42" deck repair

[Mr Magoo 226]

My wife decided she wanted to try her hand at mowing with the C-120 for the first time. Not sure what she hit, but I have some welding to do now. 

 

 

[Mr Magoo 226]

One thing about this deck is just how low it is even at it's highest setting. Our ground is very uneven with lots of humps, bumps, and mole hills. It is constantly scraping. My newer rider will adjust twice as high as this WH. If I had it at any lower setting than in the middle, it would just be floating. Sure wish there was a way to get it up higher. Suggestions, ideas?

 

 

[SylvanLakeWH 25,494]

Mine has similar issue. Anything other than highest two settings it scalps...

 

I’ve thought about larger guide wheels and extending the anti-scalp rollers but have never tackled it...

[Mr Magoo 226]

6 minutes ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

Mine has similar issue. Anything other than highest two settings it scalps...

 

I’ve thought about larger guide wheels and extending the anti-scalp rollers but have never tackled it...

I have thought about making a new adjustment quadrant with more adjustment holes. This would not be hard for me to do.  

[daveoman1966 3,745]

Use the DIAL-A-HEIGHT knob to STOP the deck from dropping too low.  This is a C-120 Auto, but the 8-sp should be the same.  

This is about the best pic I have to show what to do....

Here is a better pic of the Height Setting Apparatus...  

 

Edited April 25, 2020 by daveoman1966

[Mr Magoo 226]

I think my Dial-A -Height is already maxed out, but I will look at it again when I get it back together. I have all new wheels and a new belt coming for it. Original WH belt was cracked and about ready to go. 

 

I may look for a new hitch shaft too. Mine is pretty worn. 

[daveoman1966 3,745]

Keep in mind that the anti-scalp rollers should hit the ground, ONLY to avoid scalping...  Not always in contact.  You MAY also gain some height by adjusting the LIFT ROD and TRUNION that hangs down from the lift handle...under the tractor.  Here is aq pic.  SOME tractors use the chain and Eyebolt...some use the trunion and rod.  

[Mr Magoo 226]

7 hours ago, daveoman1966 said:

Keep in mind that the anti-scalp rollers should hit the ground, ONLY to avoid scalping...  Not always in contact.  You MAY also gain some height by adjusting the LIFT ROD and TRUNION that hangs down from the lift handle...under the tractor.  Here is aq pic.  SOME tractors use the chain and Eyebolt...some use the trunion and rod.  

Isn't the rod just for leveling the deck?

[dalez 137]

Yes it is for leveling but if too far out of adjustment the front can hang too low.

 

[tom2p 2,394]

18 hours ago, Mr Magoo said:

My wife decided she wanted to try her hand at mowing with the C-120 for the first time. Not sure what she hit, but I have some welding to do now. 

 

 

wow 

[tom2p 2,394]

On 4/25/2020 at 6:12 PM, Mr Magoo said:

One thing about this deck is just how low it is even at it's highest setting. Our ground is very uneven with lots of humps, bumps, and mole hills. It is constantly scraping. My newer rider will adjust twice as high as this WH. If I had it at any lower setting than in the middle, it would just be floating. Sure wish there was a way to get it up higher. Suggestions, ideas?

 

 

the chute extension - especially the way it is currently attached (rigid and below deck shell) - might not be ideal given the description of your property 

larger wheels are an option - a few members of this board have installed them with good results 

 

another option might be to shim the adjustment bracket (quadrant) - see post below 

 

but while larger wheels or shim might address cutting height - they do not address the issue of ground clearance (deck height) with deck in the max up position when not cutting ... probably not much you can do ... (?) ...  setting the wheels up in highest position (which will ironically provide the lowest cut) will provide additional ground clearance when the deck is raised to the max up position 

 

Edited April 27, 2020 by tom2p

[Mr Magoo 226]

Did a bunch of disassembly today. I have several issues to correct.

 

The rod that carries the two rollers in the rear is badly worn. I will have to cut it out and weld a new one in. 

 

The holes in the brackets for the front rollers are really wallowed out and the axle shafts are badly worn. 

[daveoman1966 3,745]

I can get you a set of 3 front anti-scalp rollers with 3 good non-worn shafts. 

Two styles...that are interchangeable.. 

ps... The white NYLON inserts you see here are NEW.

Other parts needed ???  

Email me for prices : I am:

daveoman@windstream.net   

Edited April 26, 2020 by daveoman1966

[tom2p 2,394]

On 4/25/2020 at 6:41 PM, Mr Magoo said:

I have thought about making a new adjustment quadrant with more adjustment holes. This would not be hard for me to do.  

 

see recent thread on cutting height ( 520 HC - 48"mowing deck -  cutting height ) - reply by skrusins

 

 

shim / shims under the adjustment bracket (quadrant) where it bolts to the deck shell could basically accomplish the same thing as an additional

hole 

 

I've observed this when a thin plate was added (welded) to repair a deck in this area 

 

Edited April 27, 2020 by tom2p

[Lee1977 6,648]

On 4/25/2020 at 6:07 PM, Mr Magoo said:

My wife decided she wanted to try her hand at mowing with the C-120 for the first time. Not sure what she hit, but I have some welding to do now. 

 

 

Did you check to see if the house is still on the foundation?

[Mr Magoo 226]

4 hours ago, daveoman1966 said:

I can get you a set of 3 front anti-scalp rollers with 3 good non-worn shafts. 

Two styles...that are interchangeable.. 

ps... The white NYLON inserts you see here are NEW.

Other parts needed ???  

Email me for prices : I am:

daveoman@windstream.net   

Thanks Dave. I am fortunate that I have two of these decks. The other is in not so great shape and has become a donor for parts. It had the same kind of axle shafts as in your pictures. I like them a lot better and they are in decent shape. The entire carriage system seems to be better also. I should be able to get one decent deck out of the two after I swap parts and weld in reinforcements. 

 

The spindles on the other deck are really bad. I should take a picture of them. I don't know if it was corrosion to the aluminum housing or what, but it looks like something just chewed it away. Can't believe someone used it like that. 

[Mr Magoo 226]

5 hours ago, daveoman1966 said:

I can get you a set of 3 front anti-scalp rollers with 3 good non-worn shafts. 

Two styles...that are interchangeable.. 

ps... The white NYLON inserts you see here are NEW.

Other parts needed ???  

Email me for prices : I am:

daveoman@windstream.net   

The back two rollers were like the ones you show with the nylon inserts. They look like they had a flat shape. Were they and older or newer style?

[daveoman1966 3,745]

The group of FIVE (5) rollers with shafts are all the same...just look diff in pics.  The ends are FLAT.  They all have new nylon inserts.

The group of THREE (3) rollers are the more modern design...like yours, but MUCH lighter in weight.  These are 'hollow' ends.    

 

[Mr Magoo 226]

3 hours ago, daveoman1966 said:

The group of FIVE (5) rollers with shafts are all the same...just look diff in pics.  The ends are FLAT.  They all have new nylon inserts.

The group of THREE (3) rollers are the more modern design...like yours, but MUCH lighter in weight.  These are 'hollow' ends.    

 

The nylon inserts were gone in some of them and ate the axles up.

 

[daveoman1966 3,745]

17 hours ago, Mr Magoo said:

The nylon inserts were gone in some of them and ate the axles up.

 

As you can see, the axles are not chewed up at all.   $45 for 3 axles and SOLID rollers as shown in pic of FIVE. + 7 to USA zips

$35 for the 3 'hollow' rollers with 3 axles.  7 to ship.

 

[Mr Magoo 226]

Progress today. Stayed after work for several hours and got some work done on the deck. 

 

I made a wrench to hold the nut under the blades out of a piece of 1/4" x 3" flat bar I had in the scrap bin. Punched an 1.125" hole in it on the iron worker and just cut the rest out with a cut-off wheel. 

 

Patched and reinforced the holes with 11 gauge steel on the inside. 

 

I had a piece of 1/2" stainless rod under my bench so I used it to replace the axle for the two rear rollers. 

 

Lastly I made some 1/2" i.d. washers and welded them on the axle brackets for the front rollers. The holes in them were wallowed out to almost 5/8".

 

All new wheels came today in the mail. New belt and nuts for the spindles yet to come. Still a few things to do. 

 

 

 

 

[Mr Magoo 226]

The axle bolts that came with my wheels are a bit short. What they sent me are Stens 235-069. Not sure if these are supposed to be the same as the originals, but they are not. The originals which are part #5188 have 1.75" of shoulder and 0.75" of thread. The Stens bolts are about 1/8" shorter. Just enough to make the nut thread fully on. 

[daveoman1966 3,745]

I have the SHOULDER BOLTS for the gage wheels on ebay....  Exactly the size you want..  Item # 133385848801

Will include these with any of the ANTI-SCALP rollers you would buy from me.

[kwalshy 229]

I too have some deck repair to perform, found this fracture while inspecting the deck yesterday 

[Mr Magoo 226]

7 minutes ago, kwalshy said:

I too have some deck repair to perform, found this fracture while inspecting the deck yesterday 

I would not be using that deck until it can be repaired.