rounded mower spindle "nut"

[Esbrian 16]

on one of my spindles I am unable to remove the blade becase the hex "nut" that backs the blade and is integral to the spindle shaft has rounded off a bit.  I think if I am able to disassemble it I can build the hex corners and/or faces up a bit with a welder and square them with a file, but I can't figure out how to remove the blade in order to get at it...

 

Did WH use different sized hex "nuts" on their spindles at different points?  My wrench is a tight fit on all the other spindles so I don't see how I could have rounded this one if it was the same.

 

Brian

[daveoman1966 3,628]

Use a nut-splitter on the lower nut...then remove the blade.  

Do your weld-up, then buy a new lower nut...

 

[Esbrian 16]

8 minutes ago, daveoman1966 said:

Use a nut-splitter on the lower nut...then remove the blade.  

Do your weld-up, then buy a new lower nut...

 

Thanks Dave, makes perfect sense.  Never heard of a nut splitter before, so I learned something new!

[daveoman1966 3,628]

38 minutes ago, Esbrian said:

Thanks Dave, makes perfect sense.  Never heard of a nut splitter before, so I learned something new!

AutoZone...about $15 bux.  Make sue you get one big enough.  

[ranger 1,652]

Impact wrench with six point socket on lower nut? Works for me. Keep your fingers out of the way though! 🚑

Doug.

p.s. If you don’t have a nut splitter, drill into the lower nut, parallel to the spindle, then split it with a sharp chisel.

Edited June 23, 2022 by ranger

[Esbrian 16]

22 minutes ago, ranger said:

Impact wrench with six point socket on lower nut? Works for me. Keep your fingers out of the way though! 🚑

Doug.

p.s. If you don’t have a nut splitter, drill into the lower nut, parallel to the spindle, then split it with a sharp chisel.

I used an impact and 6-point on the lower nut, but without a good grip on the integral "nut" above the blade the spindle slowly spins and further rounds off the integral "nut"

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 10,524]

I don't think my nut splitter will fit over a 1-1/8" hex of a 3/4" nut.

 

Have you tried a smaller wrench or a metric wrench on the upper nut? Would need to be a thin one.

[Goldnboy 746]

If your un able to hold the shaft, do to the nut just above the blade is rounded you may be able to place two lag bolts in a short 2x4 or 1x4 into the two holes of the top pulley. This will allow you to hold the shaft remove the bottom nut (use a impact too).

 

Also I recommend if a nut splitter is not available to use a Sawzall, cutting wheel, etc to remove the nut. Then tap the shaft down with a  3/4" NF  die where you removed the old nut and place lock tite on the threads and put a new jam nut on the shaft.

 

Shown is one that I split the larger nut and put on a new jam nut

[lynnmor 6,817]

Use an impact wrench while blocking the blade from spinning with a piece wood.  Using the Wheel Horse wrench is not a good option, they are soft and will spread easily.  Welding on the spindle might be harmful to the bearing, so take care to not build heat, I wouldn't do it.  My zero turn has no hex on the spindle and no way to hold it, but the impact does just fine installing and removing.  If you don't have one, an electric impact at harbor Freight is $40.

[Esbrian 16]

1 hour ago, gwest_ca said:

I don't think my nut splitter will fit over a 1-1/8" hex of a 3/4" nut.

 

Have you tried a smaller wrench or a metric wrench on the upper nut? Would need to be a thin one.

 

I haven't... If I can find something thin enough I will give that a shot.  The wrench I normally use was ground to fit because of the small clearance.

[adsm08 1,442]

4 hours ago, lynnmor said:

Use an impact wrench while blocking the blade from spinning with a piece wood. 

 

I just grab them by hand. Every deck I've ever worked on the blades had a clock-wise rotation, so you are grabbing the blunt side of the blade, it won't cut you. Might be a bit uncomfortable if your hands are soft, but it won't cut you.

[lynnmor 6,817]

1 hour ago, adsm08 said:

 

I just grab them by hand. Every deck I've ever worked on the blades had a clock-wise rotation, so you are grabbing the blunt side of the blade, it won't cut you. Might be a bit uncomfortable if your hands are soft, but it won't cut you.

I would never recommend that to anyone, sooner or later we will have a report that we don’t want.

[adsm08 1,442]

1 hour ago, lynnmor said:

I would never recommend that to anyone, sooner or later we will have a report that we don’t want.

 

Well, I am well known for sacrificing safety measures for expedience. But I also still have all my fingers, which is more than I can say for some people I know.

[sjoemie himself 2,922]

Maybe wedge a block of wood in between the blade and the deck? Seems safer and just as easy.

 

..or get someone else to hold the blade? 

[Jeff-C175 7,195]

 

 

Slide a piece of PVC pipe over the blade ?

 

 

[ranger 1,652]

16 hours ago, adsm08 said:

 

I just grab them by hand. Every deck I've ever worked on the blades had a clock-wise rotation, so you are grabbing the blunt side of the blade, it won't cut you. Might be a bit uncomfortable if your hands are soft, but it won't cut you.

I wear a thick welding gauntlet when attempting these sort of operations. I keep a pair down at the stables, (brilliant for wearing when clearing brambles, etc. One thing I have learned though, is to grab hold of the blade, BEFORE attempting to undo the nut!🥜🐿

[adsm08 1,442]

1 hour ago, ranger said:

I wear a thick welding gauntlet when attempting these sort of operations. I keep a pair down at the stables, (brilliant for wearing when clearing brambles, etc. One thing I have learned though, is to grab hold of the blade, BEFORE attempting to undo the nut!🥜🐿

 

While the gloves aren't a bad idea (I use them for a lot too) grabbing the blade while it is stationary is probably more important to not getting hurt with my method.

[Jeff-C175 7,195]

9 minutes ago, adsm08 said:

grabbing the blade while it is stationary

 

Those blades are generally not sharp enough to cut skin anyway... but yeah, a work glove is never a bad idea!

 

 

[adsm08 1,442]

9 minutes ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

Those blades are generally not sharp enough to cut skin anyway... but yeah, a work glove is never a bad idea!

 

 

 

Right. But if you have a grip on the cutting side and hit it with an impact you could still hurt yourself. You do want to be sure you are grabbing the blunt side, and that that is the direction it will try to turn using my method.

[Snoopy11 5,713]

19 hours ago, adsm08 said:

 

I just grab them by hand. Every deck I've ever worked on the blades had a clock-wise rotation, so you are grabbing the blunt side of the blade, it won't cut you. Might be a bit uncomfortable if your hands are soft, but it won't cut you.

Um... some things just aren't worth the chance...

 

Personally, I pin a piece of 2x4 lumber to "clog" up the deck...

 

I have a couple of mowers, and I never grab them by hand...

 

18 hours ago, lynnmor said:

I would never recommend that to anyone

Neither would I.

 

8 hours ago, sjoemie himself said:

Maybe wedge a block of wood in between the blade and the deck? Seems safer and just as easy.

Precisely.

 

Don