The new guy has more problems and needs more help

[dgjks6 8]

OK, here it goes

I finally found the last grease nipple on the steering and it is broken off. Is the any other way to grease this joint?

I was aerating the lawn today. It was kind of wet, and the clutch and drive engagment on my 312-8 started acting funny. It had a hard time engaging and made a popping noise when it did. I mowed later and no problems. Did the main belt get wet or do I need a new one?

Now for the deck. I have the 37 inch deck. Took it apart and replaced the blades. I think one of the spindles is bent. The blade wobbles sort of. The blade is balanced. Do I have to replace it - meaning will it cause damage if I don't?

I can not get the blades level. On the highest setting the blade by the discharge is 3 1/2 inches from the ground. The other blade is 2 3/4. I replaced the rear wheels on the deck with new ones. The old wheel on the non dischage side had the same size metal rim but the rubber was almost worn off. With the new wheel the deck sits a little more level, but the wheel hits the deck when I adjust the metal rod that controls the height of that wheel so I can not adjust it anymore. What is the deal? Is there any way to level it? Did I do something wrong?

Thanks,

Greg

[HorseFixer 2,013]

Can you get an easy out in there and remove the old Zert Fitting? If so that would be the way to go and would be well wrth the effort? Just a thought.. The make like a Hypo attachment that you can get that you maybe able to stick in the hole or possibly a piece of rubber tube over the end of the grease gun tip then mash it up over fitting hole, may take asecond set of hands! Thats a tuffy! Good luck

Duke

[kpinnc 14,651]

On the highest setting the blade by the discharge is 3 1/2 inches from the ground. The other blade is 2 3/4.

Greg,

3/4 of an inch difference between the two is quite a bit. The only way to be sure where the problem is, unfortunately, is to remove the deck.

If the spindle is the problem, then only ONE side of the blade will be low. The other end of the blade should ride high when you rotate it around. Also, with the deck on the tractor, you may want to measure the height of the deck itself all the way around as opposed to just the blade height.

Also, a shot bearing would allow the blade to "wobble". There are two bearings in each spindle. There is a ball bearing in the top, and a needle bearing in the bottom. You should check both, as well as the spindle shaft where they ride for wear.

I'm not sure how you're measuring the blade height, but there are other possibilities: Are the deck wheels the same size? is the deck shell or hangers bent?

My 37 inch deck was out of whack once too. Those decks can easily become a problem, as the bar that the wheels ride on is composed of two seperate parts, as opposed to a straight, one-peice unit like all the other decks. There is a threaded rod that connects the seperate axles, that can be bent, or simply needs adjustment. It's part 20 in the drawing below:

You can loosen or tighten this threaded rod to make the rear wheels ride level. On my deck, this, along with needing new wheels, was the problem.

If the spindle is bent, you can remove them from the housing and try having a machine shop press them out flat. Been that road once too!

Good luck!

Kevin

[dgjks6 8]

Thanks for the Picture! The deck is no problem to get off. I need to get used to using the atatch a matic thing anyway. Even though it is supposed to be quicker, I can ge the deck off my craftsman in 1/3 the time.

I have adjusted that rod as far as I can until the wheel on that side touches the deck.

Is it possible to bend the bolt the blade is on? That is what it looks like when it spins. Or is the bearing bad. The reason I ask is becasue there are a set of spindles on ebay now that end in a few hours that I could get, or I could just get the bearings.

Also, do they make 2 different 37 inch decks? The front rollers on my deck are different sizes and the picture says they are the same. Also, the number 20 part on my deck is backwards when compared to this one. And we are the original owners and there are no belt covers on the deck and from what I remember never were.

Thanks

Greg

[kpinnc 14,651]

I would say getting an extra set of spindles isn't a bad idea. Even if your's check out OK, it's one less spare part you may need years down the road...

The "Bolt" you refer to is actually part of the spindle. I bent one once because someone left me a 18 inch section of rebar in the back yard, and I found it... That's why I said the spindles could be pressed straight with a machine shop press.

Yes, there were MANY different versions of the 37 inch deck. They all had the same basic shell setup though, so I just used the first drawing I had...

Kevin

[wh500special 2,275]

It is starting to sound like you do have a bent spindle shaft if your blade is visibly wobbling and the SAME end of the blade is always higher than the other. You might want to try your luck with the Ebay spindles since you will likely find them cheaper than piecing everything together...

If it is "just" the bearings that are bad, you won't get a uniform wobble...instead you ought to be able to move the shaft around in the bore in more than one direction (would be loose in the bore).

OR, it is possible that the deck itself is bent...especially where the spindle bolts to the shell. If you hit something hard enough with one of these things, you can bend the sheetmetal (guess how I know this ). A small emount of bend in the shell is amplified at the blade tip.

I think the picture posted might actually be for the 37" SD that fits the Lawn Tractors (either the B-series or the YT/250 series). The same deck was offered across a panoply of models/series, so there are many subtle variations. I'm just going from memory since the picture looks to have a LT-type lift pin and the belt covers. To be sure of what you have, you need to refer to your manuals or take your model number to www.toro.com and use the parts lookup features to see for sure. The picture shown should give you an idea on most of the functional parts though.

The 37" SD is a good deck and is probably the best cut quality deck WH offered. Your deck just sounds a little worn out! You should be able to drop/mount that sucker in just a couple minutes at the most: Drop it to the ground, release the belt, open the hitch, turn the front wheels all the way to one side, and slide it out. I've not seen a Craftsman/AYP/Husqvarna mount system that can compete, so you might want to look back in your owner's manual for a missing step. Either that or Sears really needs to start advertising how easy their decks attach/remove!

best of luck,

Steve

[dgjks6 8]

The sears deck is not easy to remove. It has like 10 pins to pull. But my attach-a-matic - getting off is not a problem, but I spent 10 minutes trying to get the bar back in - did not want to seem to go. I just need practice.

OK - so back to the deck. The whole front of the deck is dented. I have already put $60 in the deck - new blades and new wheels. I am now lookinf at 40 more for the spindles. Should I just scrap the deck? There is minimal rust. Just some dents in the front. As far as the bearing, with your explaination, it is not the bearing. It is either a bent spindle or a bent deck.

Greg

[wh500special 2,275]

Geez, not sure what to suggest since you hate to keep pouring money into something unless you are going to totally rebuild it and keep it forever...

Not sure where you're located, but perhaps you can find another member close by that can either help you guage the condition of the thing or let you have a look at theirs for comparison. If the shell is messed up badly enough, I'd just give up on it and perhaps look for a replacement 42" RD or SD which are far more common and can be had cheaply. The only reason you'd HAVE to stay with the 37" would be if you had the bagger to accompany it.

if you're close to me let me know and you can borrow a 42" SD if you'd like if you need to get through the mowing season.

Verify from the manuals/parts viewer that the replacement spindles are indeed the ones you need. If that $40 puts you back in the ballgame i think it would be a good move to make. Chances are your shell is flat enough, but you might have to first spend some more time figuring out why the blade tip height is so far off and verify that it is/not the spindle shaft.

Worse comes to worst, you can always resell your parts on Ebay to minimize your losses.

Oh, I have found that when reattaching a deck it is easiest to: Slide it under the tractor, engage the lift pin, lift the deck, and THEN put the bar back inthe hitch. You can put the bar in without lifting it first, but it seems to be more difficult. Of course, if you're deck is badly tweaked it may be causing both the cutting issue and the hook-up problems...

Looking back at this post, I'm not sure I am helping you...I'd better shut up and hope somebody else offers better advice.

Steve

[Teddy da Bear 11]

There is an easy way to check if the bearing is bad or the shaft is bent.

Grab the blade with your hand. Wiggle it. Don't rotate it. If it wobbles and feels loose when you wiggle it....it is the bearing. If it wobbles only when rotated it is the shaft or shell.

[kpinnc 14,651]

Greg, I would say if the deck is bent, then that is the FIRST thing I'd fix. That kind of damage will throw the whole thing out of alignment.

Steve makes a good point with the spindle mounting area. A small bend turns into a BIG bend at the tips of the blades...

My 37SD was bent in the manner you describe. I took all the components off of it, beat it out straight, and welded a 1/2 inch rod around the front lip of it to reinforce the front, as many of the larger decks are made. I also checked the area around the spindle mounts to be sure they weren't bent in any way. My 37 inch deck is now the best performer I have. It cuts better than my 42, and will run through shrubs if I need to.

How much money you spend, is of course a decision you will have to make. But, I will tell you that another deck, even the same size will cost a bundle. A new deck from Toro (not saying you should go that route) is at least $600-$800. Of course, there are plenty of decks on Ebay, but you never know what you're getting until you get it...

Good luck!

Kevin

[dgjks6 8]

It's the spindle shaft. The bearings are good. I did the wiggle test and no wiggle. I wonder if I bent it when I hit a rock or to get the nut off I used a 4 foot pipe extension.

So far one of my best investments in the tractor is a 1 1/8inch six point socket.

BTW, the advice is great. It has helped me quickly figure things out. I need to find someone to do the front reinforcement thing.

Oh, and by the way, you guys are great - where else would you get a free offer to borrow a deck. THANKS

[Duff 206]

Hi, Greg,

Just another WH owner's two cents worth here..... I've got a 37" SD deck on an '89 312-8. Deck model #05-37SC01. Been through 95% of the restoration so far on mine.

If the sheet metal is solid except for surface rust, then it is probably well worth the effort to straighten out the dents and dings and continue restoring it as you have been. I did have one thought on the bent spindle/blade issue. On mine I had a blade that was running out of true and when I took the blade off I found the washer between the blade and the spindle had worn on one side. PO probably hadn't tightened it down properly and the spindle spun faster than the blade for a while. Anyway, when I replaced the washer it solved the wobble problem. May not be your issue, but something else to check. Given the amount of beef in the spindles themselves, I am surprised one would bend unless the blade really hit something very hard at high speed. Again, just my two cents.......

I'm still cogitating on the left-to-right level issue you describe.......

Deereman :whistle:

[DMESS 24]

Plenty of good info given here and I'll add my 2 cents.

While this is a GREAT performing deck (try one on a 520!), the shell does tend to be more fragile than the typical 42"/48" decks. Catching the lead edge and pushing it into the blade path is common, as well as cracking/breaking the area where the rear pick up points are welded to the shell. It is not hard to tweak one of these out of whack and that probably is the case more likely than bending a spindle shaft. I'd pull the deck and get it onto a level surface and start taking some measurements. The beauty of this model (besides an actual aerodynamic sculpted shape) is that it has front to rear AND side to side leveling adjustment. It wont, however, make up for a bent shell. These decks, even in a state of good repair, have some inherent flex and I find that I can nail the blade tips together (read BIG noise) if I catch one of the gauge wheels just right putting more force on the one side over the other. Mine had been repaired at the left rear mounting point already and it was a low hour machine with light use. Once again, it's a great cutter, but the shell could have been a heavier gauge to offer it more rigidity.

[dgjks6 8]

Just for the record I also have a sears tractor. If you think the 37 inch deck is thin you should see one of these.

[dgjks6 8]

Hey - I finally figured it out - with your guys help of course. I looked at the parts diagram for my 37 inch deck and found the rod that controlled the height of the second wheel was backwards. When I reversed it then it became obvious that the wheel was bent inward and hit the deck. With a little patience and a small sledge I fixed the problem - Yeah!

So my last question is now that I now how to set the deck height where ever I want - How high should I makes the blades at their highest position?

[Teddy da Bear 11]

Are you asking about the highest adjustment possible or are you asking about a good height to cut your grass?

[dgjks6 8]

highest adjustment possible - then I can lower from there is necessary

BTW - I just found this on the parts diagram - it says look at owners manual for adjustment. What does it adjust? It is just a bolt with a spacer that connects to nothing.

https://lookup3.toro.com/partdex/index.cfm?...1&partsviewer=1

It is part number 19 in this diagram

Greg

[TT-(Moderator) 1,162]

Will this help?

The deck will only go as high as the stops on the mounting frame allow. You can adjust the height by turning the eyebolt farther in to the trunnion on the arm of the lift lever shaft. (up inside the "dash tower" of the tractor.)

[dgjks6 8]

awesome and thanks

greg