OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions On Ride On Mowers Questions on Greenfield Ride On Mower Frames Key in Greenfield Cutter Pulley

Hi All,
I live in tough country and have recently bought a new steel cutting deck to replace the brittle alloy one.
I got an new steel deck and am swapping over all the belt-pulleys, engagement linkage etc..until I come to the cutter pulley.

This is a Left hand thread nut and then you screw off the cutter/spindle pulley (also Left hand, of course)
OK, I can see the key in the keyway - but it is about 1 or 2 mm deep.
How do I get it out? (also if I cannot get it out - do I cut the pulley to pieces to save the spindle/cutter plate and buy another pulley?)
Currently deck is up-side-down, well sprayed with the ol' WD40...I can 'wiggle' the pulley...but the key down not shuffle out.



yours- with very shaggy grass currently.
Tim

G'day Tim, and a warm welcome to the ODK Forums.


That pulley isn't screwed on; as you say, the combo of thread and key would make it utterly impossible to dismantle.

So it's just keyed to a parallel shaft section. However, it will have been intentionally made a tight fit. And any rust that may have formed on the shaft will have made things a lot harder to shift.

To start with, WD40 is not much chop for anything but getting rid of water, in my experience. A few much better penetrating lubricants that are readily available are CRC 5-56, Inox and Penetrene. Give it a good shot of one of those, and let it soak in for a day or two.

This job is almost certainly going to require a special tool, in the shape of a 3-leg puller which can engage the holes in the pulley. I'd doubt that the pulley is 'wiggling' on the shaft - much more likely that you're feeling slop in the spindle bearings.

But you could try a bit of heat on the pulley hub first - hot air gun or propane torch. Then give the end of the shaft a good rap with a piece of hard wood, or a mallet - not a steel hammer.

Hi Gadge,
It was a puzzle to have a screw-down vee-pulley AND a key...means it has to line up once every 360 degrees of turn.
I will blast it with Inox and, later, throw some heat on it.

Will also chase a pulley remover...
I am considering replacing the bearings - it may save grief further down the mowing path..

I will keep you in the loop - success or not!

CYA
Tim

Nobody would have been crazy enough to fit a key in a screwed pulley, would they???, is this a Greenfield deck you are fitting to your Greenfield and I assume the throw is to the correct side as the original one?

Hi Norm,
Yes, the throw is correct...it is the new steel deck (which basically means I can repair/weld the deck)
It is a steel deck, from Greenfield, for my 13-32
It seems a perfect fit, so far, but I am not finished...and the last 5% takes 95% of the time.
All holes line up - except for one missing hole (the engage/disengage outer lever fitting - only one hole needs drilling) - but I can drill this easily, with my eyes shut - not unlike my mowing.

You are spot on about keying a screwed vee-pulley - the pulley was just a very tight fit over the key but basically it was able to be pulled off - given some Inox, time, more Inox and a wee bit of a heat blast, then an almighty wrestle between man and machine. Man won. Many thanks to Gadge, who pointed this crazy mower in the right direction.

Upon observation, the new steel deck seems good. it is reinforced at most key points...except that I may weld an angle iron on the inner rear of the throw chute. Currently it is a 90 degree meeting of two plates...and this is the area where the alloy one gave up the fight against multiple rocks.

Yours in the fight against shaggy grass.
Tim

Hi Gadge,
Many thanks for getting this dull blade to persist in coaxing the vee-pulley off correctly.
Inox, time, heat, occasional sip of beer, then a violent baby-shake of the pulley - and it moved up 5mm!
Success was then in sight. More lubrication for both parties and it came off smoothly...this has allowed me to pass GO and collect $200.

Now to re-assemble it all to gether and ponder about the left-over bolts, washer etc at the end of every job.
Many thanks to you - and ODK. This community support is a great benefit form the computer age.

Tks
Tim

De nada, Ukioye.

There is a logic to the way mechanisms are put together, but it can sometimes take a bit of working out. And experience with workshop techniques.

That said, Greenfield haven't been given to creating weirdnesses, as a rule.

And yes, definitely fit new spindle bearings, while it's in bits.

Gotta agree with you there Gadge. New bearings and seals while it's in wee bits.