New to site. . .Scag spindle assembly

[scagman2]

The spindles without the pulleys are installed from underneath the deck. With the spindles installed and bolts and nuts tight, the pulleys are installed. There is a hub in the center of the pulleys, remove this from the pulley, two bolts, set the pulley over the spindle. The hub has both a taper and a key slot, line up the key and using the blade bolt and nut you can pull the hub down into place. Then line up the pulley bolt holes to the hub holes and reinstall the pulley bolts. You can utilize the blade bolt spacers on the blade bolt both above and below the spindle to get enough bolt thread to be able to tighten the hub into place on the spindle. Make sure that you place the blade and spacers into their correct position on the blade bolt when you reinstall the blades.
Mad Mackie in CT

I 'm trying to remove the hub, key and pulley from the spindles in order to install new spindles. The problem is that I can't get past the 2 hub bolts. The hub, key and pulley are froze stuck after 12 years. Is there a trick I don't know of ? Advise is gladly welcomed as I a can't replace my spindles until I can remove the old ones.

 

[scagman2]

The top of the spindle shaft has a taper and a key slot. The hub of the pulley has the matching taper and keyslot and will only fit onto the spindle just so far and tighten onto the taper. The two pulley bolts when installed will bring the pulley tight to the underside of the pulley hub. When the blade bolt with blade and spacers is installed into the spindle and the nut torqued to spec the pulley hub will go no farther onto the spindle than flush.

I'm wrong about the position of the taper, it is on the outside of the pulley hub where the inside diameter of the pulley fits onto the hub. When the two bolts are installed the pulley is drawn up this taper. The pulley hub with key slides onto the spindle shaft and rests against the upper part of the spindle shoulder. When the blade bolt, spacers, and nut are correctly installed and torqued to 75 FT LBS then the assembly stays together and clear of the deck top.
You can see a partial radial cut in the pulley and this lets the pulley be drawn up the taper of the pulley hub when the two bolts are tightened.
My Tiger Cub is here in my garage waiting for Mad Mackie to replace or repair the left hand brake band so I went out and looked at the spindle pulleys and also looked in the parts manual again!!!
Scag has been using basically the same design spindle for years, although changing the spindle housing material back and forth from aluminum and cast iron.
Mad Mackie in CT

On my 2003 scag tiger cub, the top of the hub is roughly 1.5" from top of spindle shaft. Does yours go flush with top of spindle shaft? What year is your Tiger cub? Does it have the ADVANTAGE deck like mine? All 3 of my original spindle pulley hubs are 1.5" from shaft top.:thumbsup:

 

[scagman2]

The spindles without the pulleys are installed from underneath the deck. With the spindles installed and bolts and nuts tight, the pulleys are installed. There is a hub in the center of the pulleys, remove this from the pulley, two bolts, set the pulley over the spindle. The hub has both a taper and a key slot, line up the key and using the blade bolt and nut you can pull the hub down into place. Then line up the pulley bolt holes to the hub holes and reinstall the pulley bolts. You can utilize the blade bolt spacers on the blade bolt both above and below the spindle to get enough bolt thread to be able to tighten the hub into place on the spindle. Make sure that you place the blade and spacers into their correct position on the blade bolt when you reinstall the blades.
Mad Mackie in CT

Thanks for the info. Installed new spindles today. Old one came of easily after overnight soaking. Am concerned that after running deck for 30 minutes, grease was seeping from top seals of 2 spindles and a trace out of the 3rd. Topped off spindles with more grease,( didn't take much), ran another 5 min. to find little seepage. Will keep an eye on them every time I operate. Is this normal break-in, or could these be defective?

 

[Mad Mackie]

Scag spindle assemblies have a relief valve on the opposite of the grease fitting, not sure why you are getting grease from the top seal, but wipe it clean and run it more and recheck.

 

[scagman2]

Scag spindle assemblies have a relief valve on the opposite of the grease fitting, not sure why you are getting grease from the top seal, but wipe it clean and run it more and recheck.

Wiped clean, ran 5 min. and checked...less seepage. Wiped down again...will grease before mowing and check after. Thanks. Hope these spindles aren't defective.

 

[scagman2]

Scag spindle assemblies have a relief valve on the opposite of the grease fitting, not sure why you are getting grease from the top seal, but wipe it clean and run it more and recheck.

Ran again today, less seepage, will keep an eye on it.