I'm trying to remove the blades from the 42" cutting deck of a Troy-Bilt Pony. The current blades were the ones that came installed, about 3 years ago. I have removed the deck from the mower so I can access the blades but I am having a very difficult time getting the blades off.
Everything I have read and watched says to remove the nut going counter-clockwise (lefty loosey) which is also the direction the blades appear to rotate. I found it somewhat odd that the nut requires a 1" socket. I am using a 15" breaker bar, and I have used liberal amounts of WD-40 over the course of about 3 days of trying to work on the mower.
I physicaly exerted myself to the point where I busted a blood vein in my eye. I can even slam the end of the breaker bar with a sledgehammer and the nut just will not move. The edges of the nut itself are even starting to get rounded off. I do not have access to any sort of pneumatic tools. I'm out of time and I am out of budget. I need help.
#2
BKBrown
Have you tried hitting straight down on the top of the blade bolt ? I'm sure you need to break the rust. If you have a torch you can heat the bolt and then use a penetrating oil, WD40 is good for many things, but isn't the best rust buster. I hope you are using a 6 point (not 12 point) You don't want to round those corners. Good Luck !
Yes, I am using a 6 point socket. It's just with all the attempts over the past few days the nut is starting to show some wear!
I've hit the nut hard with a hammer and I have even used a fine chisel around the edges to help break up any rust. I haven't hit it too hard though for fear of possibly causing damage or making things worse.
I don't have access to a torch.
#4
BKBrown
I know you say "out of budget", but a propane torch and some penetrating oil isn't all that expensive. I don't know where you are, but probably even a neighbor has one you could use (if you are lucky they may have an air impact wrench). :biggrin:
a couple things here,make sure that when you are trying to use the breaker bar that you are not working against yourself.put yourself in the best position for maximum body torque,not just your arms,this includes push vs. pull and left hand / right hand positioning and the height at which you are working....a 15" breaker bar is (imo) not enough. i have used several feet of breaker on certain things to loosen up(mainly pipes etc.) and your sledge hammer on breaker bar is not going to work because you dont have a solid hit(to much rebound action).wd40 is not the best for loosening up rusty bolts... by the way, is this a nut or bolt? if a nut,try a hack saw of some size/shape/design and cut down the side of the nut (make sure you can get a new nut. also if you continue to use the breaker bar, keep going.... left right left right left right(less torque on the right)....... be carefull !!!!!
I found some Liquid Wrench to use on it. I am not 100% sure, but I think I saw it move just a teensy bit.
I am trying to remove the nut from the shaft, it's not a bolt. One single 1" nut with a washer holds each blade on.
I'm in rural South Carolina, so going anywhere to get anything is a pretty significant distance and time consuming trip. By "out of budget" I mean: things are tight and there ain't enough cash left after bills to buy any new toys for a project like this. Period. That's something of a sore topic at the moment...
I've shared tools with my neighbors before, but none of them have anything like a torch or impact wrench. I'm the guy with the "fancy" and "odd" tools.
Tomorrow I am going to see if I can take apart the entire pulley assembly and remove the shaft that way.
One thing that keeps going through my mind is if I am trying to remove it in the correct direction (counter-clockwise). Keep in mind, this is counter-clockwise looking at mowing deck laying upside down on the ground. The blades spin counter-clockwise as well, but I'd swear that I've had mowers where you loosened the nut in the opposite direction of blade spin, though that could just be foggy memory. I have tried turning it the other direction in the hopes of working it loose, but have had the same lack of progress there too.
It is not a left hand thread... It is regular right hand... 'almost' all mowers are right hand... Only a couple large tractor mower decks use left hand...
And like everyone else has already mentioned... WD40 is NOT a penetrating oil... it isn't even a lubricant... it makes a fair, but not a good parts wash and starting fluid...
Liquid Wrench is ok, there are a lot better...
If you can apply some heat, place real bees wax on the threads... the heat will draw it in, that works well... but don't use paraffin wax, it wont do it...
When you finally get it off... go back with anti seize, so the next time you will not have this problem... Good Luck.. :smile:KennyV
#9
BKBrown
Wasn't trying to touch a nerve with the out of budget question - I've been there too !
I wouldn't bother taking the whole assembly apart (that's just me) if it is a nut on a threaded shaft you might hit the blade on the back side turning it and that may free up some rust AND allow some of the liquid wrench a better way to get in. As someone mentioned try both directions on the nut (not because it is a left handed thread) just that ANY movement will free up some of the rust! :thumbsup: Don't give up !
the standard blade nut torque is 80 ft/lb when you add grass clipping and rust i have had to heat the nut with a cutting torch and then remove nut with a 450 ft lb impact wrench because my 250 still wouldn't touch it. the blade sits on a star mount and will not twist if hit with a hammer. i don't even try my 250 impact wrench on mtd blades anymore because it is not bid enough to remove the nuts from those decks. most mtd blade nuts are 15/16 not 1 inch. you can also try wire brushing the nut and the exposed thread area at the bottom of the nut. that my help.
#11
poncho62
Go to the local garage and get him to zip it off with the impact gun....Likely wont even charge you, or very little iff he does
A sledge is not a very good po boy impactor because of low velocity issues.
Try standing the deck on edge, shim the correct size socket to the nut with a piece of your favorite cereal box top and try a 2x4 about 3 ft. long giving it a Mickey Mantle swing.
Pictured is a pulley nut not the blade nut but the same procedure applies.
I tried WD40, Liquid Wrench, & PB Blaster. I also got hold of a torch and tried that. Nothing. I finally just tossed the deck into the back of my truck and went around to some garages. The local car-garage mechanic types didn't want to touch it for fear of the blade. Then, I ran into another guy who also does some of his own lawn mower repairs and he had a set of air tools! So, I took the deck over to his place and we were finally able to break the nuts free and get them off.
I changed the blades and applied some Anti-Seize, but I put the nuts back on manually with the socket wrench.
My thanks to those who responded!
#16
BKBrown
Glad you got them off ! :thumbsup: Sometimes an impact wrench is the only way to get things free !
#17
reddragon
take a few pictures please
#18
Gil
Don't keep us in suspense....did you get the blade/blades removed? Lot of good tips in replies. I had trouble getting blades off my ZeroTurn. Finally added a breaker bar to my 3/4 drive hinge handle. Breaker bar is a 36 inch pipe that just fits over the hinge handle. When re-installed used anti-seize compound on threads.
#19
BKBrown
Go back and review the thread - He got them off :smile: -- I wondered for a while too.
Apply Rustbuster of some sort, wait a day, then get that 1/2 inch impact, with an proper size black impact socket out, and air do all the work. A impact while shake it loose where shear torque by hand will end up breaking something.
A Harbor Freight 1/2 inch impact is less than $30.
the standard blade nut torque is 80 ft/lb when you add grass clipping and rust i have had to heat the nut with a cutting torch and then remove nut with a 450 ft lb impact wrench because my 250 still wouldn't touch it. the blade sits on a star mount and will not twist if hit with a hammer. i don't even try my 250 impact wrench on mtd blades anymore because it is not bid enough to remove the nuts from those decks. most mtd blade nuts are 15/16 not 1 inch. you can also try wire brushing the nut and the exposed thread area at the bottom of the nut. that my help.
One other thing I'll add tothis taxing topic is after I slobber anti-sieze on the threads and gently tighten things up, (80 lbs.ft really isn't a ton of torque) I'll slobber some more anti-sieze on the nut and end of the spindle. It seems to slow down the "grass welding" that goes on underneath until the next blade sharpening.:biggrin::wink:
You will need to remove the blades many times over the life of the mower. Get an inexpensive electric impact wrench at Harbor Freight. You will never touch your breaker bar again.
You will need to remove the blades many times over the life of the mower. Get an inexpensive electric impact wrench at Harbor Freight. You will never touch your breaker bar again.
Yep.
I bought a hydraulic nut splitter cause I go a couple of customers who never ever remove their blades then bring the mowers in to me when they are worn 2" short.
Gave up trying to undo them.
Split the nuts on one & cut the heads off the bolt on the other.
And I have a 1" impact ( well I can borrow it ) that the landlord uses on the tractors that sit out in the paddock in the weather all year round.
Even that, running off a jack hammer compressor had problems removing them.
So it is chop off , fit new fasteners & charge accordingly.
Worked with a guy years ago that owned a Ferris, and it was the type were the blade bolt went up through the center of the spindle with the nut on top. We would put the nut on with our fingers and send it out the door, and about a month later it would come in for sharpening and we had to use the 1600 lb/ft 1 inch impact because the 900 lb/ft 3/4 drive would 't do it.
Yep,
Took me a year of huffing, puffing, bending bars etc before I finally worked it out that a new bolt is $ 3.50 and I was spending $ 160 in time trying to save the bolt. ( slow learner )
It is about the only thing no one ever queries on their bill.
All my MTD blades nuts are 1 1/8" except one and it's a 9 1/2" blade bolt not a blade nut and it's a 15//16.
