Baffled....

[dsholler 54]

Well, I think I have a problem with the baffle. I was servicing my deck like I usually do (well, I am still somewhat new to this, so this is the third time...) Took off the blades, scraped off the crud on the underside with a putty knife, rinsed it out, painted it with the used motor oil from the engine, and put the blades back on. Blades were sharpened at the shop (had quite a few nicks in one of them, more than I wanted to do with a file). I put the blades back on, and the sail on one of them (the right one, near the discharge chute) was hitting the top of the bolt that holds the baffle to the frame. If you look at the bolt, you can see that this has happened sometime in the past, since there is a groove there where the edge of the sail clearly hit it. I did not hear or notice this while using the deck before, and I tried shifting the blades one for the other, but it happened each time.

I am thinking something is causing the baffle to flex a bit, and move the bolt head in toward the sail. The other blades seem to have plenty of clearance. I was wondering if I actually lost a piece, since there appears to be a hole at the end of the baffle that is not being used.. but I also speculated that this could be for the bagger.

Any Ideas? Should I just grind the sails on that blade on the right and leave it at that? Or is there really something wrong that requires attention.?

[dsholler 54]

I guess I should have said, it is a 48 inch deck circa 1999...and the bolt head that it is hitting is the one toward the rear of the deck (left one of the pair in the right hand picture). If you look carefully at the left side picture you can see the groove in the bolt head.

[kpinnc 10,846]

If I ground anything, it would be the head of that carriage bolt. Not completely off, but just enough to clear with the blade torqued. Do all three blades (if mounted on the same spindle) hit the same spot?

If you have to grind the blade, try to do it the same on both sides. Otherwise it will be way out of balance, and you don't want that when they spin as fast as they do.

[dsholler 54]

Unfortunately, I think there is some element of flex in the deck. I tested two of the blades with the deck upside down, and they both hit the same place, the third blade appeared to clear, so I put that one on. When I hung the deck from the tractor and spun it by hand, that blade was hitting the bolt as well. I assume that the deck will flex a bit, but it seems like no matter what, that tolerance is too tight.

[Don1977 604]

The deck will flex if you back the height gauge wheel into any thing. My guess is some one has back it in something a warped the deck a little. My deck is 35 years old and has quite a few places where the blades have hit, but it only hits when I hit something with the deck, root, rock or fence post. Check your deck for cracks were the rear lift is attached to the deck. I had to weld the deck and reinforce my deck with more steel plates at those locations.