New Guy with a 2145 Project Needs Help

[Jay_NJ]

Hi All,

I was directed to this site by a member of the tractor forum over at the gardenweb.com. I've got a Cub specific issue there just aren't enough owners over there to help me out.

Here's the situation. I'm pretty handy when it comes to mechanical thing cars, tractors, lawn mowers, etc. Got a call last week from a neighbor there's a gal in town who's a little tight on cash, (recently divorced) and has a non-working tractor. I was asked if I'd take a look at it and see if I could get it up and running. My labor will be free and another neighbor will cough up the cash for parts.

What she's got is a Cub Cadet model 2145 with a 42" deck. From what I've found on the net, it probably came of the assembly line back in the early to mid 90's. The machine has 350 hours it looks its age, but it's not hammered. It last ran 2 years ago. I'm told the PTO belt shredded while in operation -- the tractor was parked in the shed right after the failure and hasn't moved since.

One of the front tires are flat, battery dead, and indeed, the PTO belt is shredded. As the machine is in a rather confined area, I really couldn't do much more than look things over tying to note the obvious. The woman has the original owner's manual so that along with the Cub site, (really nice for parts) has given me something to digest. The exploded illustration of the deck shows there should be an anti-scalping roller on the front something I didn't see when I looked at the machine. The other night I made a second trip this time with a flashlight and a specific place to look. Much to my horror below is what I found:

As you can see, there's rope tied around the existing bracket, so this tells me the missing bracket probably came off well before the failure. God knows what other damage was done running like that. I plan to pull the deck this weekend to check for wear and tear.

I'm not throwing in the towel just yet. As long as everything else checks out and / or can be fixed with minimal $$, I'm going to try and fabricate a new bracket. The answer to my first question needs to come from a 2145 owner. I've noticed that the deck, as mounted, is off-set with the right side slightly back from the left. This being the case, the right bracket should be longer than the left. What I'm looking for is the measurement below. From the edge of the deck front to the most forward point hook slot.

Can anyone help with that? While I'm at it, has anyone had a situation like this making / replacing a front deck bracket? Any ideas as to how to proceed? I'm thinking of getting a 12~14 gauge sheet of metal and just cut, drill, & grind it out. I have the existing bracket to use as a template just need to get the proper length for the new one.

Thanks for the attention,

Jay

 

[JTKub]

Jay I wouldn't do anything until you can pull that deck and see how badly rusted it is. It's likely there's not enough metal to bother doing any custom bracket fabbing on it. I suppose you could weld or bolt a large rectangular sheet steel patch on the outside for reinforcement, then attach a custom bracket to that. Other than that, fleBay is your friend for tractor parts! >> Cub Cadet 42 inch deck - eBay (item 270405404403 end time Jun-13-09 17:11:16 PDT)

Joel

 

[micman32]

I can see why the belt shredded. Dang! I hope you can get it going again!
It would probably be easier to find a used deck like Joel suggested.

 

[Jay_NJ]

Pulled the deck off yesterday afternoon. With the exception of the missing bracket, it's in surprisingly good shape. No major rust at all. All pulleys are tight as well as the spindles. The deck belt is shot, but that's understandable.

Sealed and filled the front tire, installed a new battery, and cleaned 5 dead mice complete with bedding from around the flywheel -- what a mess. Anyway, with the help of a little starting fluid, she fired up quite well. I still need to drain the old gas, change the filters and such, but she's running strong.

I plan to follow through with the bracket fabrication -- just wish I had that measurement to be sure of a proper fit. I'll post back with the final results when done.

 

[OldMachinist]

If no one gets the measurement for you try this. The back edge of the deck is straight and should be parallel with the rear axle. So flip the deck over and measure the distance from the rear edge of the deck to the front edge of the unbroken bracket. You should be able to determine the length of the missing bracket by moving over and measuring to the mounting area where it broke and subtract that from the unbroken measurement.

 

[Jay_NJ]

Thanks -- great idea, but the whole darn thing is off-set.

The only guides I can use are the deck's rear wheels and handles on the deck. They are parallel to the front and rear wheels of the machine. Push comes to shove, I'll guesstimate using my geometry skills and then put the deck back on the tractor & measure where I think the bracket should be. If the two are close, I'll be happy.

 

[OldMachinist]

Yeah I see now that it's a two blade deck. I guess you could hang it from the rear hangers and take measurements to the front axle. It's not that critical because the front hanger u has adjustment nuts for leveling the deck.
Here a couple of downloads for you.
Owners Manual
http://www.mediafire.com/?lzmztmdnjmj
Service Manual
http://www.mediafire.com/?jzzymdm3nnn

 

[Jay_NJ]

Much appreciated. I have the owner's manual, but not the service. It's amazing how you can download almost 300 pages of text in less than a minute! Again, thanks very much -- I'm sure it will come in handy.

 

[JTKub]

...I guess you could hang it from the rear hangers and take measurements to the front axle. It's not that critical because the front hanger u has adjustment nuts for leveling the deck.

Right on. You could hang it, throw a straight edge on the front of the U-hanger and measure to the front of the deck as she hangs. Problem with front U-hanger is, what you adjust on one side effects the other.

Joel

 

[Jay_NJ]

OK, tomorrow I'm going to begin the process of fabricating the missing bracket. Tonight I began lining things up and it just doesn't look right. Would the general consensus be that the existing bracket is bent to the right or is this the way it should be? It makes a big difference in the measurements as there's an anti skid roller that needs to be placed between the brackets. Personally, I think it's bent - stands to reason that the bracket should come out straight from the deck.

 

[OldMachinist]

Yes i'd say it's bent.

 

[Jay_NJ]

Here's how I finally worked out a way to get my measurements. I'm working off one of the deck handles. Amazing what you can do with some duct tape and odds and ends in the garage. Anyway, the logic appears to be sound. Took the better part of a couple of hours -- measuring & cutting through 11 gauge metal sheet with my jig saw to make up the first bracket -- first attempt that is. Too bad I didn't allow enough room for the anti-scalp roller pin. It's a good thing I have enough sheet to try again -- and again if need be. And I thought this would be fun...?

 

[OldMachinist]

I think your on the right track. A hint for future steelmetal projects is to make a cardboard template first to make sure things are right and then use that to layout the steel.

 

[Jay_NJ]

Just a quick update. I cleared my calendar this week with every intention of fashioning a new bracket - for a second time. BTW, I find it absolutely amazing how much free time I don't have anymore. Regardless, here I am thinking about where I went wrong with my first attempt. I forgot to allow for a second hole in the bracket that secures the front anti-scalp roller - Darn! So, here I sit and the phone rings. It's the gal who owns the tractor. She's been cleaning out her garage and what does she find? The missing bracket - Jackpot! I run over there last night and there it was - a little bent, but otherwise in pristine condition. Talk about a God send! So when I get home I position the bracket where it was once attached - my curiosity killing me. The big question in my mind - were the measurements I made last weekend correct? Would my bracket have fit after burning my brain with fuzzy geometry? The answer is yes - I was less than 1/4 of an inch off! Not bad considering what I had to work with. It's nice to see that once and a while we get it right. And it's really nice to see that the universe cuts us a break when it knows we've passed the test. I'll post back with an operational report in a few days. My goal is to have the project finished off this coming weekend. Wish me luck.

 

[Jay_NJ]

Done! Just waiting for the paint to dry...

 

[Jay_NJ]

All done -- everything running as it should -- cuts rather well too! The only unforeseeable issue was how the existing front bracket fit -- or didn't. It didn't seat all the way against the hanger -- about 1/4 of an inch off. I attribute this to the machine operating for quite some time with only one bracket causing it to wear excessively. As I attached the "missing" bracket using six grade 8 bolts and put a steel plate backing on the inside of the deck, it's certainly strong enough to carry the deck weight until the it wears into place. Moral of the story, when repairing a used machine, you really need to consider wear and tare as one of the variables... Thanks to all those that chimed in - appreciate the assistance.

Here's a photo of the happy owner.