tension arm broke

[shua57]

Well, was mowing my yard with my B8200 with a 60" deck and got part way into it and heard something snap and looked back to see on the middle strip was being mowed. After I got the covers off my deck I found the tension pulley wasn't were it was suppose to be. It seems the bearings were dry and sheared the pin it sits on right off the tension arm. Yep, a $130 part. I've tried contacting some salvage tractor places but no luck. I'm going on vacation so cheap is the only way I can fix it before I leave. Anyone have any good leads on a place that might have a used one? I've tried West kentucky Tractor Parts and several others.

My other option is to replace the bearings in the pulley, drill a hole through my broken arm and try to bolt the pulley to the arm, using spacers, etc....like a regular mower.....or just wait till I get back and buy a new one in a few weeks while my grass grows 3 feet tall.
Josh

 

[handyman]

Can you weld it back on? If the old one is destroyed get round rod same size cut to length weld it on. It needs to be a hard rod or make it out of a grade 8 long bolt half threaded the same size. handy

 

[dusty-t]

I agree with handyman, get it welded up. Probably your best cheapest most dependable option. Dusty

 

[ipz2222]

I think if handy broke his toe, he'd try to weld it back on. LOL

 

[shua57]

Thought about that. The original stud/pin is gone. I haven't seen a pin shear like that since metalurgy classes in college while using a shear machine. I only found a small piece of the pin. My only concern is making sure the "new" pin is the correct size for the bearing. I guess I can pull out my calipers and see if I can find a rod that is close to the correct size. My only other issue is the way the pulley is held on to the pin. It looks like it has a clip and isn't bolted on. I'm trying to find a closeup of it to see how the clip locks it down. This is all I can find so far:

and it doesn't show it very well. I may be able to cut a grove with my Dremel for the locking clip. I'll give it a shot.
The website keeps loging me off.....argggg
Josh

 

[shua57]

I found out that the radial ball bearing is a 17/40 (17mm inside DIA and a 40mm outside dia). So I guess I need a 17mm dia rod or bolt??
Josh

 

[handyman]

Its probably a c clip with 2 small ends on it with holes in ends for the tool to fit in to spreed the clip. when you log on to forums make sure you check the small box remember me. I had the same problem until I checked the box. Once you put the rod back on remember kubota makes a plastic shim to fit under arm if it is loose I have the shim under mine it works fine better than the 100 plus bucks . I will weld my on pin on after this mowing season. The pin on mine has worn down over time.handy

 

[handyman]

Ipz2222 yep I would as matter of fact. I did break it my grandson was here and the toe turned totally sideways .I grabed it pulled up put back the way that looked good. Grandson said papaw that was gross. Same thing the emergancy room would do but cost nothing that time.handy

 

[shua57]

Thanks Handy. I've been playing around with the idea of setting it up to bolt on instead of the clips. My thought would be to drill a hole through the arm were the pin goes. Then slide a 17mm dia. bolt through, cut the head off and weld it on the bottom. Then cut a spacer to slide over the bolt on top first, then slide the pulley with bearings on. On the top would get washer that just contacted the inside ring of the bearing. Then just tighten the nut down. I think it should work.
Looking at the stock parts diagram, there is no shim under the pulley. There is a external clip that goes on first on the pin, then the pulley, then the top clip. I could make it that way but would have to get my metal guy to grove the pin for the clips.
I like my first idea as I can remove the pulley with a nut instead of trying to get a clip out while the deck is still attached.
Thanks for the input.
Josh

 

[handyman]

The shim I was talking goes under arm toward the end (arm sets on this plastic shim) so when you get on knees and look at all the pulleys they line up togather where the belt would run straight. Hope you understand what I am trying to explain sorry I cant explain things really well most people on this site is a lot better than I am explaining things. handy

 

[shua57]

Finally got time to work on my deck. First thing was to swing by my motorcycle mechanic and pick up some bearings (bearings are pretty standard and used in about everything). While i was there I asked if he had a 17 mm bolt that i could use as the bearing shaft. Just so happens he had what looks like a 17mm steel pin maybe used for a axle on a motorcycle or something along those lines.
Got home, pulled the arm off the deck, drilled a hole through the arm were the old pin use to be on the arm (by the way, i could not find a 17mm drill bit but did find a 5/8" but I don't have a 1/2" chuck on my drill so I had to use a reamer and alot of time), slide the pin in and cranked the welder up and tacked and checked and tacked and checked and then welded it, installed bearings on pulley and slide the pulley on. Here is were it got interesting. The pin is about 4 inches long which is longer than I need but haven't cut it until I got it welded in. The problem is how to keep the pulley on the shaft. The original way was a "c" clip. Since I was changing Kubotas design, the "c" clip wasn't going to work. My next thought was to install a steel spacer I picked up and drilled out to 17mm and slide it over the pulley, then drill a hole through the spacer and pulley and insert a bolt that way the pulley wouldn't climb the shaft and I could still remove the pulley if needed. So I started drilling, went through the spacer pretty easy but it just felt like it stopped drilling. By that time it was time to go to Fathers day lunch and when I removed the drill I had a nice oblong slot in the spacer but not even a scratch in the pin....lol. Dang thang (pin) is hardened steel and my drill bit was sliding across it....lol. Now to come up with another idea, may just have to tack weld it for now......need to mow.
Josh

 

[handyman]

Josh cant you put a washer on the bolt then drill a hole thru bolt above washer put a carter key thru the bolt above washer and a done deal? Hope I am clear with description. I have done that on a lot of things over the years and I have several of them and they are still holding up . Looks like the pin would hold the washer down thght on the bottom spacer? Or pull deck out drill a hole in center of bolt leave enough bolt for the washer cut it off with side grinder and tap hole in the middle of bolt then you will have a bolt back on top . Sorry for a long reply and sorry if it doesnt make any since but it would work either way. The belt will hold pully pretty much in place with other pulleys. Good luck let me know what you do. handy

 

[shua57]

Handyman, that was basically the plan but 2 problems came up. First one, I used a 1" spacer slide over the 17mm shaft on top of the pulley and started drilling a hole thru the spacer and shaft to add a bolt. When I got through the steel spacer my drill bit went no further. It seems the shaft was a hardened steel shaft and my drill bits wouldn't cut it. Now, I could have bought a cobalt drill bit and probably got through the shaft but I would have spent another day without my deck and after testing the pulley the second problem became known. It seems the deck covers fit very close to the top of the pulley which means I had to cut the shaft which also means the 1" spacer had to be removed. Now a new plan had to be made. I could have notched the shaft for a "C" clip but I didn't have a "C" clip so I moved on. Since I have some customers cars coming in to be worked on I had to improvise. So, the plan ended up being a couple of spot welds on the shaft above the pulley and then cut the shaft off as high as I could to give me some room to remove the spot welds and still clear the deck covers. I cranked the welder down to burn in as well as I could but still build up to create sort of a stop for the pulley. Of cource it is a temporary fix till I can get a clip down the road. Heck, I may never have to touch it again....we well see. After all that, I drug the deck back out, hooked it back up and took the tractor away from the house in case it blew up....lol. To my surprise, the deck engaged and it hummed along without a single noise. Of course I had to test it so I mowed my 3 acres at record speed, even the knee high stuff, and never a single noise. Very happy as I have truely missed the 60" deck.
I always like to tell the things I have learned so here it is. First, those bearings are not greaseable and should just be replaced periodically, cheap insurance. Second, that was a terrible idea to cast the shaft into the arm. It needed to be removeable. Third, if it does shear off, use a shaft that is hardened and is hollow. Here is my thoughts on this. If it is hollow, it will cool better and heat build up is what sheared my shaft as one of the bearings seized. Lastly, Kubota wants way to much for that arm. It was real easy to fix and in the end I had $0 dollars in my repair (that's right $0). I got the bearings from my motorcycle mechanic/long time friend (I help him out he helps me out), the shaft also came from him (in his boxes of bolts and pins from tearing down motorcycles), my time is free (right...hehehe) so $0 bucks.
So, my tractor is back in action and my yard is looking good. Now on to buying a box blade and tearing....I mean fixing all the rough spots and weed areas so I can mow all the yard. Thanks for the help.
Josh

 

[handyman]

Josh glad you got it fixed . I beleive in welding or spot welding myself as one man said on one thread maybe this one if I broke my toe I would try to weld it back on. I would run that deck like that until I had to do something else to it. I am like you about those idler pulley shafts. I made a spacer to set on deck for arm to move on to hold idler pulley up so it would be level with the other pulleys because my shaft also needs replacing. Found out kubota had a spacer to fit on top of deck for the idler pulley arm to ride on to keep it level due to that shaft wearing out. Thought I would buy it so had it ordered 8.50 thought it had to be good if kubota had it. The spacer I made was the same as kubota sent but went ahead and paid for it since they special ordered it for me. This fall I will definately redo my deck to fix that problem. Mine is a 60 inch mid mount. later glad you got it fixed. handy