Can't get the bolt off the mower deck - little help?

[acohen100]

I am upgrading to gator blades. Brand new deck used once. I was able to get two of the blades changed no problem. On the third one when I turn the bolt the whole pulley system (along with the other two blades) turns with it and the bolt doesn't unwind while the blade remains stationary. Any ideas what I can do here? Is something broken?

 

[smoothie17]

There's a bolt on top of the pulley that you'll need to hold with a wrench or socket to prevent from turning while you loosen the bolt on the blade underneath.

 

[KennyV]

Use an impact wrench, to remove but not to install the blade bolts, they will spin right off… KennyV.

 

[acohen100]

Use an impact wrench, to remove but not to install the blade bolts, they will spin right off… KennyV.

Breaking the bolt is not the issue. I used an impact wrench. The bolt spins, but so does everything else along with it.

 

[acohen100]

There's a bolt on top of the pulley that you'll need to hold with a wrench or socket to prevent from turning while you loosen the bolt on the blade underneath.

Ok, eventually that's what i figured out and got it off. How come the other two didn't require that? Is something installed wrong here? Shoud I take this back to the dealer and have him look at it? It's brand new and I dont want to sit on a problem when I can still get it replaced.

 

[DiezNutz]

Sounds wierd as you described it... was the blade loose to begin with? Both cup washers present and not flattened when you took them off? Any corrosion on the bolt threads? If everything torqued up fine when you put the new blade on, not sure I'd worry abou it though.

 

[acohen100]

Sounds wierd as you described it... was the blade loose to begin with? Both cup washers present and not flattened when you took them off? Any corrosion on the bolt threads? If everything torqued up fine when you put the new blade on, not sure I'd worry abou it though.

No, no. I figured it out. So all of the washers were fine. The bolts were just over-torqued. And when they are over-torqued it is impossible to get them off with a manual wrench because the belt starts to slip as you are yanking on the bolt. This is really odd because I torqued them to the lower end of the recommended range (about 75 ft-lbs). I did what Smoothie recommended and used the bolt on top as a counter force but that only worked once. After that the bolt on top broke and loosened...and you can not do that on the center blade because the gear housing blocks your access to the top.

Eventually I had to buy a more powerful impact wrench and was finally able to spin them off. That was a major pain in the derierre though. Took me most of the day and about $200 in new wrenches to figure it out.

 

[acohen100]

So now that I've spent 2 days screwing with it, buying impact wrenches, 1/2" torque wrenches, taking blades on and off and on again I still have one problem that someone here might be able to help me with.

When I am torquing the bolts from below, the pulleys and belt spin even with the blades blocked. The blade I am working on stays in place and the other two blades, the belt, and all the pulleys turn with the bolt I'm torquing. I'm guessing that should not happen since it makes it impossible to fully torque the bolts. They just start slipping and then the bolt won't tighten any more. Is this something that is supposed to happen and I am ignorant about or is there a problem? It just doesn't seem right.

 

[DiezNutz]

When I am torquing the bolts from below, the pulleys and belt spin even with the blades blocked. The blade I am working on stays in place and the other two blades, the belt, and all the pulleys turn with the bolt I'm torquing. I'm guessing that should not happen since it makes it impossible to fully torque the bolts. They just start slipping and then the bolt won't tighten any more. Is this something that is supposed to happen and I am ignorant about or is there a problem? It just doesn't seem right.

Removal: I hold the blade with one hand and hit it with the impact wrench in the other hand. Nothing moves hardly at all except the bolt.
Installation: I again hold the blade with one hand and hit the blade with the impact (Forward) in the other hand. Once that bolt starts compressing the cup washers, there's enough tension/friction between the blade and the spindle that, once again, the only thing that should spin is the bolt. At this point I stick the block of wood in and finish up with the torque wrench.
That's been my experience, at least.

 

[acohen100]

At this point I stick the block of wood in and finish up with the torque wrench.

That's the part that is buggering me. I can't get up to specified torque without everything else spinning and the nut stops tightening as I described.