June 2026:

Let’s fix a mower deck !

So the first thing to do is release the tension on the deck belt, and remove it.  Well the outbound arbour is loose.. Maybe pooched  ! not looking good.  I’ll need to press the main shaft out to see what is wrong.  So I take back what I said earlier about how tough they are.  They can be damaged ..but it takes a lot to do it . I still need to convince the double pulley to free itself from the spindle..  I have ways..

Well that double pulley refuses to part ways with the deck.. So I left it there.

Going to put my efforts into the big hole in the middle of the deck.  That is not a rust hole !  Something happened under the deck to punch that hole , ripping the metal.  AND !  Forced the deck mounting bracket right up through the floor board on the tractor.

They fixed this with a piece of angle iron bolted across.  Nah we will do a better fix using a bigger plate up top, and bolt that through.  As for the deck.. It’s got a lot of stress cracks to weld up as well as the patch.  No way I can get all the dents out. But it will be functional and repainted.  Oh and while I was under the tractor I removed the drive belt tension wheel.  It was seized and not doing the job..  Which I’m sure the belt was slipping .

The pulley is ok it’s the swivelling part that did not swivel any more.  FIXED !