Mower deck Deck spindle and idler bracket

[bwhs70]

I have a new Craftsman rear engine riding mower with a 30" deck, model 247.2900000, that now has 10 hours on it. The maintenance schedule says it is time to lubricate the deck spindle and idler bracket. The manual includes no photos that are of any help. Should I be looking for grease fittings? Should I be applying oil to these two items? Confused here. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[SeniorCitizen]

I have a new Craftsman rear engine riding mower with a 30" deck, model 247.2900000, that now has 10 hours on it. The maintenance schedule says it is time to lubricate the deck spindle and idler bracket. The manual includes no photos that are of any help. Should I be looking for grease fittings? Should I be applying oil to these two items? Confused here. Any help would be appreciated.

If you find grease fittings they ( it ) will probably be only on the deck spindle housing. Odds are the spindle housing contains sealed bearings and the zerk is just there for show. Attempting to grease sealed bearings via a grease fitting is about as successful as trying to baptize a cat in a 5 gallon bucket of water.

The idler bracket. If you can't find it we'll help with that. Put a few drops of oil on the pivot point bolt occasionally. I use bar and chain oil there but 3 in 1, Singer sewing machine oil or oil off of the dip stick will be just fine.

 

[bwhs70]

If you find grease fittings they ( it ) will probably be only on the deck spindle housing. Odds are the spindle housing contains sealed bearings and the zerk is just there for show. Attempting to grease sealed bearings via a grease fitting is about as successful as trying to baptize a cat in a 5 gallon bucket of water.

The idler bracket. If you can't find it we'll help with that. Put a few drops of oil on the pivot point bolt occasionally. I use bar and chain oil there but 3 in 1, Singer sewing machine oil or oil off of the dip stick will be just fine.

Thanks SeniorCitizen. You are correct, the spindle housing has sealed bearings; no zerk fitting. I oiled the pivot point on the idler bracket. Guess all is well now. By the way, do you have experience trying to baptize a cat?

 

[SeniorCitizen]

Thanks SeniorCitizen. You are correct, the spindle housing has sealed bearings; no zerk fitting. I oiled the pivot point on the idler bracket. Guess all is well now. By the way, do you have experience trying to baptize a cat?

I tried it once without water and that also doesn't work very well.

Now for the rest of the story said the late Mr. Paul Harvey:
half grown kitten hanging head down with a back leg wedged in the V formed by the back bumper and mounting bracket of my daughter and son in-laws car.

Cat, very scared and very mad too. A cat can bite easily through welding gloves. Don't try it. :thumbdown: So get a bucket and slip up over the scared mad cat so the back leg can be dislodged. You don't put a now more scared and more mad cat in a bucket head first, not even an empty bucket. Step back and try to think of plan B. Cat wiggles himself free. What a relief.

 

[bwhs70]

I tried it once without water and that also doesn't work very well.

Now for the rest of the story said the late Mr. Paul Harvey:
half grown kitten hanging head down with a back leg wedged in the V formed by the back bumper and mounting bracket of my daughter and son in-laws car.

Cat, very scared and very mad too. A cat can bite easily through welding gloves. Don't try it. :thumbdown: So get a bucket and slip up over the scared mad cat so the back leg can be dislodged. You don't put a now more scared and more mad cat in a bucket head first, not even an empty bucket. Step back and try to think of plan B. Cat wiggles himself free. What a relief.

Bad situation. Story well told. Thanks again.