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Default Sears tractor keeps destroying pulleys

Hello

My Sears 1000 XLT tractor is driving absloulutely nuts . The pulley
that drives the left side blade keeps stripping. The pulley is
attached to it's shaft with a star connection. If I hit a root or
stick or for whatever season the blade is stopped the belt will keep
the pulley spinning and the connection is destroyed. The star opening
on the pulley gets every so slightly stripped and enlarged and begins
to saw away at the spindle destroying both within seconds. This
happens only on the left blade, never on the right. To replace the
pulley and spindle costs me about $60 each time. so far in the two
years that I have owned time machine this happened 4 times! Can anyone
tell me what going wrong ?

John
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Default Sears tractor keeps destroying pulleys

John wrote:
Hello

My Sears 1000 XLT tractor is driving absloulutely nuts . The pulley
that drives the left side blade keeps stripping. The pulley is
attached to it's shaft with a star connection. If I hit a root or
stick or for whatever season the blade is stopped the belt will keep
the pulley spinning and the connection is destroyed. The star opening
on the pulley gets every so slightly stripped and enlarged and begins
to saw away at the spindle destroying both within seconds. This
happens only on the left blade, never on the right. To replace the
pulley and spindle costs me about $60 each time. so far in the two
years that I have owned time machine this happened 4 times! Can anyone
tell me what going wrong ?


Sounds like you're hitting stuff that shouldn't be. _Something_ is
going to give if you hit something solid enough to stop the blade while
the drive is engaged. Don't know what you expect to happen???

--
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Default Sears tractor keeps destroying pulleys

On Nov 30, 12:43 pm, wrote:
On Fri, 30 Nov 2007 09:27:50 -0800 (PST), John
wrote:

Hello


My Sears 1000 XLT tractor is driving absloulutely nuts . The pulley
that drives the left side blade keeps stripping. The pulley is
attached to it's shaft with a star connection. If I hit a root or
stick or for whatever season the blade is stopped the belt will keep
the pulley spinning and the connection is destroyed. The star opening
on the pulley gets every so slightly stripped and enlarged and begins
to saw away at the spindle destroying both within seconds. This
happens only on the left blade, never on the right. To replace the
pulley and spindle costs me about $60 each time. so far in the two
years that I have owned time machine this happened 4 times! Can anyone
tell me what going wrong ?


John


You need to WALK the area and remove all these obstacles that do not
belong there. Your blade should not be hitting anything but grass.


I'm not going to disagree with sa or dpb, but I'll admit that it does
sound strange that if an obstacle is what is causing the problem, you
somehow managed to hit it (or them) with the left blade 4 times and
never with the right.

Is the left blade closer to the ground? Do you always (typically?)
follow the exact same route such that the left blade meets the
obstacle but the right never does?

Obviously clearing all obstacles is the first thing you need to deal
with, but I would also try to determine what is different about the
left side blade vs. the right - either its position on the tractor or
the route it travels when you mow.
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Default Sears tractor keeps destroying pulleys

DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Nov 30, 12:43 pm, wrote:
On Fri, 30 Nov 2007 09:27:50 -0800 (PST), John
wrote:

....
... for whatever season the blade is stopped the belt will keep
the pulley spinning and the connection is destroyed. ...

....
I'm not going to disagree with sa or dpb, but I'll admit that it does
sound strange that if an obstacle is what is causing the problem, you
somehow managed to hit it (or them) with the left blade 4 times and
never with the right.


I'm not taking offense as you don't intend to be critical I understand,
but I'll add a little note...

He says the blade is stopped by an obstruction while in gear.

If there is something other than an external cause, that would be a
fault that could be addressed mechanically otherwise nothing but
changing the operation would seem to address the problem.

I do suppose the chance of the leveling could be a contributing issue,
but if it is so bad as to cause the left side to be digging in to the
point it stops a blade tip and the right not, one would think the
unevenness of the cut would be obvious enough to be noted.

--
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Default Sears tractor keeps destroying pulleys

According to John :
Hello

My Sears 1000 XLT tractor is driving absloulutely nuts . The pulley
that drives the left side blade keeps stripping. The pulley is
attached to it's shaft with a star connection. If I hit a root or
stick or for whatever season the blade is stopped the belt will keep
the pulley spinning and the connection is destroyed. The star opening
on the pulley gets every so slightly stripped and enlarged and begins
to saw away at the spindle destroying both within seconds. This
happens only on the left blade, never on the right. To replace the
pulley and spindle costs me about $60 each time. so far in the two
years that I have owned time machine this happened 4 times! Can anyone
tell me what going wrong ?


Despite what others say, it should be able to stop momentarily without
destroying anything. I hit lots of things (rather rough ground in
places), and I've never had any damage (except for the blade getting
dinged of course).

Can you slacken off the belt a bit so it'll slip? Maybe it's too tight.
--
Chris Lewis,

Age and Treachery will Triumph over Youth and Skill
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.


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Default Sears tractor keeps destroying pulleys

On Nov 30, 1:41 pm, dpb wrote:
DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Nov 30, 12:43 pm, wrote:
On Fri, 30 Nov 2007 09:27:50 -0800 (PST), John
wrote:

...
... for whatever season the blade is stopped the belt will keep
the pulley spinning and the connection is destroyed. ...

...
I'm not going to disagree with sa or dpb, but I'll admit that it does
sound strange that if an obstacle is what is causing the problem, you
somehow managed to hit it (or them) with the left blade 4 times and
never with the right.


I'm not taking offense as you don't intend to be critical I understand,
but I'll add a little note...

He says the blade is stopped by an obstruction while in gear.

If there is something other than an external cause, that would be a
fault that could be addressed mechanically otherwise nothing but
changing the operation would seem to address the problem.

I do suppose the chance of the leveling could be a contributing issue,
but if it is so bad as to cause the left side to be digging in to the
point it stops a blade tip and the right not, one would think the
unevenness of the cut would be obvious enough to be noted.

--


I think we are on the same page here. That's why I mentioned both the
position of the blade and the route taken.

Let's put a root out in the middle of his yard. Now let's assume his
left ball...err...blade hangs lower than his right. If he travels a
route than continually takes his left one over the roots, he going to
smack it everytime he goes by (ouch!). However, if he varies his
route a little to one side, the right one might clear it.

This could happen due to uneveness of turf, a physically lower
left ... blade, or even a left blade that is bent differently than the
right.
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Default Sears tractor keeps destroying pulleys

John wrote:
Hello

My Sears 1000 XLT tractor is driving absloulutely nuts . The pulley
that drives the left side blade keeps stripping. The pulley is
attached to it's shaft with a star connection. If I hit a root or
stick or for whatever season the blade is stopped the belt will keep
the pulley spinning and the connection is destroyed. The star
opening on the pulley gets every so slightly stripped and enlarged
and begins to saw away at the spindle destroying both within
seconds. This happens only on the left blade, never on the right.
To replace the pulley and spindle costs me about $60 each time. so
far in the two years that I have owned time machine this happened 4
times! Can anyone tell me what going wrong ?


Can't say for sure but it sorta sounds like there is vertical wobble
at the star (shouldn't be). One thing sure, hitting a stick should
*NOT* cause what is happening...I regularly hit oak roots and fallen
branches - branches up to 2" in diameter - with no damage other than
dulling the blade which is always dull anyway. I don't mow, I thresh


I've never even had debris stop the mower unless it is physically big
enough and oriented so it gets kicked up and wedged in the blade
housing. In that case, the blade drive belt slips. And smokes if I
don't shut it off. You sure your belt isn't too tight and that you
are using the correct length (BTW, belts are a lot cheaper at auto
stores). No wobble in the pulleys? All the bearings good?




--

dadiOH
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dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
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Default Sears tractor keeps destroying pulleys

On Nov 30, 1:55 pm, (Chris Lewis) wrote:
According to John :

Hello


My Sears 1000 XLT tractor is driving absloulutely nuts . The pulley
that drives the left side blade keeps stripping. The pulley is
attached to it's shaft with a star connection. If I hit a root or
stick or for whatever season the blade is stopped the belt will keep
the pulley spinning and the connection is destroyed. The star opening
on the pulley gets every so slightly stripped and enlarged and begins
to saw away at the spindle destroying both within seconds. This
happens only on the left blade, never on the right. To replace the
pulley and spindle costs me about $60 each time. so far in the two
years that I have owned time machine this happened 4 times! Can anyone
tell me what going wrong ?


Despite what others say, it should be able to stop momentarily without
destroying anything. I hit lots of things (rather rough ground in
places), and I've never had any damage (except for the blade getting
dinged of course).

Can you slacken off the belt a bit so it'll slip? Maybe it's too tight.
--
Chris Lewis,

Age and Treachery will Triumph over Youth and Skill
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.


Good point. Shouldn't there be a sheer pin or key that would give
before a pully would strip out?
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Default Sears tractor keeps destroying pulleys

DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Nov 30, 1:41 pm, dpb wrote:
DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Nov 30, 12:43 pm, wrote:
On Fri, 30 Nov 2007 09:27:50 -0800 (PST), John
wrote:

...
... for whatever season the blade is stopped the belt will keep
the pulley spinning and the connection is destroyed. ...

...
I'm not going to disagree with sa or dpb, but I'll admit that it does
sound strange that if an obstacle is what is causing the problem, you
somehow managed to hit it (or them) with the left blade 4 times and
never with the right.

I'm not taking offense as you don't intend to be critical I understand,
but I'll add a little note...

He says the blade is stopped by an obstruction while in gear.

If there is something other than an external cause, that would be a
fault that could be addressed mechanically otherwise nothing but
changing the operation would seem to address the problem.

I do suppose the chance of the leveling could be a contributing issue,
but if it is so bad as to cause the left side to be digging in to the
point it stops a blade tip and the right not, one would think the
unevenness of the cut would be obvious enough to be noted.

--


I think we are on the same page here. That's why I mentioned both the
position of the blade and the route taken.

Let's put a root out in the middle of his yard. Now let's assume his
left ball...err...blade hangs lower than his right. If he travels a
route than continually takes his left one over the roots, he going to
smack it everytime he goes by (ouch!). However, if he varies his
route a little to one side, the right one might clear it.

This could happen due to uneveness of turf, a physically lower
left ... blade, or even a left blade that is bent differently than the
right.


But it's that far off and he hasn't figured that out???? Seems
farfetched to me. Not impossible, but surely unlikely I would think
unless the guy is also blind as well as imbalanced...

--
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Default Sears tractor keeps destroying pulleys

DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Nov 30, 1:55 pm, (Chris Lewis) wrote:
According to John :

Hello
My Sears 1000 XLT tractor is driving absloulutely nuts . The pulley
that drives the left side blade keeps stripping. The pulley is
attached to it's shaft with a star connection. If I hit a root or
stick or for whatever season the blade is stopped the belt will keep
the pulley spinning and the connection is destroyed. The star opening
on the pulley gets every so slightly stripped and enlarged and begins
to saw away at the spindle destroying both within seconds. This
happens only on the left blade, never on the right. To replace the
pulley and spindle costs me about $60 each time. so far in the two
years that I have owned time machine this happened 4 times! Can anyone
tell me what going wrong ?

Despite what others say, it should be able to stop momentarily without
destroying anything. I hit lots of things (rather rough ground in
places), and I've never had any damage (except for the blade getting
dinged of course).

Can you slacken off the belt a bit so it'll slip? Maybe it's too tight.
--
Chris Lewis,

Age and Treachery will Triumph over Youth and Skill
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.


Good point. Shouldn't there be a sheer pin or key that would give
before a pully would strip out?


That would be "shear", curtains are "sheer"...

If there were one, certainly one would expect that to occur. Many
cheapies don't. I wouldn't expect to hit anything so hard so frequent
as to stop a blade entirely dead w/o causing damage.

Not sure what OP is calling a "star" drive -- could be that it's failing
there because it was designed as the weak point. The JD's I have use a
keyed shaft and the key serves the function of the shear pin.

Whatever it is, I still say the solution is most likely the answer to
the old story about the doctor's solution to the complaint "It hurts
when..."

--


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Default Sears tractor keeps destroying pulleys

On Nov 30, 2:09 pm, dpb wrote:
DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Nov 30, 1:41 pm, dpb wrote:
DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Nov 30, 12:43 pm, wrote:
On Fri, 30 Nov 2007 09:27:50 -0800 (PST), John
wrote:
...
... for whatever season the blade is stopped the belt will keep
the pulley spinning and the connection is destroyed. ...
...
I'm not going to disagree with sa or dpb, but I'll admit that it does
sound strange that if an obstacle is what is causing the problem, you
somehow managed to hit it (or them) with the left blade 4 times and
never with the right.
I'm not taking offense as you don't intend to be critical I understand,
but I'll add a little note...


He says the blade is stopped by an obstruction while in gear.


If there is something other than an external cause, that would be a
fault that could be addressed mechanically otherwise nothing but
changing the operation would seem to address the problem.


I do suppose the chance of the leveling could be a contributing issue,
but if it is so bad as to cause the left side to be digging in to the
point it stops a blade tip and the right not, one would think the
unevenness of the cut would be obvious enough to be noted.


--


I think we are on the same page here. That's why I mentioned both the
position of the blade and the route taken.


Let's put a root out in the middle of his yard. Now let's assume his
left ball...err...blade hangs lower than his right. If he travels a
route than continually takes his left one over the roots, he going to
smack it everytime he goes by (ouch!). However, if he varies his
route a little to one side, the right one might clear it.


This could happen due to uneveness of turf, a physically lower
left ... blade, or even a left blade that is bent differently than the
right.


But it's that far off and he hasn't figured that out???? Seems
farfetched to me. Not impossible, but surely unlikely I would think
unless the guy is also blind as well as imbalanced...

--- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


unless the guy is also blind as well as imbalanced

Hey, he's replaced it 4 times in 2 years and he's just asking about it
now? Who knows? ;-)
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"DerbyDad03" wrote in message
...
I'm not going to disagree with sa or dpb, but I'll admit that it does
sound strange that if an obstacle is what is causing the problem, you
somehow managed to hit it (or them) with the left blade 4 times and
never with the right.


I wonder if the deck is designed in such a way that if the right blade hits a loose object it gets
deflected or ejected thru the chute, but when the left one hits something it gets wedged and stops
the blade?

Eric Law


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Default Sears tractor keeps destroying pulleys



Original poster he

Thanks for all the replys. I have done quite a bit of root removal and
I ry to be careful.It's never going to be completely pristine yard
though . But it seems to me the trackor should be able to take a bit
of punishment.
My old Wheel Horse which was a third the price would hit obsructions
too but in that case the belt would slip an I would see and smell it
burn. I'd stop without much damage
being done . I think I must be missing something. The belt is not all
tight, the pulley was bolted down very well and still I'm broken down
for god knows how long. I question is , has anyone had this happen to
them as well ? Is there a design problem?



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Default Sears tractor keeps destroying pulleys

On Nov 30, 2:16 pm, dpb wrote:
DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Nov 30, 1:55 pm, (Chris Lewis) wrote:
According to John :


Hello
My Sears 1000 XLT tractor is driving absloulutely nuts . The pulley
that drives the left side blade keeps stripping. The pulley is
attached to it's shaft with a star connection. If I hit a root or
stick or for whatever season the blade is stopped the belt will keep
the pulley spinning and the connection is destroyed. The star opening
on the pulley gets every so slightly stripped and enlarged and begins
to saw away at the spindle destroying both within seconds. This
happens only on the left blade, never on the right. To replace the
pulley and spindle costs me about $60 each time. so far in the two
years that I have owned time machine this happened 4 times! Can anyone
tell me what going wrong ?
Despite what others say, it should be able to stop momentarily without
destroying anything. I hit lots of things (rather rough ground in
places), and I've never had any damage (except for the blade getting
dinged of course).


Can you slacken off the belt a bit so it'll slip? Maybe it's too tight.
--
Chris Lewis,


Age and Treachery will Triumph over Youth and Skill
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.


Good point. Shouldn't there be a sheer pin or key that would give
before a pully would strip out?


That would be "shear", curtains are "sheer"...

If there were one, certainly one would expect that to occur. Many
cheapies don't. I wouldn't expect to hit anything so hard so frequent
as to stop a blade entirely dead w/o causing damage.

Not sure what OP is calling a "star" drive -- could be that it's failing
there because it was designed as the weak point. The JD's I have use a
keyed shaft and the key serves the function of the shear pin.

Whatever it is, I still say the solution is most likely the answer to
the old story about the doctor's solution to the complaint "It hurts
when..."

--- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


That would be "shear", curtains are "sheer"...

I've alweys heted thet thay put the "a" key so close to the "e" kay.
I gat tham mixed up all tha time.


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Default Sears tractor keeps destroying pulleys

On Fri, 30 Nov 2007 09:27:50 -0800 (PST), John
wrote:

Hello

My Sears 1000 XLT tractor is driving absloulutely nuts . The pulley
that drives the left side blade keeps stripping. The pulley is
attached to it's shaft with a star connection.


Is this a spline shaft?

If I hit a root or
stick or for whatever season the blade is stopped the belt will keep
the pulley spinning and the connection is destroyed. The star opening
on the pulley gets every so slightly stripped and enlarged and begins
to saw away at the spindle destroying both within seconds. This
happens only on the left blade, never on the right. To replace the
pulley and spindle costs me about $60 each time. so far in the two
years that I have owned time machine this happened 4 times! Can anyone
tell me what going wrong ?

John


Steel is not just steel. Properly heat treating the correct type
of steel makes a huge difference in the longevity of a splined
connection.

Are your replacement parts aftermarket parts? Did Sears change their
supplier of parts? Can you swap left from right to troubleshoot this
possibility.
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John wrote:

Original poster he

Thanks for all the replys. I have done quite a bit of root removal and
I ry to be careful.It's never going to be completely pristine yard
though . But it seems to me the trackor should be able to take a bit
of punishment.
My old Wheel Horse which was a third the price would hit obsructions
too but in that case the belt would slip an I would see and smell it
burn. I'd stop without much damage
being done . I think I must be missing something. The belt is not all
tight, the pulley was bolted down very well and still I'm broken down
for god knows how long. I question is , has anyone had this happen to
them as well ? Is there a design problem?


I don't really think so, no.

What are you actually hitting?

My suggestion w/o seeing what your situation is to raise the blade
higher so it doesn't hit obstructions.

--
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Failure at the shaft/pressed pulley...SWAG.


So you are saying that this assembly is swaged together
as one piece at the factory?
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On Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:06:38 -0500, wrote:


Failure at the shaft/pressed pulley...SWAG.


So you are saying that this assembly is swaged together
as one piece at the factory?


No, my simple wild ass guess

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dpb wrote:

Not sure what OP is calling a "star" drive


The end of the mandrel is shaped rather like an asterisk. It's maybe
3/4 - 1" in diameter and the blade has a matching hole that fits over
it. Belt turns pully, pully turns mandrel, mandrel (star) turns
blades.

-- could be that it's
failing there because it was designed as the weak point.


Nope. It isn't weak.


--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico



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Default Sears tractor keeps destroying pulleys

John wrote:
Hello

My Sears 1000 XLT tractor is driving absloulutely nuts . The pulley
that drives the left side blade keeps stripping. The pulley is
attached to it's shaft with a star connection. If I hit a root or
stick or for whatever season the blade is stopped the belt will keep
the pulley spinning and the connection is destroyed. The star opening
on the pulley gets every so slightly stripped and enlarged and begins
to saw away at the spindle destroying both within seconds. This
happens only on the left blade, never on the right. To replace the
pulley and spindle costs me about $60 each time. so far in the two
years that I have owned time machine this happened 4 times! Can anyone
tell me what going wrong ?

John

Yeah. You bought a Crapsman.
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Default Sears tractor keeps destroying pulleys

Eric wrote:
"DerbyDad03" wrote in message
...
I'm not going to disagree with sa or dpb, but I'll admit that it does
sound strange that if an obstacle is what is causing the problem, you
somehow managed to hit it (or them) with the left blade 4 times and
never with the right.


I wonder if the deck is designed in such a way that if the right blade hits a loose object it gets
deflected or ejected thru the chute, but when the left one hits something it gets wedged and stops
the blade?

Eric Law


Then, no matter how tight the belt, the belt would slip. Not believable.


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"John" wrote in message
...


Original poster he

Thanks for all the replys. I have done quite a bit of root removal and
I ry to be careful.It's never going to be completely pristine yard
though . But it seems to me the trackor should be able to take a bit
of punishment.
My old Wheel Horse which was a third the price would hit obsructions
too but in that case the belt would slip an I would see and smell it
burn. I'd stop without much damage
being done . I think I must be missing something. The belt is not all
tight, the pulley was bolted down very well and still I'm broken down
for god knows how long. I question is , has anyone had this happen to
them as well ? Is there a design problem?


Are there shear pins somewhere on the drivelines to the blades? If there
are, I would be that the left one isn't a shear pin but rather an ordinary
bolt or the shaft is frozen in place perhaps through corrosion.

The machine is meant for cutting grass....not punishment.

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On Nov 30, 8:26 pm, "dadiOH" wrote:
dpb wrote:
Not sure what OP is calling a "star" drive


The end of the mandrel is shaped rather like an asterisk. It's maybe
3/4 - 1" in diameter and the blade has a matching hole that fits over
it. Belt turns pully, pully turns mandrel, mandrel (star) turns
blades.

-- could be that it's
failing there because it was designed as the weak point.


Nope. It isn't weak.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it athttp://mysite.verizon.net/xico


mandrel is shaped rather like an asterisk...the blade has a
matching hole

But the OP said the *pully* mates with the star shapped shaft, not the
blade.
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Default Sears tractor keeps destroying pulleys

DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Nov 30, 8:26 pm, "dadiOH" wrote:
dpb wrote:
Not sure what OP is calling a "star" drive


The end of the mandrel is shaped rather like an asterisk. It's
maybe 3/4 - 1" in diameter and the blade has a matching hole that
fits over it. Belt turns pully, pully turns mandrel, mandrel
(star) turns blades.

-- could be that it's
failing there because it was designed as the weak point.


Nope. It isn't weak.

mandrel is shaped rather like an asterisk...the blade has a
matching hole

________________

But the OP said the *pully* mates with the star shapped shaft, not
the blade.


So he did. And it is. I misread. Actually, there is a star at both
ends of the mandrel shaft...a beefy one for the blade, another smaller
for the pulley.

Just going by memory - I'm not going to go drop my deck to look -
there are two pulleys on the left...one for idler, another for the
blade drive belt.

On my deck there is also a large washer *under* both the left and
right blade pulleys. It's location there is kinda counter-intuitive
as usually washers go between the nut and whatever is being held on
but the reason for it being under the pulley is to elevate the pulley
so it's hub is completely on the shaft's "star". (IIRC correctly, the
washer also creates sort of a broader base for the pulley to resist
wobble.) If the washer is missing (or on top) the pulley's hub only
partially engages the drive on the shaft. Which means it would strip
more easily.


--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico



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Default Sears tractor keeps destroying pulleys

id be sure your pinching the pully good when tightening the bolt, if
pully isnt getting pinched it will wear out inside.. maybe locktight it
and tourqe it.. then recheck after you mow each time to see if its
loosening. i had a pully on a deck kept comming loose,forget now what
tractor, i got a grade 8 bolt,red locktighted it and socked it down
tighter than it should be..fixed it. lucas

http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm

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Default Sears tractor keeps destroying pulleys

According to DerbyDad03 :
On Nov 30, 1:55 pm, (Chris Lewis) wrote:


Despite what others say, it should be able to stop momentarily without
destroying anything. I hit lots of things (rather rough ground in
places), and I've never had any damage (except for the blade getting
dinged of course).


Can you slacken off the belt a bit so it'll slip? Maybe it's too tight.


Good point. Shouldn't there be a sheer pin or key that would give
before a pully would strip out?


Normally, they use shear pins or keys on shafts that are gear/chain/direct
drive, so if you have an abrupt stoppage, you don't damage the engine or
transmission or gears. With belt driven components, they tend to rely on
belt slip for protection.

My Cub Cadet, for example, has a shear pin on the driveshaft between
the engine and the (hydraulic) transmission.

In contrast, the Cadet's attached equipment (mower deck, snow blower etc)
are belt driven, and have (at least) two slip points: the first one being
one or more belts (there are two belts between the PTO pulley and side
blades). The second being the PTO engagement clutch.

They don't necessarily slip much - if I run the blower into a
snowbank that's too much for the 12HP engine, the engine _will_ stall.
However, it takes several revolutions with loud squealing from the belts.
At least it's not instantaneously - which could do damage.

Cadets are built _tough_. This thing is from the early 70's, and
I use it almost like a bush hog at times. It had the bearing on the
main cutter blade wear out, the two idler pulleys that feed the
mower deck have destroyed their bearings twice each, and I've had
to replace the main mower belt several times (this belt is rather
fussy. Standard V belts aren't deep enough, and I screwed up once
and got too big a pulley which caused the belt to rub). The mower
deck has had to be unbent once. Aside from that...

On the Cadet, the side blades (it has three) are run by a long
belt (never replaced that I know of) from the center pulley, and
tensioned with a idler pulley on a spring.

In the OP's case, I'd:

1) Make sure that the deck isn't bent/distorted especially on the
side of the blade that destroys its spindles. It could be getting
restricted at the blade tip and very subject to jamming, or perhaps
the spindle mount is bent out of plane with the others.

2) See if he can slacken the belt a bit.

3) If it has a slippable engagement clutch, see about backing it
off slightly. Only slightly, otherwise he'll burn it out. You
only want it to slip on a stall.
--
Chris Lewis,

Age and Treachery will Triumph over Youth and Skill
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.
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