mrtbolt64 3 #1 Posted August 6, 2019 I have a mid 90s 314 and the mower deck has been getting louder so I know the bearings need replaced. After looking online at the diagrams I removed the nuts off the blade side and pulley side. The spindle should be able to be pressed out toward the bottom of the deck. Simple common sense, yes?????? For the love of god, the cheap pulleys are froze to the shaft. PB Blaster left to sit, heat applied, two pry bars bending the pulley, and not even a budge. I tried a large pipe wrench on the pulley and a impact just hoping it may spin free to no avail. There is nothing I can see that would stop this moving. Am I missing something? Most likely I will destroy the spindles getting them out at this point. The pulleys will be junk from prying, however I will just machine to new spindles and pulleys, and use never sieze liberally on rebuild. Thanks in advance Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
daveoman1966 3,745 #2 Posted August 6, 2019 (edited) Destroy the pulley... $40 bux or so. Destroy the spindle... $120+ Try driving a wooden wedge between the pulley and deck shell...2 or 3 wedges. Put the nut back on...to where it completely covers the shaft threads but NOT against the pulley hub.. Set ball peen on nut and WHACK it with a BFH. MAYBE.... take all blades off and set all 3 spindles in a coffee can..for stability. Then do the above. Edited August 6, 2019 by daveoman1966 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeM 7,871 #3 Posted August 6, 2019 Yes, destroying the pulley is a good option, I have been able to save them by threading the two holes in the inner flat of the pulley and used a puller and heat. I would caution on using the drive through method, if the shaft is not free in the inner race of the bearings you can drive the entire unit out and this will break off the bottom of the housing at the snap ring point. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oliver2-44 9,696 #4 Posted August 6, 2019 Both the above post are good advice. Since your pulleys are already damaged do anything you can to save the shafts and housings. You might try this. First heat the pulley hubs dull red hot, and let them and the shafts cool to room temperature. As they cool spray some penetrating oil down the shaft joint a few times. This should break the rust bond apart some. Then use one of the above methods and heat the hub of the pulley. You could also use a bearing splitter under the pulleys and a puller to get a firm even pull on them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,033 #5 Posted August 6, 2019 The pulleys should spin on the shaft if the nut and lockwasher are loose. Wonder if you removed the lockwasher and reinstalled the nut loose against the pulley with some blue Loctite on the threads and cut some more grass if they would come loose? Garry Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WVHillbilly520H 10,373 #6 Posted August 6, 2019 55 minutes ago, OILUJ52 said: I would caution on using the drive through method, if the shaft is not free in the inner race of the bearings you can drive the entire unit out and this will break off the bottom of the housing at the snap ring point. Yes I did this on a basically ruined 42" SD and the shafts just ripped the bottoms off at the snapring while trying to save the spindles and housing for a later time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrtbolt64 3 #7 Posted August 6, 2019 3 hours ago, gwest_ca said: The pulleys should spin on the shaft if the nut and lockwasher are loose. Wonder if you removed the lockwasher and reinstalled the nut loose against the pulley with some blue Loctite on the threads and cut some more grass if they would come loose? Garry Same line of thought, different process. With everything loose I tried a pipe wrench on the pulley and my impact gun on the blade side of spindle. No luck, not even a budge. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeM 7,871 #8 Posted August 6, 2019 I was searching though my archives looking for some info on taping those holes, only found this pic, looks like 5/16. I know the thread engagement is minimal but this has worked with a little heat. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrtbolt64 3 #9 Posted August 17, 2019 Thanks for the help. One pulley was a nightmare and required drilling it for bolts to accept a puller and also slotting it. The other two pulleys only required use of a pipe wrench and a impact gun and it was enough to get the pulley to free up. Total cost was 14 bucks and that was for a new pulley at Tractor Supply. New bearings were free since I work at a Bearing Warehouse, I machined new spindles, never seized everything, and what a difference it made in mowing. I feel like its a new mower as quiet as this deck runs. As cheap as the bearings are anyway I think every couple of years I will throw a new set in. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
daveoman1966 3,745 #10 Posted August 17, 2019 Looks GREAT..... When making the 3 spindle shafts, were you able to get the top end drilled and tapped for the grease fitting?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrtbolt64 3 #11 Posted August 17, 2019 1 minute ago, daveoman1966 said: Looks GREAT..... When making the 3 spindle shafts, were you able to get the top end drilled and tapped for the grease fitting?? Yes, we had new grease zerks here as well. Drilled 1/8 dia x 2-3/8 deep then .213 dia x .6 deep followed by a 1/4-28 tap. Then cross drilled. To make 4 shafts on the CNC lathe and Mill it took about 3 hours of my time. We had left over A2 tool steel bar stock laying around and that is what I made them from Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lynnmor 7,302 #12 Posted August 17, 2019 I would be tempted to heat treat that A2 steel, tempering it at 850 degrees. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
