48 inch Side Discharge Deck Restoration

[peter lena 8,620]

@Tuneup , that marine grease is good , but the lucas polyurea , hi temp anti sling extra heavy duty is the deal , $ 5  at walmart . all my decks have this , as well as the pto drive bearings , bearing # 6203( 3/4 )  bore. also pto needle bearing in the drive cone . this set up spins up so smoothly / easily its stupid , always slowly feed in your pto drive . lots of hours and cuttings with no noise or failures , I also rustproof my decks , another story , good cutting , pete

[Tuneup 1,433]

7 hours ago, peter lena said:

@Tuneup, what ever you get for an idler pulley , look for the model / type that has a wider side bearing side seal , in your selection. recently picked up a pair of new pto mule  pulleys  based on the side seal width , for ease of removal , and repack with lucas extra heavy duty polyurea grease , do not over pack , just equal to original fill, done this on all related bearings , as well as pto, needle bearing . not making this up , why would I ?  decks and drives work with out effort , very quiet and solid , I ALSO USE RISLONE ZINK ADDITIVE TO ALL MY OILS ,  tell me how that works in your engine , like free hp . keep improving , pete

 

Yes, the ZDDP is a regular additive. Made a world of difference immediately in the K301. Amazon had a 6 pack cheap so supply isn't the issue. I know you use another Rislone additive to clean the interior and I do as well since my P216 was filthy inside. It's cleaning up nicely.

[peter lena 8,620]

@Tuneup , that marine grease is good , but the lucas polyurea , hi temp anti sling extra heavy duty is the deal , $ 5  at walmart . all my decks have this , as well as the pto drive bearings , bearing # 6203( 3/4 )  bore. also pto needle bearing in the drive cone . this set up spins up so smoothly / easily its stupid , always slowly feed in your pto drive . lots of hours and cuttings with no noise or failures , I also rustproof my decks , another story , good cutting , pete

[peter lena 8,620]

@Tuneup since I have been using that zddp , rislone , all of the milky scum in the dip stick tube is gone and the dip looks like new , the effortless running is really an amazing difference , use it in all my small engines , great stuff, pete

[Horse Newbie 7,069]

I started this thread a while ago...welder/ machinist is still working on the deck...will update progress as soon as I get the 48 inch SD deck back.

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

5 hours ago, Horse Newbie said:

welder/ machinist is still working on the deck

 

Earlier pics made it look like he was almost done!  Maybe he's waiting for another 12 pack to speed up the process?

 

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

On 5/24/2021 at 5:48 PM, Tuneup said:

Great little HF welder

 

That's what I bought and I'm getting MUCH better at it.  There's several YT videos that have some very good tips.

 

First thing is the feed tension roller.  One guy said that  you should be able to stop the wire with your finger.  I tried that and I don't know why, but it does indeed make a bit of difference for some unknown reason.

 

Next was a tip... " If there's SLAG, then you DRAG "  Flux core welding always produces SLAG. Which means you are always moving AWAY from the weld bead.  Flux core welding always produces SLAG.

 

And keep the tip no more than 3/4" away from the work.  1/2" is probably better.

 

Make sure you go SLOWLY enough in order to achieve good weld penetration.  

 

Just watching those videos my welds have improved IMMENSELY!

 

Still can't quite get the 'stack of dimes' bead, but I'm getting there!

 

 

Edited October 4, 2021 by Jeff-C175

[Horse Newbie 7,069]

1 hour ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

Earlier pics made it look like he was almost done!  Maybe he's waiting for another 12 pack to speed up the process?

 

He/ we are almost done with the major things...

Now he is putting on a new anti scalp wheel bracket, and also taking a look at some wear marks in some of the support bracket rods.

I don't want to rush him because he does not charge me by the hour and most times he does a lot of work for what I consider a very fair price...we'll get there...

[Horse Newbie 7,069]

Went to the welders shop today and we finished welding and fabricating parts on the 48 inch SD deck for my 1994 520H.

He welded on the new center bracket he made for the anti- scalp wheels on the front of the deck. This was the area that required the most work. It looked like the PO had repeatedly rammed a stob in the ground...either that or the PO center punched something full speed from the damage done. It pushed the front of the deck back and the center blade did a number on the deck and bracket.

[Horse Newbie 7,069]

Then we made new skid wheel axles...

[Horse Newbie 7,069]

I don't know what the piece is called that the spindles come up through- holds the idler pulley/ deck belt tension bracket, and the belt guards bolt to it.

Anyway, it had a groove worn in it from a belt out of proper alignment, so he welded that up...

[Horse Newbie 7,069]

The front round cross rod in the deck hanger assembly had a groove wore in it so he welded that up too.

I brought all the deck parts back home and unloaded them to the shop...now is it get the twin Briggs running for the GT-1600, or work on this deck restoration ?...I don't like doing more than one project at a time ...

Edited October 17, 2021 by Horse Newbie

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

Dang ... that is nice work!  I hope you remember him well at Christmas and his Birthday!  And just for the heck of it, a couple hundred for his work now!

 

BTW, nearly every 48" deck I've seen has some wear at that spot.  Not sure if there's really anything to do about it!

 

 

Edited October 17, 2021 by Jeff-C175

[Horse Newbie 7,069]

37 minutes ago, Jeff-C175 said:

Dang ... that is nice work!  I hope you remember him well at Christmas and his Birthday!  And just for the heck of it, a couple hundred for his work now!

 

BTW, nearly every 48" deck I've seen has some wear at that spot.  Not sure if there's really anything to do about it!

 

 

Thank you sir !

I will be sure and tell him that you liked his work...

I WILL HAVE to pay him something, that's for sure !

He is a good friend of mine, and has done quite a few little jobs for little or no pay...but with as much time as he has put into this job I'm sure he wants some $$$$.

We had discussed the details before he started so he knew I was not expecting a freebie.

I hope to get me maybe a Hobart 140 wire welder so I can do more at home !

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

@Horse Newbie

 

I think I asked this a while back in another thread but I forgot the answer!

 

There's what looks like a 3/8" rod all the way around the perimeter that appears to be factory.

 

My 1980 deck does not have that (except where I added a piece when I repaired similar damage to the left front roller).

 

I wonder when WH started doing that?

 

I think I might add that to my deck next time it's off for maintenance.

 

Am I seeing it right? Is it in fact 3/8" ?

[Horse Newbie 7,069]

7 hours ago, Jeff-C175 said:

@Horse Newbie

 

I think I asked this a while back in another thread but I forgot the answer!

 

There's what looks like a 3/8" rod all the way around the perimeter that appears to be factory.

 

My 1980 deck does not have that (except where I added a piece when I repaired similar damage to the left front roller).

 

I wonder when WH started doing that?

 

I think I might add that to my deck next time it's off for maintenance.

 

Am I seeing it right? Is it in fact 3/8" ?

@Jeff-C175  I am going out today to start sanding the deck and prepping for paint...I will measure the diameter and put what I find on a post in this thread.

[pacer 3,169]

That is INDEED some beautiful work!! Geez, what would we do without friends, whether they are talented in an area you arent familiar with, or just to get together for a cold one.

 

MY go to guy (ex marine, ex welder (on Alaskan pipeline!) and retired electrician) has bailed me out of SO many situations..... and, dang his hide, he WILL not take any payment! So some 3-4 yrs ago we/he had finished a pretty involved electrical situation and refused to accept anything ... again!

Figuring I really would like to pay the guy ... on thinking on it I decided to slip a couple 'C' notes in a letter addressed to his wife!! Hah!! that worked! He later, rather sheepishly, acknowledged a brief 'thank you' Since then when he does something like that I just get an envelope/stamp and with whatever 'C' notes seem fair and I mail it to his wife.

[Horse Newbie 7,069]

@Jeff-C175  I took a look at the cold roll going around the bottom edge of the deck. It looks like 1/2 inch diameter to me. Here are some pics to help you see what areas it covers.

You can see in the 3rd and 4th pic that it goes between the deck shell and the mounting brackets for the height adjustment axle...not sure if your brackets are tight against the shell of your deck or not.

That would be one area of concern and also bending some of the tight radiuses around certain areas of the deck. 

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

49 minutes ago, Horse Newbie said:

looks like 1/2 inch diameter

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to get those pics!  

 

Or maybe 7/16" even?  No matter, what's a sixteenth between friends?  

 

This part could be a bit challenging:

I do have access to a 20 ton press though so I'm sure I can deal with that.

 

 

This detail I hadn't noticed before:

 

 

I wonder if the brackets are modified to account for the thickness of that extra material?

 

OR... is that the actual bracket?  Just made longer to reach down to the extra bar?  That makes huge sense... instead of the forces being applied directly to the deck shell,  they are transferred all the way around with that setup.

 

Did they do anything to strengthen the lift carriage mounts on the rear apron?  I repaired the cracks that always appear at that point, but want to improve that part also.

 

Edited October 17, 2021 by Jeff-C175

[pacer 3,169]

23 minutes ago, Jeff-C175 said:

Thanks so much for taking the time to get those pics! 

 

These are indeed some fantastic pics.......my thanks also! 

 

I did mine myself. I chose 1/2" .... well, mostly cause I had some! If you have a gas rig and stick/mig welders its not difficult. 

 

At my starting point I made a couple tack welds and then with a cutting torch (or better yet a 'rose bud', I didnt have one!) apply red heat to the next few inches and bend the bar to fit, and tack weld that, moving around the deck in this manner. When I had it all tacked I went back and put a continuous bead down. 

[Handy Don 12,217]

Never took a good look at 48's so never noticed this added bar. Very good idea.

The issue we have is that the 42 RD is a bit wider than the 310-8 it runs on. Whenever someone new, who's begged for seat time, is mowing they invariably whack a tree or something with the side of the deck. My DIL managed to stop the tractor cold by driving between two trees and getting the deck wedged in. Thank goodness she was driving slowly and that the mounting on those things is so sturdy--no one hurt and no damage. (My son has now added yellow caution tape across that gap!)

[Horse Newbie 7,069]

5 hours ago, Jeff-C175 said:

I wonder if the brackets are modified to account for the thickness of that extra material?

 

OR... is that the actual bracket?  Just made longer to reach down to the extra bar?  That makes huge sense... instead of the forces being applied directly to the deck shell,  they are transferred all the way around with that setup.

 

Did they do anything to strengthen the lift carriage mounts on the rear apron?  I repaired the cracks that always appear at that point, but want to improve that part also.

I don't know if it is a modification or not as I have seen no decks up close beside mine...

 

The only strengthening I have noticed for the carriage assembly is a flat piece of 3/16th , 14-1/4 x 3 inches (pic 1).

The axle is held in place by 1/4 inch thick flat bar with a curved area bent around the height adjustment axle. I would think all WH decks of this design would be  with this. (pic 2)

Edited October 17, 2021 by Horse Newbie

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

2 hours ago, Horse Newbie said:

all WH decks of this design

 

 

On earlier decks that part is 'separate'.  Not welded to the deck.  

 

 

Yep.  That's different too.  Earlier decks had a square piece of 1/4" about the size shown in green.  Cracks typically go away from the upper corners as shown in yeller.

 

Do those grind marks indicate that yours may have had cracks in the same place?

 

I think what you have is a definite improvement, but doesn't really address the flex that causes those cracks apparently.

 

It might be better to have a bent piece of steel "up around the bend" 

Although, that might just move the area that cracks!

 

 

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

3 hours ago, Handy Don said:

a bit wider

 

I have post and rail fencing that I try to mow too closely (and even UNDER) in order to minimize the weed whacking.

 

Since the 48 sticks way out on the chute side I run the horse through it's paces in the pylons.  IN / OUT / IN / OUT , etc.  but all too often I'll back up and hit the post with the back of the deck.  Not a good thing!  Deck flexes enough that the blade hits the back apron.  This old deck was beat up good when I got it.  I managed to straighten it out as much as possible, but there's not really enough clearance between the blade tips and the rear apron.

 

[Horse Newbie 7,069]

1 hour ago, Jeff-C175 said:

Do those grind marks indicate that yours may have had cracks in the same place?

Yes, I had rather extensive stress cracks at the 4 holes where the carriage brackets mount, front and rear of deck.