Hi I just bought a old rear engine mower and was wondering how to replace the blade. I haven't got a manual for it yet. Do you take the deck off or just flip it on it's side?
Hi I just bought a old rear engine mower and was wondering how to replace the blade. I haven't got a manual for it yet. Do you take the deck off or just flip it on it's side?
Hey just bought a new blade and damn if I can get the bolt out there is a reverse thread on the bolt right.? Aren't all lawnmowers reverse thread? Oh and it has a 8 Hp B&S.
No almost all are normal ... Right hand...
Very few decks, I can only think of one, use a LH spindle thread... :smile:KennyV
#6
grnspot110
The model 66 & 68's were made to stand on their backs for storage. Thats what the black pipes are on the back of the mower are for. Just be sure to let them set on their wheels for a while before starting!
If it is rounded, you will have to take some, extreme measures to get it off...
If you further damage it... no problem, your going to have to replace it anyway...
If you have metric sockets, use one slightly smaller and try driving it on the head of the bolt try both 6 & 12 point, your looking for a very tight forced fit...
you can also use a chisel and a hammer to try to drift it CCW...
If all else fails you can weld any piece of scrap to it, the heat & added leverage will take it off... :smile:KennyV
Hey thanks I was contemplating just sharpening it right on the mower! But since I have the new one I should replace it thanks for the help everyone! I have a new manual in the mail I just bought off eBay so that should help with any maintenance and repairs.
Welcome to the forum! I have an old Model 68. They're a great mower. When you say "blade", yours must be a 30" single blade model. Mine is a 34" (two 17" blades). Besides an owner's manual, you should try and find a parts book on eBay. However you can also see that stuff on-line by going to Residential Equipment Parts The parts are getting scarce now, but many have been superseded by newer parts that work.
As for getting the blade off, too bad the bolt has been rounded off. You should get a new one and the washer, if you don't have them already. It's a regular RH thread. Try using a big pipe wrench. Be sure to use grease anti-seize when you put the new one in. You can sharpen the blade in place, especially a single one, by just tilting the mower up on the discharge side and going in with an angle grinder with a cut-off disk.
Last summer I thought the axle had broken on mine and I'd have to scrap it. My neighbour was replacing his Honda rear engine rider at the time, so I bought it off him. Meanwhile I found that it was just a broken weld on the rear axle flange and welded it, so now I have two riders I use alternately. I go clockwise with the JD using a home-made mulch plate and CCW with the Honda.
Hey thanks for the info! I did sharpen it in place I just didn't have the time to work on it. Were having a cold wet spell here right now so the window of opportunity was closing lol. I really like my mower seems really well build and stll holding up for it's age, I'll post some pics when I get a chance. The steering column is getting a little loose going to have to fix that also but all I'm all it seems good.
When I got mine a few years ago, the first thing that failed was one of the steering tierods. The other one looked newer and obviously had been replaced before. I tried peening the socket but it wouldn't last, so I had to get a new one. Checking the dealer's website now, I don't see any of that stuff available anymore. It looks like the JD dealerships around here went through a change in ownership, was Agraturf and now it's Premier Equipment, so the bean counters probably scrapped all the old stock. The sector gear at the bottom of my steering column looked pretty ratty and the teeth had been welded. Last year it started skipping, so I just welded extensions on the ends of a couple of teeth. The thing about the old John Deere stuff is that it's rugged and well made and worth fixing and can be fixed by a farmer or a blacksmith. The new low end JD lawn tractors sold by Home Depot are a different story.
