Wheel Horse SD Deck

[the showman 4,074]

I've only got these, small ones are 60m x 85m , bigger ones are 75m x 85m

[Stormin 4,458]

Thanks Chris, but they are the front ones.

[the showman 4,074]

9 hours ago, Stormin said:

Thanks Chris, but they are the front ones.

Sorry that's all ive got

[Stormin 4,458]

Some more assembly done today.

 

Tensioner assembly and wheels on.

 

Bracketry for attachment to tractor assembled.

 

 

That's it for now. Some bits and pieces to make, beg or steal next.

[Anglo Traction 1,016]

On 11/10/2017 at 3:21 PM, Stormin said:

 I've started to assemble some of the brackets and was going to fit the belt tensioner. Here is another clue some ones been at this deck before. The flat bar for the tensioner pulley is held in position with two nylon bridge's to allow it to move. But there is nothing for under the bar to stop it rubbing on the shell top. I cannot find a manual with a schematic assembly drawing of the deck. Can anyone help? 

I'll answer you call for help Norm.

You're missing 2 plates which fit between the Shell and the Tension Bar. I believe they are/were made of Plastic or Nylon.

The part  (6748) is discontinued, so you will have to make them. 

I suspect they are about 3/16"-1/4 thick, but advise you check the Centre of the FLAT SIDE FACE of fitted Idler Pulley with the Spindle Pulley 'V' centres.

The difference will give you the required thickness. A sheet of 6mm Nylon will cost under UKL£ 4.OO delivered. 

Also I noticed you fitted the Front (pivoted) Lift Bar the same way as when you received the Deck (very 1st pic). The V Fork should to be on the Right hand side.

 

Item #18 >

                                                                

[Stormin 4,458]

Thanks for the info, Richard. I've actually found some thin nylon sheet. I also realised I'd fitted the lift bar the wrong way round. Left it for tomorrow as it was getting near dinner time.

[Stormin 4,458]

  A little more progress.

 

  Found a 1/2" x 6" bolt and the threaded remains of a couple long (once}  5/8" bolts. Turned the 5/8" down to 1/2" and that gave me three pieces of 1/2" bar. Drilled the spindles where they were welded to the securing plates, welded in the replacement spindles and the result is below. Old spindles included for comparison.

 

 

  Fitted to the shell and lift arm refitted as it should be.

 

 

 

    I found the bore of the double drive pulley to be 30 thou bigger than the blade spindle. Didn't look worn and neither is the spindle. PO bodge? Pulley off a different deck?

 

   I bored the pulley out to 1" ID, then turned up a sleeve a tight fit, tight as knocked in with a hammer, and will be tack welded. When that's done I'll finish the bore to 3/4" to suit the spindle. I'll have to get the key way cut, but I know a man who has the gear..

 

[the showman 4,074]

Looking good Norm. 

[Stormin 4,458]

  A bit of an up date. After I got the deck all built up, I noticed as it sat on the table, the right hand scalp roller was clear of the table, by 1-1/2 inch. I hadn't noticed when I stripped the deck, but the right hand side is slightly bent up. Discharge side. So it's all stripped down again and waiting to be taken to the farm round the corner.

  Lad there is a qualified motor mechanic and has a nice big fully equipped workshop. So we're going to see if we can straighten it with one of his presses. 

[Stormin 4,458]

 Deck shell was rather awkward to handle in a press, so gave up. I'll see how it sits under a tractor.

 

I solved the problem of the missing rear scalp wheel. A friend of SWMBO, who does wood turning, owed me a favour for a job I did for him.

 

 

Look oak A to me.

 

Just need a belt, which I should get next week.

 

 

 

[the showman 4,074]

They look good. 

[Stormin 4,458]

  Got a drive belt for the spindles this morning. Fitted it then thought I'd fit the deck to the old workhorse, the C-125.

  Removed the rear discharge deck and proceeded to fit the Side discharge deck. All went well until I tried to lift the deck up. The lift handle wouldn't go into it's locked position as the deck wouldn't lift high enough.

  Investigation showed the right hand lift arm and the bracket it was attached too, were fouling the tractor drive belt guard.

 

 

If you look at the photo above, you will see the left hand arm is straight. The right hand one bends in.

  So another straight arm needs to be made, and the rear bracket needs repositioning. Hey! Ho! These thinks are sent to try us.

 

[the showman 4,074]

How long are they Norm, i'm sure ive got some of those

[Stormin 4,458]

  Sorted the angled lift bar today. Straightened it out with the use of a press at the farm round the corner. This made the bar longer of course. Cut off the extra length, then drilled and filed a fresh square hole.

  Removed the bracket and replaced to line up with the straightened bar. Tomorrow I may see if the deck fits OK now. Should do, then I'll see how it performs.

 

  I had to drill another hole in the bracket, as the original lined up perfectly with the baffle underneath the deck top.

 

 

 

[Stormin 4,458]

Mounted it on the C-125 this morning. Not to happy with the way it sits, but hopefully a bit of adjustment, plus trial and error, I can get it better.

I was going to see how it performed, but the p.t.o to deck belt I use for the rear discharge is about 1 to 1-1/2 inch to short.

[Stormin 4,458]

  Today, doing a bit of tiding up on the workshop bench, I came across an idler pulley with kaput bearing. I realised then why the belt was too short. The pulley was off the cutter drive belt tensioner. I'd replaced it with one I found among bits I'd saved of a Husqvarna I'd broken. That is a slightly bigger diameter to the one on the bench. No wonder the belt wouldn't fit.

 

[Stormin 4,458]

Memo to self. Engage brain before posting. The cutter drive belt isn't the problem is it. It's the p.t.o. to deck. Having to many senior moments.

[Anglo Traction 1,016]

Hi Norm, re the Belt length issue, it may also be that the main Drive (Centre) Pulley shown in your last (Monday) pic is upside down?.

The original Pic at the start of the Thread shows the smaller pulley at the Top.

The Spindle Drive Belt fits onto the lower larger of the double Pulley and the PTO-Deck drive Belt goes on the smaller upper Pulley.

That should give you the longer/more slack length in the Belt and the correct Spindle RPM.

Nearly there and ready to cut grass.  

[Stormin 4,458]

2 hours ago, Anglo Traction said:

 

The original Pic at the start of the Thread shows the smaller pulley at the Top. 

 

  DOH!   Who's a dipstick?

 

 Photo's are for reference aren't they. Still the man who never made a mistake never made anything. Thanks Richard.

 

 

[Stormin 4,458]

  Just done some investigation. The centre pulley is that way up on my rear discharge deck. Large diameter at top and smaller at bottom. I've also had a look at some of the manuals on RS. They all seem to show the same. Large top, small bottom. (Behave yourselves now. )

  Now someone has been the SD deck before. So did they fit the pulley upside down? If so why? Just looking by rack of eye, if the large diameter pulley is at the bottom, it will be very close to the tensioner bar. As in very, very close. I'll change it round tomorrow and see what transpires.

[Anglo Traction 1,016]

I'm struggling to find a correct I.D. for that Deck Norm, been through most of the 70s onwards.

The Model number you quoted back on page 1 refers to a 1977 Deck and with Double 'D' type Spindles with a Double Pulley with both Pulleys the same size (as per IPL screen shot I posted in Oct 17).

The nearest style 42 SD Deck with small/large Double Pulley and Keyed/Locknut Spindles (except for the tensioner style) is this example from 1978-

 

 

Note the orientation of the Double Pulley.

The later 1980s Models seem to have the larger pulley on top!.

So I've no idea what this deck was fitted to originally what with the odd Deck Hanger and the possibility that the Spindles may have been swapped out with different ones at some point.

Or the Belgium Assy Plant 'Frankensteined' it to fit an oddball Tractor?. As you say, only option is trial and error set ups to find the best option.   

   

[Wristpin 400]

At the risk of stating the bloomin obvious getting the pulleys in the wrong orientation will effect the blade tip speed - a safely consideration.

Lets just say that the larger pulley is the same diameter as the crank drive pulley , we then have a deck input speed of engine rpm , say 2800 to 3000rpm .  Reverseing the deck pulley putting the smaller one on top and the input speed goes up plus the larger pulley is now driving the blade spindles at an even higher rpm - excessive blade tip speed ??  In addition the idler pulley bearings and blade spindle bearings may all be subjected to higher rpm than intended. 

 

[Anglo Traction 1,016]

You are right to consider speeds Angus. I had checked that all out on my 36"RD for my own curiosity.

Full engine speed (recommended) 3500 rpm, PTO pulley 4" dia, Mower Deck Driver pulley 4" dia , Driven 4" driving 14inch dia centre Blade = tip speed of 145.83 MPH (@ 3500rpm)

Outer 12inch Blades with 3 inch Pulleys= (3500rpm x 1.25) tip speed of 156.25 mph @  4375rpm.

I fitted sealed Bearings rated at over 7500rpm continuous.

So roughly a 20% increase or decrease in speed if a double 4inch/5inch Pulley is reversed.     

[Stormin 4,458]

  The double pulley measures approx. 4" and 3". The spindle pulleys are 3". I'll let the mathematicion's amongst us work out the R.P.M.

 

  Change the double over and the 4" is now below and clears the tensioner bar. Had to do one or two adjustments when I mounted it on the C-125.

 I fitted the p.t.o. to deck belt I used on the rear discharge. It is rather tight and would only fit the smaller p.t.o. pulley.  

 

  So testing time. Started the tractor in the yard, engaged the deck and all was fine.  Out on to the green and I'm happy to say I'm well pleased with it. Cut better than the RD, but that is not really surprising as the RD blades are well past their sell by date. I did find the drive belt twisted and I think that was due to it running on the outer p.t.o. pulley. I'll get another belt a couple of inches longer.

 

 When I'd finished cutting the green and verges, I was also pleased to see that not much cleaning of deck and tractor was required. The RD covered the rear of the tractor with cuttings.

 

  So some photo's of green and verges when finished.

 

 

 

 

[the showman 4,074]

Hope you didn't run over Rusty.