How do deck spindles come apart?

My real question might be, "Can Hydrostatic drivetrain "gearing" be changed, to turn the tractor into something faster since I'll no longer be using it to mow?"

Spindle parts prices for mower decks that fit the Deere 265 can be eye-watering. I can't consider a complete new set. At any rate new bearings seem reasonable, but it seems I'll need either the bench vise or hydraulic press first + the knowledge. Thanks!

One of mine has *I think* a 42" deck although 46" seems to be the common size listed online for these tractors. (My other 265 does have the 48" deck, which is quite different.) At any rate there's no inch-size sticker on it, like so many Deere decks have had.

So the 46 (or 42) deck needs new spindle bearings. I'll be buying new hardware (the square shank'd bolts, washers, nuts) since I had to use an angle grinder and air chisel to remove the old nuts. Nice design! :thumbdown:

Two of the three pulleys would not come off. I've since read that after you remove the spindles, you can remove the pulley by pushing the spindle down through the hub using a hammer as the hub sits in a vise, or perhaps with a hydraulic press. I don't actually see how that would happen without flattening the bottom part of the pulley, but then I am the one asking questions here. :smile:

Here's one video that seems to show the job pretty well, even though it doesn't address the pulleys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3APQvWEd_Y

Usually take the big nut off the top, remove the big washer or collar, screw the nut back on until it's flush with the end of the shaft, then a couple big whacks with the hammer will drive the shaft through the pulley, remove the nut and the shaft will fall out. Usually..... Sometimes something bad might happen but it would be rare. A good shot of penetrating oil helps too.

Any idea what the purpose of the grease is?

SeniorCitizen said:

Any idea what the purpose of the grease is?

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If you're referring to the grease he added to the hub interior, it's to help keep moisture at bay. There's a comment from someone on there that quotes JD as indeed stating it should be about 75% filled.

tom3 said:

Usually take the big nut off the top, remove the big washer or collar, screw the nut back on until it's flush with the end of the shaft, then a couple big whacks with the hammer will drive the shaft through the pulley, remove the nut and the shaft will fall out. Usually..... Sometimes something bad might happen but it would be rare. A good shot of penetrating oil helps too.

Click to expand...

Your comment caused me to take another look at they ones I have with pulley still on the shaft. There's very little room between the bottom of the pulley center and the hub surface, so I suppose flattening out the pulley isn't much of a concern. I hate using gear pullers, and hate even more that they seldom work for me for jobs like this.


I bought Harbor Freight's 6-ton table top hydraulic press. With their regular 20% coupon it didn't cost much more than a standard 5" or 6" bench vise. It's a swim day at the lake, so maybe tomorrow I can assemble the press and get to crankin'.

The one spindle where I had been able to remove the pulley first, while everything was still on the deck, was a success using the table top hydraulic press. And the key came out of the shaft this way OK also, by letting the press do the work. "Man, this is gonna be easy."

The second spindle not so much. I succeeded in snapping the bottom rim of the hub off. That steel ring that secures the bottom bushing is far stronger than the cast hub it snaps into. Moving forward, I figured I'd salvage the rest but didn't get far. I wasn't pulling "as hard as I can" on the press's lever, but ... the shape of the press frame had slightly moved. I made sure I wasn't pushing the bottom of the spindle shaft down into the press's apron or frame.

I stopped, rather than potentially send metal across the room or into myself. The bottom bushing is pushed out (still on the shaft of course) but the pulley is still partially on the other end. I suppose the key (buried deep) is binding up. Even so, worse case, you'd think the top bearing would start to push or deform into the middle if the key was digging into it.

I'll see about getting a bench vise and do some pounding.

I haven't yet attempted to remove the old bushings from the one hub I had success with, and there's no point in using the hydraulic press on the third spindle if the hubs break this easily. As it is, I've additionally got to see if I can remove the old lower bushing from the second spindle shaft, once I get it out.

I was able to easily remove the pulley for the spindle I was working on, thereby saving at least ONE part from this mess. An harmonic balancer puller made quick work of it (I drilled and tapped the 2 existing pulley holes for 5/16-18 threads since those bolts came in the balancer puller kit.) That being said, the work done earlier by the hydraulic press had previously loosened the pulley from the shaft ...

... and as expected, the key had wedged itself against the pulley, shaft, and top bearing, having nowhere for any of them to go apart from each other. The key partially sheared enough to make the jam, but not enough to break free and allow the shaft to fall through nor the pulley to come off.

It appears I've created a cold weld of sorts, now. I'll set this aside and see if anyone has suggestion for what might remove the key. I've got an idea for inverting it into the press, thread the pulley bolt back on along with several hard washers and see if the key, now pushed in the opposite direction, can break free.

Meantime I'll begin work on the final spindle ... after I remove its trashed pulley first.

Got the 3rd pulley off also using the harmonic balancer puller. It was some effort, but the bolts did not strip through the pulley (they might do so on a lesser mower's thinner pulleys?)

That woodruff key was also curiously, slightly bent at its bottom. I suspect that happened when the pulley was last installed. If I had similarly tried to remove the pulley with the hydraulic press, it would have surely gone awry like pulley #2 did, when the housing broke during the effort.

Speaking of which, I was able to extract the #2 mangled woodruff key. I first clamped it hard in the vise but it would not budge. Chewed up the vise jaws. Basically it could not be gripped tightly enough with vise nor vise grips (locking pliers). But 3 quick bursts with an air chisel got it out cleanly. The shaft isn't perfect but I suspect is usable.

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Current scorecard:
I need one housing and one maybe two woodruff keys, but saved all shafts.

For the two other housings I need to remove that bottom retaining clip for the bottom bearing. I don't know how to do that and initial attempts were unsuccessful. But I have an idea.