Mower pulley and spindle questions

[manant 57]

I have a 1976 c160 automatic with a 48" mower (65-48mso1).  While mowing I noticed a rumbling sound and thought it might be the spindle bearings. I decided to replace the bearings and generally clean up the mower.

I have repainted the mower, replaced the spindle bolts and freed up the idler pully support  bar so that it moves freely. It had never moved in the 6 years  I have had the mower.  I just did not know what it was for until I thought about it recently.  I just thought you moved the idler pully until it was tight and tightened the support bar.

I did not take photos before I put the mower back together but will do so tomorrow.

 

Here are my problems:

 

The drive pully and one side pully were simple double "d" holes on a double "d" spindle shaft.  After a bit of effort I got the pulleys off.  The needle bearings were binding with debris, and one had migrated partway up into the spindle.  I replaced the bearings which all fitted snugly in the spindle, packed the spindle cavity with grease, mounted them, and put on the pulleys.  My questions about these are:

1. Does the pully connect to the thrust washer effectively binding the pully, shaft, and inside ring of the bearing so that they rotate as a unit?

2. Should there be any vertical play (slop) in the shaft?

3.  What torque for the pully bolts?  I know the blade torque on the other end is 22 ft/#

4. Which side of the drive pully is on top?  I noticed that the pully grooves are at different depths. I have assumed that the deeper groove is for the mower belt and the more shallow groove is for the drive belt.

 

My real problem is with the other side pully. That one has a round hole and a square keyway on a double "d" shaft with a keyway. That one was very difficult to remove. I used penetrating oil, two large screwdrivers as levers, and a bolt in the shaft which I pounded until the pully came off. (a lot of pounding).  I replaced the bearing as before and the shaft went through the bearings , so the shaft seems to be OK.  However the pully does not want to go on all the way.  It took a lot of whacking to get it on part way.  That is why I questioned about play in the shaft and connecting to the thrust washer. The shaft has between 1/8" -1/4" vertical movement. 

The pully has a center steel insert that has the shaft hole and keyway.  It seems to be held in place by two 1/8" sprirol pins. The keyway looks like it is off center to the axis of the shaft.   My questions are:

1.  Can I file the keyway to make it true?

2.  Should I try to remove that insert and mount it first then add the pully to that?

3.  Should I enlarge the hole with emery paper so it goes on easier?

 

Any help or suggestions would be welcome.  I plan to take the pully off tomorrow. Even though it is only on part way I think it will be difficult to get off again.  I plan to use the same technique with a bigger hammer.
 

[manant 57]

 

 

 

I may have solved the problem.  I removed the double "d" pully (6757) and put it on the double "d" shaft with the keyway.  I put the round hole-keyed pully (106849) on the plain double "d" shaft without a keyway.  I did put anti-seize on it but hope it does not slip around the shaft.  I am thinking about remounting it with the keyway perpendicular to the flats on the shaft and put a square key against the flat and in the pully keyway. to help with keeping it from rotating on the shaft.

I checked the depth of each side of the double pully - one side was 5/16" the other was 3/8". The side pully has a 5/16" depth on the bottom so I plan to put. the 5/16" side of the double pully on the bottom as well.

The spindles seem to spin freely with little noise now.

 

I still need to torque the pully bolts but do not know how much.  I plan to replace the pully and blade bolts and lock washers with new grade 8's and start to mow.

 

Any comments will be welcomed.