Deck Pulleys

[JamesBe1 84]

I am refurbing a 48" deck, and the pulleys are completely shot. I need to replace all of them. The idler pulley seems to be available at a reasonable price from stens, but the other two, 106849 (side pulley) and 106848 (center pulley) seem to be only available from toro (re resellers) for about $100 each. Ouch!

Does anyone know an better source of supply?

I am having a hard time trying to get the dimensions off of the piles of rust that they are. Would anyone know what the critical dimensions are?

Thanx,

James

[Trouty56 567]

I would say the first critical step would be the top of the spindle....5/8 inch....3/4 inch.....double D style (3/4 inch with flat sides)... then figure out the pulleys.

[Don1977 605]

I guess your asking about pressed steel pulleys they can be 3/4" ID keyed or 5/8" ID that isn't keyed and held by a lockwasher a compression. Unless you have someone to do machine work on standard pulleys I don't believe you will find anything that will work. I had a machinest friend to modify a set of cast iron Double D's to fit the metric spindles that use the 5/8" pulleys. We had to bore them out and sleeve them down to 5/8" and face off the top to make fit can't remember if we had to face the bottom . It was done around ten years ago. I had to do it because the old pressed steel pulleys were so worn out that they slipped in heavy grass.

[smoreau 658]

Check evil bay, or put a ad in the classified section here for a good used set.

[JamesBe1 84]

I would say the first critical step would be the top of the spindle....5/8 inch....3/4 inch.....double D style (3/4 inch with flat sides)... then figure out the pulleys.

Not sure what you mean Bob. I know that the bore of the pulleys are 3/4". That was the only part of the pulleys that weren't rusted beyond repair. What is a double D style?

I guess your asking about pressed steel pulleys they can be 3/4" ID keyed or 5/8" ID that isn't keyed and held by a lockwasher a compression. Unless you have someone to do machine work on standard pulleys I don't believe you will find anything that will work. I had a machinest friend to modify a set of cast iron Double D's to fit the metric spindles that use the 5/8" pulleys. We had to bore them out and sleeve them down to 5/8" and face off the top to make fit can't remember if we had to face the bottom . It was done around ten years ago. I had to do it because the old pressed steel pulleys were so worn out that they slipped in heavy grass.

Yeah, it's a 3/4" keyed bore on all of them except the idler. Wow, what a lot of work you had to go through to get a pulley. It doesn't sound encouraging. Maybe I can get lucky and find an inexpensive source of supply.

Check evil bay, or put a ad in the classified section here for a good used set.

Ebay - great idea! I will keep my eyes on it for those part numbers.

[hcminis 1,700]

James, to you have pictures of what you need. Have a deck with good pulleys that I don't need and they may be what you are looking for. Can send pictures if you want. Email or text/call me. dewayne@hcmtoys.com or 317-491-3106

[Trouty56 567]

Sorry James...there are different spindles and different pulleys. I had a set of the pulleys you need but sold them at the show.

[wheeledhorseman 579]

A couple of thoughts James from a non-expert on decks.

I've got a very old (early 70s I guess) 42" SD deck thats on my list to refurb. It has the old style 'double D' spindles which have two flats on the shaft that lock the blades to the spindle shaft. The spindles are shot and double D blades pretty much unobtainable here so I'm replacing all three spindle units with the later (current) type that have a lock washer to secure the blades which have a plain hole in them.

New spindle units are way to expensive as a Toro part to make the project viable so I got a rusted out deck with good later type spindles and pulleys as a donor. This could be an option for you as well? It does also mean I've got some pullies for the old style spindles which might fit yours. I'll take a look today to see what they look like shaftwise.

Andy

[pfrederi 18,670]

James I have some used pulleys and spindles...what model deck are you working on what part #s do you need?

[JamesBe1 84]

James, to you have pictures of what you need. Have a deck with good pulleys that I don't need and they may be what you are looking for. Can send pictures if you want. Email or text/call me. dewayne@hcmtoys.com or 317-491-3106

Thanx. I'll take some pics as soon as I can and post them here. I'm not sure if I want to go with used pulleys if I don't have to. But I might have to so it's good to know that you can help out.

A couple of thoughts James from a non-expert on decks.

I've got a very old (early 70s I guess) 42" SD deck thats on my list to refurb. It has the old style 'double D' spindles which have two flats on the shaft that lock the blades to the spindle shaft. The spindles are shot and double D blades pretty much unobtainable here so I'm replacing all three spindle units with the later (current) type that have a lock washer to secure the blades which have a plain hole in them.

New spindle units are way to expensive as a Toro part to make the project viable so I got a rusted out deck with good later type spindles and pulleys as a donor. This could be an option for you as well? It does also mean I've got some pullies for the old style spindles which might fit yours. I'll take a look today to see what they look like shaftwise.

Andy

James I have some used pulleys and spindles...what model deck are you working on what part #s do you need?

Andy/Paul. As is often the case, my deck had no model number tag anywhere on it, and I was forced to use the model number from the list of D-180 attachments to get the manual for the deck. The part numbers that I got out of the deck manual might not be the ones that I actually have. From looking at some web pics of the part numbers, it appears that the ones listed in the manual are the Double D type (I finally figured out what that means). The ones that I have are 3/4" keyed. I think this is going to make my life easier once I find what the coresponding toro PN is.

I hope I don't have to start going through every deck manual that I can find, but I just might end up having to do that.

[JamesBe1 84]

I think I might have gotten lucky with finding a generic pulley:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/phoenix-standard-a-b-type-3-4-steel-drive-pulley-5-in-od-1185188

I think the side pulleys are 5", but I will have to check again when I get home tonight. If it's right, that leaves just the center double pulley to run down. The idler is available from stens at a reasonable price.

I was pondering possibly reducing the diameter of the drive (top) pulley of the center double pulley to give the blades a little more speed (not a lot - only a little). Aside from wear/safety concerns, is there any reason why it isn't doable?

[Don1977 605]

The hub is too long on that pulley. The 3/4" keyed have a 3/4" nut and lock washer above the pulley that holds everything together. The hub length on the single pulley is 11/16 " with most on the bottom side with a diameter of 4 13/16" total width is 1". The hub length on the double pulley is 1" with 1/32" out the top and 1/16" on the bottom with a diameter of 4 15/16" total width is 1 13/32".

[JamesBe1 84]

The hub is too long on that pulley. The 3/4" keyed have a 3/4" nut and lock washer above the pulley that holds everything together. The hub length on the single pulley is 11/16 " with most on the bottom side with a diameter of 4 13/16" total width is 1". The hub length on the double pulley is 1" with 1/32" out the top and 1/16" on the bottom with a diameter of 4 15/16" total width is 1 13/32".

Wow Don. That's some great information. I totally overlooked it. I'm going to tsc tomorrow to see what, if anything, I can find. I'll take along the original piles of rust for comparison. There are a couple of good pulley manufacturers that I have run across in my search. One is called Phoenix Mfg. https://phoenix-mfg.com/ They look pretty good.

[wheeledhorseman 579]

Checked the pulleys on the old deck I have but they're the double-D type.

Good luck with your hunt. (It's why I'm going the simple route with my old deck - new type spindles and blades salvaged from a scrap deck)

Sorry I couldn't help.

Andy

[JamesBe1 84]

Thanx Andy.

I went to tractor supply this evening, and they had every size but the ones I needed. Go figure.

At least I am starting to figure out that they are not all that rare of a pulley. The double pulley might be a little trouble to hunt down, but I will find it eventually. At least they are not the double D pulleys.

If I ever refurb a deck with double d pulleys, I think I will just swap out the spindles for something that uses normal pulleys.

[Trouty56 567]

James....DD pulleys are really durable. I've gotten a couple really bad decks that were beyond repair but the DD spindles and pulleys were in great shape. I always keep them. Took a set apart to rebuild them.

[Trouty56 567]

Andy..I dont know what it costs to send to UK but here is a set of DD 48 inch blades....

http://glenssurplus.com/proddetail.php?prod=Rot-1109

James....Look for pulleys here... maybe you can find what you need......

http://glenssurplus.com/products.php?cat=38

Glenn's Surplus used to be a vendor on here....good prices on blades...

[JamesBe1 84]

James....DD pulleys are really durable. I've gotten a couple really bad decks that were beyond repair but the DD spindles and pulleys were in great shape. I always keep them. Took a set apart to rebuild them.

Yeah, I see what you mean. From the pictues I have seen on the interwebs, they look pretty robust. Where they machined out of a solid piece of metal? From a manufacturing point of view, they look a lot hard to make than the simple keyed pulleys, but what do I know.

Andy..I dont know what it costs to send to UK but here is a set of DD 48 inch blades....

http://glenssurplus....p?prod=Rot-1109

James....Look for pulleys here... maybe you can find what you need......

http://glenssurplus....ucts.php?cat=38

Glenn's Surplus used to be a vendor on here....good prices on blades...

That's fantastic! I owe you one buddy. He has a great selection of pulleys and good prices. I am pretty sure that he has the two side pulleys, and probably the idler. I haven't had enough time to search well enough to see if he has the double center pulley. Hopefully tonite.

Thanx again.

[wheeledhorseman 579]

Andy..I dont know what it costs to send to UK but here is a set of DD 48 inch blades....

http://glenssurplus....p?prod=Rot-1109

James....Look for pulleys here... maybe you can find what you need......

http://glenssurplus....ucts.php?cat=38

Glenn's Surplus used to be a vendor on here....good prices on blades...

Thanks Bob - it's yet another amazing source of parts that you seem to be blessed with so many of in the US.

Re my old deck I'm doing away with the double-D config completely. Ok so new style spindle units won't be 'authentic' but at the end of the day you can keep them greased and even replace the bearings and it's purpose will be to cut grass. The whole project probably isn't worth doing other than its an old late 60s / early 70s deck and still has its original greasable wheels in white.

Andy

[Trouty56 567]

Andy..I dont know what it costs to send to UK but here is a set of DD 48 inch blades....

http://glenssurplus....p?prod=Rot-1109

James....Look for pulleys here... maybe you can find what you need......

http://glenssurplus....ucts.php?cat=38

Glenn's Surplus used to be a vendor on here....good prices on blades...

Thanks Bob - it's yet another amazing source of parts that you seem to be blessed with so many of in the US.

Re my old deck I'm doing away with the double-D config completely. Ok so new style spindle units won't be 'authentic' but at the end of the day you can keep them greased and even replace the bearings and it's purpose will be to cut grass. The whole project probably isn't worth doing other than its an old late 60s / early 70s deck and still has its original greasable wheels in white.

Andy

I did the same thing....I replaced the spindles with others and swapped pulleys. I only have one deck, a 48 inch one, and it mows real good. I have the extra spindles just in case I get a shell somehow.....

[JamesBe1 84]

Went up to the other TCS this evening (in Sussex NJ). It was almost an exact carbon copy of the other one as far as pulleys are concerned. What a waste. While I was there, I thought I would look for new deck wheels. I was disappointed there too. All they had were a bunch of made in china wheels that seemed to have sloppy bearings. There were no grease fittings on any of them. I passed. Went away completely empty handed again (except for the candy bar (dinner)).

I guess I'll order online. Glenssurplus looks pretty good although I can't seem to find the double pulley. I was thinking of just stacking two regular pulleys. Since they are both keyed and riding on the same spindle, shouldn't that work? Anyone have an opinion?

It kinda sux having only two or three hours a night to try to get things done nowadays. Work is ramping up to consume even more of my time soon. I'm not complaining. With so many unemployed nowadays, I am grateful to be able to keep a roof over my tractors.