Replacing under-deck mandrels

[Cusser]

Or grab that stationary with a genuine Vise-Grips. If you can weld, consider previous suggestion.

This is one reason I recommended replacing the entire spindle.

Or take the spindle out of the deck to work on. Grab the 5-pointed "star" or the circular disc part just above it with a large-enough genuine Vise-Grips or maybe a bench vise to hold it from turning.

Or break down and just buy new spindles !

 

[jleezevon]

Well, thanks for all the suggestions. I got the lock nuts off this morning.

I used the steel "pump handle" from my racing jack as a breaker bar. A couple of forceful (!) whacks on the makeshift breaker bar over the ratchet over each lock nut broke them. So I'm good on that account.

My HS Physics teacher is probably spinning in his grave. "LEVERAGE, Mr. Z! It all comes down to LEVERAGE!"

Anyway. Now that I'm tightening everything up, are there recommended torque specs I need to follow? I'm working off the exploded parts diagrams in my owner's manual which note nothing.

If nobody can recommend specs I'll just tighten down everything until the point I can't tighten no more.

Again, thanks for everyone's suggestions. This is an awesome and informative forum!


Regards,


JLZ

 

[bertsmobile1]

Blade bolts self tighten in use so there is no need for excessive leverage.
Most manuals have numbers in the 40 to 70ft lbs region depending upon the diameter of the fasteners.
Other repairers might do it different but I set the impact gun to it's lowest setting then do them up till the socket stops turning.
I go towards the lower end as there is no great amount of torque acting against the fasteners and as you have noticed they very rarely come off easy.
In the field I have a 10' length of hollow rectangle bar that gets used to hold the blade and an equally long breaker bar made up of a 3' stahlwile 3/4' drive bar that has a hole in the end to take extensions into which will go extensions from 1' through to 4' and even then I will have to chop 3 or 4 off each season.

 

[7394]

Impact gun, as Bert stated.

 

[tom3]

Impact wrench would be the best bet I suspect. Or use a Dremel tool to cut the nut as much as you can get to then finish splitting it with a chisel and hammer.

 

[TheVirginian]

I know this is going to creep in MANY's crawls when they read this but I had a craftsman rider one time that i had to use an acetylene & oxygen torch on the blade nut of, to get it off....... I was replacing the spindle also anyway so i didn't CARE about "cooking the grease" in it!!! If you're going to replace the spindle anyway as it sounds, hit it with a torch on the nut for a good 10 seconds and then impact it off (mine wouldn't budge before that with a Snap-On 1/2 inch impact gun and 150psi of air......). Sometimes we just do what we have to do

 

[SeniorCitizen]

Or how about shocking off the nut by smacking the end of a connected breaker bar with a five-pound sledge?

As you can imagine, I'm not Handy-capable, and I don't want to teach my kid to take shortcuts. But damn it, I need to get these lock nuts off - and fast.


Thanks in advance.

Here at the ranch it's called a red neck impact. Been usen it for years. Haven't had it fail yet.

 

[7394]

Here at the ranch it's called a red neck impact. Been usen it for years. Haven't had it fail yet.

:thumbsup: Agreed..