was just under the outside of the wheel and the circlip groove just cleared.

  I removed the opposite wheel and used the pawl from that side, to make a replacement for the missing one. After some judicious use of a file and micrometer, a replacement was fitted tonight.

 All seems to be working OK, but

[diggerjames 543]

Very good Norm if first you don't succeed pick you wheel up and try again !