Mid-mount tensioner tiller hoogus

[TheUnknownCat 0]

Apologies for just kinda hitting the site for info and then bailing out without contributing, but it is planting season, and I am a new small time urban farmer -and it is a lot of work. I'll do better in the winter, while I'm tearing that C160 apart and going over it, with lotsa pics.

But... I thought I'd show you my mid-mount tensioner thingus. These things seem to be shrouded in mystery and you are forsaken should you own the tiller without the thingus, but it really isn't so. I found a decent side view of the original tensioner, (I believe it belongs to one of you fine folks,) and I zoomed the pic up to 100% scale, based on the 5/8 shaft size, and just measured the screen to get the pulley sizes. I bought the pulleys at Tractor Supply, a 4" on front, and a 2" on the rear:

The spring is also from Tractor Supply, I just bought one that was plenty long and strong, and cut it to fit, after putting the parts together.

I'm having problems with photobucket, so I'll finish this in a bit.

[Operator 7]

Words we all have heard before --I'm having problems with photobucket, so I'll finish this in a bit.

Nice job on that! Tensioner thingy.

Randy

[TheUnknownCat 0]

Here it is removed from the tractor, (which is surprisingly quick to do.) You can see that the shaft is just a piece of 1/2" black pipe, with a cap on the end, and has been ground down on a bench grinder in the appropriate places to fit the 5/8" opening of the tach-a-matic.

[TheUnknownCat 0]

In this pic, I slid the arm pulley thingy over, so you can see that it is just attached to a sleeve that fits over the 1/2" pipe. The arm that the rear 2" pulley is attached to came from an MTD tiller that I had in the junk pile (which is all they are good for, btw.) The top arm, that the spring attaches to came from the cobbled up pulley tensioner thingy that the previous owner built, (which was really, really, not functional,) but I used it because the holes were well-drilled, and I am not set up for drilling yet, as I am a backyard hack, that works in the dirt, and besides -the two holes make it look really fast.

And I guess to be thorough, I'll go take the locknut off the end of this thing and get a pic, to show you what else I did.. Be right back.

[TheUnknownCat 0]

Okay -here's the dis-assembly of the assembly:

I cut off a 5/8" diameter bolt, which fits the bearing inside of the 4" pulley, and fit it to the inside of the 1/2" pipe. I sawed a few notches through the pipe, and into the bolt, and welded the two together, (don't make fun of my gas welds -I'm new!) I then cut a short piece of pipe to contact the outside of the bearing, and held the mess together with a nylon insert locknut. This thing busted virgin soil all day today. Let me know if I can clear anything up, always glad to help.

[Raider12 13]

WOW! Nice job. :omg:

[gwgdog66 23]

:omg:

[tgranthamfd 29]

Long as it works. Should have seen some of my welding when I started using wire. It's better now but once in a while it ain't pretty but it does hold, and that's what counts, right? If I could just get people to replace my wire. :omg:

[WheelHorse_of_course 100]

Excellent post!

Glad to have you with us.

Glad you got the ground turned!

:omg:

[BTRwrench 0]

Wow like someone else already said. To the unkowncat

Thanks for the info and the great pictures. If I can't find a reasonable one used I think I will try your build. Looks great. Thanks to all for the insight and help

Bill

[Fiddlestix 0]

At first glance I dismissed this thread since clearly you incorrectly described this dingus as a hoogus. Upon re-examination of your part and the original diagrammatical, you are correct. This is the hoogus for the tiller and not the more common dingus.

Well done! :omg:

[rickv1957 76]

Nice work there!, Rick