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I have this push mower. The blade is good, the engine runs great, but the deck is full of holes. What's the best way to patch them without welding? Aluminum flashing cut to size, bent and attached with metal screws? I also read somewhere about using fiberglass cloth + epoxy -- is this a good option? Something else? TIA!

That mower is dangerous in my opinion. I'd find another mower on Craigs list or FB marketplace with a blown engine - for cheap - and do a transplant.

I'm with Tom, that engine was common on alot of push mowers, so finding a deck to fit the engine shouldn't be hard at all.

OK thx. Do I just need to remove the blade and then detach the whole top of the mower (engine and all) from the deck, and move it to the other deck? Or is there more work with the top?

Also, when I look for a matching mower to cannibalize, how close do I need to get to model number or whatever of this mower? In other words, how do I figure if the other deck fits?

Remove the blade, and there are 3 or 4 9/16" head bolts that hold the mower to the frame... it would also be a good idea to soak the bolts in penetrating oil prior to removal, as sometimes they are pretty stuck and rusty to the point the head rounds off or breaks off.
matter of fact, you can see one of the mounting bolts right here....

Will a matching deck necessarily be Craftsman? Or are there other brands that have compatible models?

And I posted another thread: Carb cleaning Not sure if I want to cannibalize that one just yet, but is this a matching deck?

They appear to have the same engine. So the engine mounting holes should be the same.

I bet you have a brand spanking new air filter in that Bad Boy Mower. Sucker is soooo clean, you got to wear shades.

slomo

slomo said:

I bet you have a brand spanking new air filter in that Bad Boy Mower. Sucker is soooo clean, you got to wear shades.

slomo

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I didn't check but it started from one pull right away and ran like it's brand new! I have another Craftsman (in the other thread) which has no rust yet I can't get it to start!

Removing the blade adapter is likely to be difficult and require a two jaw puller to get it off.

If you search You Tube for "removing blade adapter" there are numerous videos on how to perform this trick.

seattlepioneer said:

Removing the blade adapter is likely to be difficult and require a two jaw puller to get it off.

If you search You Tube for "removing blade adapter" there are numerous videos on how to perform this trick.

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Before removing it I'll want to flip the mower upside down. Do I first need to drain all gas and oil from the mower first? Even if I somehow manage to remove it without flipping, can I swap the deck without draining?

To swap motors you basically remove the operator cable, put a clamp on the recoil start rope so it won't rewind back more and take the end off the handle bar, remove the blade, take out the three mounting bolts, trade motors. Sometimes the mounting bolts are a tough chore, as said before soak them good.

Yes, drain oil and gas first.

tom3 said:

To swap motors you basically remove the operator cable, put a clamp on the recoil start rope so it won't rewind back more and take the end off the handle bar, remove the blade, take out the three mounting bolts, trade motors. Sometimes the mounting bolts are a tough chore, as said before soak them good.

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I just broke off one of three mounting bolts on a mower I was removing the engine. The other mower had all three bolts come off without breaking the bolts.

I guess brute force is not to be recommended.

Yep, I always soak them in PB blaster or Liquid wrench several hours before removing.
since I've done that, I haven't broken one off.

dougand3 said:

Yes, drain oil and gas first.

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What could happen if I don't drain and flip it on its side with the gas tank facing up?

Only thing draining it does is less weight when you pick up it...

You generally want the spark plug facing up.

ilyaz said:

What could happen if I don't drain and flip it on its side with the gas tank facing up?

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Oil tends to drain down and plug up the air filter and the engine wont run until the mess is cleaned up. I learned this the hard way once.

Perhaps using fiberglass can help you. This material is excellent for closing such holes without the need for welding. Fiberglass is easily attached with glue and you can paint over this material on top so that there are no visible signs of repair. My dad also used fiberglass to repair his benchtop jointer. As a result of long use, the case was damaged and dents formed. My father bought fiberglass and special glue and quickly repaired the damage. After the glue had dried, we decided to repaint the entire tool and it looked like new. I also heard that you can use a metal mesh, but we did not have such material and I can not say anything about how much better it is than fiberglass.

Grekalis said:

Perhaps using fiberglass can help you. This material is excellent for closing such holes without the need for welding. Fiberglass is easily attached with glue and you can paint over this material on top so that there are no visible signs of repair.

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No, fiberglass will not work; unless, the operator never hit anything heavier than grass blades. I have seen an owner that tried that on a rider and iit definitely didn't but the car tags did work a little better.

As a user, I would be afraid to use a lawn mower in such a situation ... and I would not buy one with a fiberglass deck without a good iron mesh inside.
I say this because, for a brief period, I used a similar cutter and ran over stumps and stones that would most likely break a fiber deck or cause damage to something or someone nearby (windows, car, animals, people), because we can't always remove everything around or see the approach of autonomous beings.
I think that in this case the cheapest and safest option is to replace it, either with a new one or an old one in better condition.