My new 875

[Ponyboy 64]

Sorry for the long post, just wanted to add an update to my original ...I got the 875 back into working order yesterday with the addition of the fuel shut-off valve (replaced the leaking sediment bowl). And today I got the deck greased up (my first time using a grease gun) and did a trial run with the mower, just a few passes. My observations:

 

• When the deck is pulled up off the ground with the lift handle, the left side hangs down lower than the right side. Not sure if I re-assembled something incorrectly (the long rod from the mower that connects to the lift mechanism loads into the hole from left to right (cotter pin goes on the right side of the lift bar, if that makes sense)). Doesn't affect anything really, just hangs funny.
• The Kohler shut down when I first disengaged the parking brake tonight (didn't do it at all yesterday). I think maybe I need to let her warm up a little first before I put a load on her like that.
• Started bogging down/almost cutting out when I started adding the load of the deck into the engine with the right pedal. I had to slowly add that in. Part of that was I think it was the first time the blades had spun in a while, and I had just greased them so I think I had to let the blades come up to speed and let the grease get worked around before the engine would accept the load. Only took about 15 seconds for the Kohler to settle into it
• I still need to finish the deck engagement mechanism mentioned earlier (need to install a new roll pin). I don't know how the PO mowed with that mechanism not working, not safe and a pain to hold it down. But just as I was ending my test run and I pushed the right pedal to disengage the deck, the belt jumped from the outer pulley groove to the inner pulley groove, closer to the engine. I think it was maybe I pressed back too far and the belt got really loose (to where it was about 1" off of the pulley), then friction caught it and moved it in one. The belt from the deck to the engine is the only belt I haven't changed out...doesn't have any cracking but may still get a replacement
• Next time I remove/re-install the deck, I'm doing it on concrete. Gravel is not fun.

All in all, in the 2 months I've had her, I've:

• installed a new carb
• installed new coil, wire and plug
• installed new battery
• installed new ignition switch
• checked that the clearance on the valves was to spec (can't adjust on these K181s, glad it was on point)
• did a static governor adjustment
• checked/adjusted points clearance and tested condenser (will be replacing points and condenser soon, since I've updated most everything else)
• removed, oiled, and re-installed choke and throttle cables
• tore out, tested, and re-attached the generator
• removed, cleaned, rebuilt original fuel pump (was being bypassed and working off gravity)
• replaced belts
• ran new fuel lines, replaced sediment bowl with shut-off, installed in-line filter (see-thru)
• calibrated the neutral position with the pedal (was gliding in reverse originally)
• tightened the friction on the forward/reverse lever (she had a tendency to speed up when going over bumps)

On the deck (RM-366), I've:

• removed rust from bottom of deck and re-coated in rust-preventive paint
• sharpened blades, cleaned them up with wire brush
• inspected spindles, re-attached a c-clip that had shorn off and also re-attached a zerk fitting that had also fallen off
• changed belts
• greased and sealed it back up

I'm pretty proud of myself for accomplishing all of this, as a newcomer to small engines, tractors, and riding mowers. And a big thanks to this forum, y'all have helped me over a bunch of hurdles.

 

All that's really left is to get that roll pin re-drilled and installed to disengage the deck (hope to have that done this week), and then change the fluids and lubricate her. I'm really hoping I can get this 57 year old girl into shape to do regular mowing work for a flat 0.75 acre parcel of land, and I'm hoping my decision to get her over a newer riding mower was the right one (my wife hopes so as well). 

 

Here's a few shots of her I took yesterday with her mid-mount blade on, I'll get more pics of her with her deck on soon.

 

Cheers from the west coast!

 

 

 

[Handy Don 12,177]

6 hours ago, Ponyboy said:

finish the deck engagement mechanism mentioned earlier (need to install a new roll pin)

 

6 hours ago, Ponyboy said:

get that roll pin re-drilled and installed to disengage the deck

Looking very nice!

 

Do you have a regular roll pin punch of the correct size? Even a rusted pin will usually succumb to a punch after some penetrant and heat. Plus, that pedal shaft is readily accessible and easily supported from the ground when driving the punch. Drilling should be a last resort.

[gt14rider 749]

Redid linkage, put grease fittings, made some parts, put in some bushings 

Edited June 13, 2022 by gt14rider
More pics

[Ponyboy 64]

12 hours ago, Handy Don said:

Do you have a regular roll pin punch of the correct size? Even a rusted pin will usually succumb to a punch after some penetrant and heat. Plus, that pedal shaft is readily accessible and easily supported from the ground when driving the punch. Drilling should be a last resort.

Due to my naïveté and poor skills, I’ve buggered this thing pretty good. The roll pin hole is now larger than it originally was, and not sure why but it’s no longer connected to the hole in the bottom of the shaft (where you can still see the original roll pin). what you see in the pics of the top shaft is the shiny polished hole I’ve created.

 

What are my options here? I can think of a few things but obviously my ideas have not been great thus far.

I would rather not have a pin be permanently installed if it can be avoided (btw I don’t own a welder…probably a good thing right?) but if I can’t disengage the mower deck as intended/designed the tractor loses its value to me as a tool (and I’ll need to go drop some $$ and buy a riding mower).

 

Thanks, everyone

[Handy Don 12,177]

Per the IPL, that's a 3/16" roll pin in there and there is a good chance it'll come out.

Essential, though, is NOT to use anything larger than 3/16" -- that'll just munge it worse. Put a block of wood between the footrest shaft and the floor to support it while pounding!

There really is no good alternative to using the roll pin in this application nor is there a better tool than a roll pin punch. Get a set at HF or Amazon.

After it's out, if the hole has been too enlarged, then re-drill the footrest shaft to 1/4" with a sharp new bit. Be exceptionally careful to get the drill straight through and don't wiggle the drill.  Get the right sized roll pin (3/16" x 1" or ¼" x 1")  to re-insert (using the correct punch from the set you just bought, right?). 

Make sure to have the pin end up protruding between 3/16" and ¼" at the top to catch the "release latching lever" on the PTO mechanism. (Note: I just put a new one on my 854 today!)

Step by step and it'll get done.

Good luck

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by Handy Don

[Ponyboy 64]

5 hours ago, Handy Don said:

Essential, though, is NOT to use anything larger than 3/16" -- that'll just munge it worse. Put a block of wood between the footrest shaft and the floor to support it while pounding!

There really is no good alternative to using the roll pin in this application nor is there a better tool than a roll pin punch. Get a set at HF or Amazon.

After it's out, if the hole has been too enlarged, then re-drill the footrest shaft to 1/4" with a sharp new bit. Be exceptionally careful to get the drill straight through and don't wiggle the drill.  Get the right sized roll pin (3/16" x 1" or ¼" x 1")  to re-insert (using the correct punch from the set you just bought, right?). 

Make sure to have the pin end up protruding between 3/16" and ¼" at the top to catch the "release latching lever" on the PTO mechanism. (Note: I just put a new one on my 854 today!)

Step by step and it'll get done.

Good luck

 

Thanks, @Handy Don. A few notes with this:

 

1. I can’t see the roll pin from the top hole, so there’s nothing to hammer on from the top…it’s solid shiny metal (what maybe looks like a roll pin in the 2nd picture is just a smaller divot made with a 1/8” bit). The only thing I can think of is that my hole got off center and is no longer lined up with the true hole.

 

2. I bought a punch set over a month ago (before I switched to drilling). Using it, penetrating oil, hammering, and a torch did not budge the roll pin (probably spent a few hours over several weekends with the punch press/oil/hammer/torch process, which is why I gave up on it). 
 

Now, I wish I would have thought to secure the shaft with a wood brace to allow harder hammering…I was leery about breaking off the shaft and was pulling some hammer blows.

 

The crucial step right now is to ‘find’ the roll pin from the top side so I can hammer it out through the bottom, but I don’t want to do exploratory surgery with a drill to try and find it. Do I approach it from the bottom, drilling straight through to the top so I know where the true hole is? 

[Handy Don 12,177]

3 hours ago, Ponyboy said:

The crucial step right now is to ‘find’ the roll pin from the top side so I can hammer it out through the bottom, but I don’t want to do exploratory surgery with a drill to try and find it. Do I approach it from the bottom, drilling straight through to the top so I know where the true hole is? 

As best I can see from the photo the "dimple" is the hollow center of the roll pin and the hole in the footrest shaft is much larger than the pin. I'd go to a 5/32" roll pin punch (a bit smaller than the pin) and try again from the top (SO much easier to see and to support the footrest) making sure to keep the punch's center point in the dimple of the pin.

 

I can see from the bottom image that, again, the hole has been munged out bigger than the pin. Again, a 5/32 roll pin punch from this side carefully centered would be my tactic. Ideally, have someone put their weight on the outboard end of the footrest shaft downward to absorb the banging. I'd drill a ¾" hole in a 2x4 that reaches to ¼" above the floor, add an "L" piece running backward, and let their weight (between the footrest and the rear wheel) pull tractor down that ¼" until the crosspiece is on the floor.

 

If you read other posts on roll pins, you learn that they are very hard steel and eat drill bits as a snack. You'd need to get a "hard metal" bit and then be very conscious of drill speed and pressure. One tactic is to use bits somewhat larger than the pin's inner hole and progressively weaken the pin from the inside until you can punch it out.

[Ponyboy 64]

Thank you, @Handy Don! This is some great advice that I will use when I dive back into this.

 

I did take the girl out for her maiden voyage mowing yesterday. I was apprehensive and had some honestly low expectations (more for the deck than the tractor). The plan was to just do 1/2 the back field (just over a quarter acre) and evaluate.

 

She did fantastic, such that she ended up mowing a full 1.25 acres before being put to bed for the night. Better yet, the wife finally got to drive her for the first time and she was all grins - she actually mowed the last half acre she enjoyed it so much (much better and more fun than the JD we had been renting).