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Questions about mower rebuild.


skunkhome

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I have just started a bearing and shaft replacement on my 42" mower #990885. I started with the center arbor but stopped after removing the bearings as I found a rather beat up washer like spacer (1) under the top bearing. The "spacer" has an outside diameter which matches the inside diameter of the Arbor tube and has a thickness of 0.082". I can not find anything like it on the exploded drawings, so I am wondering if it is part of the arbor tube or is a foreign part.


Before disassembly the top bearing protruded approx 1/8" above the arbor tube. The spacer (2) which should be part #108201 measures 2.654" in length and snugly fit between the two inner races of the upper and lower bearings. Since the upper bearing sticks up above the arbor tube I am wondering if the spacer is the right length. The last time I changed out bearing on a mower was about 35 years ago and the arbor tubes had milled shoulders rather than the pressed bearing stops in this later model. Can anyone enlighten me if spacer #1 belongs in the arbor assembly and if the spacer #2 is the proper length?
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I've taken several arbor assemblies apart and never found piece #1 in any of them; nor have I seen them in any parts lists. What would stop it from moving all the way to the bottom of the arbor tube? Seems it could float around inside the tube. If it's a press fit, maybe the PO thought an upper bearing stop was required. As to the length of part #2, a new "in the bag" spacer #108740 measures about 2 3/16" (I think this is for older FDT decks). I have a new replacement arbor assembly #1650533 and the spacer inside measures about 2 5/8" (measured as best I could with the fully assembled arbor). Also, the top bearing does protrude about 1/8" above the tube in the replacement arbor assembly.
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Well this mower fits my 3414S which is not a FDT (duh) but is an early RBT. The mower has the older 2 bolt blade plate on the arbor shaft. Maybe the spacer should measure 2.1875" but was replaced for some reason with the longer spacer, but that is a full 7/16" difference and certainly would not fit in the same arbor and certainly would not be corrected with a .082 spacer between the bearing and the pressed tabs. There must have been a third sized spacer. I may need to order some more parts.
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I believe that should have been the stop to hold the bearing from sliding any farther into the housing or just a spacer between the stops and bearing to correct alignment of blades between the three arbors. I have had some assy's apart with this ring in there and some with just the indents in the housing. If the indents hold the bearing from going to far into the housing and the deck height (blade mounting surface to top of deck flange) is the same between all three, once assembled, I would not worry about it.
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There are stop tabs at the top and bottom. I am thinking the long spacer #2 needs to be the same length as the distance between the top three tabs and the lower single tab in the arbor tube in order to properly support the center race of the bearings and prevent binding when the jamb nut is tightened. It would also appear that I am missing the flinger and the backing ring that are supposed to be between the pulley and the two washers on top of the upper bearing.
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Well, I would have to agree with your thinking. I don't have a caliper that can measure that distance inside but I have about 2.5+". Add the washer #1 (2.5 + .080 = 2.58") and you get close to your spacer #2. I beleive I have some apart right here somewhere. I will try to get a measurement for you.
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Duh - firefoxz1's post rattled my memory - I have a similar arbor on the 42" Homelite deck I picked up; I even wrote a post about it: http://www.simpletractors.com/club2/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=33982 I looked closer at the #1650533 arbor assembly mentioned above - it has one lower and 3 upper indents for the bearings just like the "odd man out" arbor in my old post. It's been several years since I messed with the older style arbors - lately it's been the newer style two piece arbors with splined shafts.
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quote:
Originally posted by PhanDad
Duh - firefoxz1's post rattled my memory - I have a similar arbor on the 42" Homelite deck I picked up; I even wrote a post about it: http://www.simpletractors.com/club2/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=33982 I looked closer at the #1650533 arbor assembly mentioned above - it has one lower and 3 upper indents for the bearings just like the "odd man out" arbor in my old post. It's been several years since I messed with the older style arbors - lately it's been the newer style two piece arbors with splined shafts.
PhanDad, That appears to be just like the one I have. So apparently that is a factory installed ring. I have found so many odd things on this tractor I was afraid it was something a po did. I now need to see if I can straighten the ring out without screwing it up.
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