Did the rubber flap mod to the impeller.
As before I used two stainless 5/16" by 1 inch fine thread bolts and Nyloc nuts, and one washer for each.
I used that mud flap that I bought to make impeller flaps for my walk behind. I placed the hardware as close to the axle of the thrower auger as I could to minimize the effect of adding weight to something that spins fast.
It hits the bottom edge where there is a high spot from some previous damage (I tried to straighten it out as best I could) but I'll just let it wear in. I learned from last time and specifically make sure to cut it to not interfere with the housing as it goes around, so it really only hits at that lip at the front.
The oil spatter is from the oil I used to drill the holes.
Garden tractor acquisition
Re: Garden tractor acquisition
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Re: Garden tractor acquisition
The longest whole stick yet got blown/flung up the chute into the bags. Sweet.
Side note I think I will need to repack the bearings on my spindles and if I keep using it making the noise that it is I will need to replace the bearings...
Started making noise after I pressure washed stuff a few months back. Figures.
Started making noise after I pressure washed stuff a few months back. Figures.
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Re: Garden tractor acquisition
I ordered two new pads. Got them on eBay for about $14. It is dangerous as it sits. It won't hold on a hill while I empty the bags and while I was able to position the hydro lever to hold it, it is really not smart to be standing behind it like that. It ought to have functional brakes.kevm14 wrote:Put the new brake lever on my Simplicity. The pads seem pretty worn (the outer one was cracked) but I lubricated the pins (the pins actuate the pads) so I dunno, I guess it is back doing what it did before which is mostly hold. Should have taken pics. I backed it up onto ramps and worked on it that way.
Re: Garden tractor acquisition
That was satisfying. Steps go like this:
- Back off rod adjustment nut so the linkage has room to move where it needs to go (it would certainly be too tight with new pads)
- Back off caliper preload adjustment nut (don't need to remove)
- Remove the 2 caliper bolts and pull the caliper off
At this point you will be able to access the pad that sits in the caliper. I lubed up the pins and stuff (you could say this is a dual piston design) and put the new pad in there, which fit perfectly. There is a pad between the rotor and transaxle. I could not get it out. In this design, the caliper is fixed but the rotor floats, presumably on a spline. Well I don't know if the rotor is supposed to float enough to pull it away from the transaxle and get that captured pad out. Or, maybe I am supposed to actually remove the rotor. I inspected the pad and it had some meat left so I just threw one new pad in the caliper and put it all back together. Then I adjusted to 0.010" pad/rotor clearance. And adjusted the brake rod adjustment nut.
Result? The brakes work awesome! Well, brake. Anyway, it nearly, or does, lock up the rear tires from full speed. This will be more than sufficient to hold on an incline while emptying the bags and stuff. Very happy with this, and very worthwhile. Also cheap.
- Back off rod adjustment nut so the linkage has room to move where it needs to go (it would certainly be too tight with new pads)
- Back off caliper preload adjustment nut (don't need to remove)
- Remove the 2 caliper bolts and pull the caliper off
At this point you will be able to access the pad that sits in the caliper. I lubed up the pins and stuff (you could say this is a dual piston design) and put the new pad in there, which fit perfectly. There is a pad between the rotor and transaxle. I could not get it out. In this design, the caliper is fixed but the rotor floats, presumably on a spline. Well I don't know if the rotor is supposed to float enough to pull it away from the transaxle and get that captured pad out. Or, maybe I am supposed to actually remove the rotor. I inspected the pad and it had some meat left so I just threw one new pad in the caliper and put it all back together. Then I adjusted to 0.010" pad/rotor clearance. And adjusted the brake rod adjustment nut.
Result? The brakes work awesome! Well, brake. Anyway, it nearly, or does, lock up the rear tires from full speed. This will be more than sufficient to hold on an incline while emptying the bags and stuff. Very happy with this, and very worthwhile. Also cheap.
Re: Garden tractor acquisition
After doing the new pad on the Simplicity, I pulled out the Deutz and looked at the brake. I adjusted it to 0.010" which it was out of spec on. I left the brake rod nut alone. Result? It stops pretty well, too. Not as well as my Simplicity but it definitely will hold and do what it needs to do. Good.
In other news, the left front is a leaker and this will be no fun in the winter. I may slime this tire. The right front I guess may technically leak but it is way better by comparison.
In other news, the left front is a leaker and this will be no fun in the winter. I may slime this tire. The right front I guess may technically leak but it is way better by comparison.
Re: Garden tractor acquisition
Satisfying leaf collection on Friday.
Did an oil change on the Simplicity to this Peak 15W-40 CJ-4 stuff I got for 5 cents a gallon at an Advance Auto in Providence.
I cleaned my gutters with my sweet homemade leaf blower extension (also with lengths of downspout). So there was leaf mess all over the place. I wanted to use my Simplicity to suck everything up since I had just done that on Friday.
Things were going so well when I suddenly lost all steering control. Yep, the joint that couples the steering rack arm to the steering rod had separated, due to wear. Damn!!
I tried to push it back in and secure with zipties. That worked OK as long as I didn't turn too sharp to the left but this really needs to be fixed the right way.
I inspected the broken rod that came with my Deutz. Recall he bought the parts tractor for its steering rod. It wasn't that his old one wore out, but the threaded stud had snapped. And it looks like I can weld it. I guess this will be my first welding project.
However, I am not sure I want to wait until I get the wire I want, the gas and other equipment. So what I may do is track down a new one unless it is stupid expensive, and then fix this broken one that came with the Deutz and have it on hand as a spare. I mean, the Deutz has that heavy snow blower hanging off the front so it could wear out. I could try to lube the ball joint I guess. If I was really enterprising, I could drill and tap and install grease fittings. They get really dry after a while and that can't help anything.
Oh so this is cool, too. The Deutz also came with a brand new ball joint for the steering rod! So after I fix the thread I will have a brand new ball joint for it. Unfortunately the end that connects to the steering arm is not replaceable or otherwise serviceable. Kind of odd that only one is replaceable...he must have bought it before he realized the threaded stud actually snapped. This is the end that separated on my Simplicity. This one has some play but it is still together.
I cleaned my gutters with my sweet homemade leaf blower extension (also with lengths of downspout). So there was leaf mess all over the place. I wanted to use my Simplicity to suck everything up since I had just done that on Friday.
Things were going so well when I suddenly lost all steering control. Yep, the joint that couples the steering rack arm to the steering rod had separated, due to wear. Damn!!
I tried to push it back in and secure with zipties. That worked OK as long as I didn't turn too sharp to the left but this really needs to be fixed the right way.
I inspected the broken rod that came with my Deutz. Recall he bought the parts tractor for its steering rod. It wasn't that his old one wore out, but the threaded stud had snapped. And it looks like I can weld it. I guess this will be my first welding project.
However, I am not sure I want to wait until I get the wire I want, the gas and other equipment. So what I may do is track down a new one unless it is stupid expensive, and then fix this broken one that came with the Deutz and have it on hand as a spare. I mean, the Deutz has that heavy snow blower hanging off the front so it could wear out. I could try to lube the ball joint I guess. If I was really enterprising, I could drill and tap and install grease fittings. They get really dry after a while and that can't help anything.
Oh so this is cool, too. The Deutz also came with a brand new ball joint for the steering rod! So after I fix the thread I will have a brand new ball joint for it. Unfortunately the end that connects to the steering arm is not replaceable or otherwise serviceable. Kind of odd that only one is replaceable...he must have bought it before he realized the threaded stud actually snapped. This is the end that separated on my Simplicity. This one has some play but it is still together.
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Re: Garden tractor acquisition
Oof.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-Simpli ... Sw-6pbUj9Q
$120 + $13 shipping. I think my Simplicity deserves it but man that is pricey. I have more leaf stuff to do this season though other than that I may not really need it until next season. I could wait a few weeks while I fix the old one but I really like the idea of having a spare because again the Deutz has a lot of steering load with the blower on it. Then I'd have no replacement for that. Yes I could swap them between seasons but that is some farmy/hacky nonsense.
Side note...while I was laying on the ground fiddling with the steering rod, I noticed that my seat has a sticker that says August 1987...it is in amazing condition unless it was new old stock and was replaced. Hard to believe it was on there for like 32 years. Unless it was consistently stored inside but even then...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-Simpli ... Sw-6pbUj9Q
$120 + $13 shipping. I think my Simplicity deserves it but man that is pricey. I have more leaf stuff to do this season though other than that I may not really need it until next season. I could wait a few weeks while I fix the old one but I really like the idea of having a spare because again the Deutz has a lot of steering load with the blower on it. Then I'd have no replacement for that. Yes I could swap them between seasons but that is some farmy/hacky nonsense.
Side note...while I was laying on the ground fiddling with the steering rod, I noticed that my seat has a sticker that says August 1987...it is in amazing condition unless it was new old stock and was replaced. Hard to believe it was on there for like 32 years. Unless it was consistently stored inside but even then...
Re: Garden tractor acquisition
Ordered this gizmo: https://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-Lubricat ... 551&sr=8-2
I will use it to squirt grease into the non-greaseable ball joints on my tractors (really just steering linkages I think). This should help a lot and probably extend their life to infinity if done annually. They dry out and then it's just metal on metal, year after year.
I will use it to squirt grease into the non-greaseable ball joints on my tractors (really just steering linkages I think). This should help a lot and probably extend their life to infinity if done annually. They dry out and then it's just metal on metal, year after year.
Re: Garden tractor acquisition
So I have one of these if anyone needs a needle nozzle like this. Going to inject grease into my non-greaseable steering joints.
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Re: Garden tractor acquisition
Got my new drag link. I know this was expensive but it is a very nice piece. I think it is solid steel. Quite heavy. There are replaceable links on BOTH ends rather than just the front axle side, so that's pretty cool.
But, I took one look at the stud size and I'm like, that is definitely larger than what I had on there. So I'm thinking, I guess I am supposed to drill out the holes in the steering arm and the front knuckle arm?? Is this the right part??
Actually, yes. Unexpected but this is most certainly an upgrade - those studs are 1/2" which is really beefy. And should either joint fail ever again I can just swap out one of the replaceable links. Of course this lasted over 30 years so this is not something I will ever have to replace again. Just when I thought this old tractor had impossibly tight steering, this new link will make it even better.
33/64" is 1/64" over 1/2". I don't have a 33/64" drill bit. But I do have a 1/2" drill bit. So guess what 33/64" means....drill to 1/2", move the bit around a little bit until the studs can slide through. File burrs if necessary. This ain't rocket science.
It also means if I fix/weld the other link, it will be a spare only for the Deutz, since the holes will be dilled out on my Simplicity. Not an issue.
Anyway I thought that was cool. It was expensive but it was clearly an upgraded part, too, even though that makes installation a little more tricky than I expected.
Actually, yes. Unexpected but this is most certainly an upgrade - those studs are 1/2" which is really beefy. And should either joint fail ever again I can just swap out one of the replaceable links. Of course this lasted over 30 years so this is not something I will ever have to replace again. Just when I thought this old tractor had impossibly tight steering, this new link will make it even better.
33/64" is 1/64" over 1/2". I don't have a 33/64" drill bit. But I do have a 1/2" drill bit. So guess what 33/64" means....drill to 1/2", move the bit around a little bit until the studs can slide through. File burrs if necessary. This ain't rocket science.
It also means if I fix/weld the other link, it will be a spare only for the Deutz, since the holes will be dilled out on my Simplicity. Not an issue.
Anyway I thought that was cool. It was expensive but it was clearly an upgraded part, too, even though that makes installation a little more tricky than I expected.
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