Hidden problems rebuilding a 48" RM-485 deck

[pacer 3,177]

Have been saving the 48" mower deck from my rebuilding of the 1054 til last, so 2 weeks ago I committed to the task. Just a casual look-see it didnt seem too bad, no rust thru with the usual seeming surface rust, coupla frozen idler pulleys, bad belts - really nothing to worry me... HAH! had I only known!

 

Before pic

 

 

I would urge anyone looking to buy, or about to buy, a used deck to consider what I ran into on this one. As noted in the pic, it was - as usual - dirty and rusty and therefore hiding many of its problems. As I disassembled it the first major find was the amount of rust found when I separated the deck support from the deck body, deep pitting and complete rust through in two places. Considering sandwiching two pieces of metal together like this and adding some 60 years, I guess it had to be - wonder it wasnt worse! Going along I would find this and that to add to the 'need to fix that' list, then as I would take an individual piece and deep clean it - wire brush/sand blast, etc - the really nasty places would start appearing, stress cracks all over the place, badly wallowed out shaft holes with the shaft equally worn. bad/worn bearings, bushing non existent some places --- etc. But, I would take one piece at a time and come up with a way to make a repair or replace and slowly it came together. Course I havent cut a blade of grass with it yet, got to get it hung under the tractor, but --- I have high hopes!

 

On the rust thrus, after getting the scale off with a air chisel (that in itself was a chore!) and studying on it for a while, I decided that welding pieces of plate steel over the 2 places was my best - and least complicated - choice, and, it seemingly turned out pretty well. A good thing I have a nice size lathe and Bridgeport mill, I had to bring them into play several times making shafts, bushings, rods, spacers, etc. The center spindles pulley had apparently got loose and the slack had cracked split it and the shaft and I never did find a replacement for it, so the lathe saved the day again, I just made a new one. The front lift piece was totally useless, having been welded and rewelded so many times and was still cracked all over, I just took a piece of 4" channel and made a new one (see bottom pic, with the 'toothpick' blades), the rear lift bushings were either missing or wallowed out so bad - I bored them out and rebushed all 4 of them. Most of the hardware was stripped, rounded off, rusty or otherwise no good needing replacements.

 

 

[Shuboxlover 481]

Those old blades really made me laugh!!!!! 

[groundhog47 347]

Bill, outstanding and excellent job, gotta keep those blades and mount on wall as trophy. Seems like only a week ago when you started. Shames me at my pace, you'll have 6 more done to my one. Keep on keepin on!

[Don1977 605]

Looks good!

[GlenPettit 1,717]

Great job.   You just can not find these decks, especially 48".

You gave it an entirely new life,  a whole lot of work, but now you have a 'new' deck.

Congratulations !

[Fordiesel69 271]

I really appriate the effort of at least doing a detailed write up and pics.  This will help me out with my 48" deck I just aquired.