The "Blue Money Pit"

231131 Views 1079 Replies 97 Participants Last post by littletractorguy, May 24, 2016

larrybl

Discussion Starter · Jun 11, 2011

4

Hi all, I'm not a new member, just new to the "Ford Forum". I have a couple Craftsman rebuilds over on the Sears / Craftsman forum. It now looks like I have a "new to me" Ford project. I plan to try for the same quality that I gave the Ctaftsmans, Parts availability and manuals permiting.
Links to the Craftsman projects for those that are interested.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0WeKMmfwOo
http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=128924&highlight=hulk+ii
Now I have a new project, Ford LGT 145. It will be delivered tomorrow.
$60.00 + 20.00 for the haul out to my place.
Only history I have is the Guy selling it was cleaning out someone elses barn, and drug it out. It was either going to scrap, or he knew I looked for stuff like this.
Hope to have it here tomorrow, I'll know more then on what I have.
Manuals and Parts links will be much appreciated.

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841 - 860 of 1080 Posts

skyrydr2

· #841 · Feb 15, 2012 (Edited)

2

Pictures are worth a thousand words , the bushing must be free.

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larrybl

Discussion Starter · #842 · Feb 15, 2012

Thanks a bunch Sky, Really didn't expect you to take yours apart, Goes to show the members support for each other here. Must have been the heat from the PO running the deck with the failed bearing that caused the bushing to be seased.

I will finish pushing the bushing off and stop at Fastenal tomorrow to see if they can come up with a round head bolt, self lock nut and a bushing.

In you opnion, is the bushing brass or steel, Mine seems like steel.

larrybl

Discussion Starter · #843 · Feb 16, 2012

3

Got the bushing out, yes it's steel. Now for a stop at Fastenal, Really appreciate the help with this. :fing32:

Yes, it took 1-1/2 beers before it finnaly came out, and I layed the parts out in the same pattern as you. I still can't tell in your picture if the bolt is fully threaded, or just the end.

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skyrydr2

· #844 · Feb 16, 2012

Fully threaded, the bushing gets clamped tightly and had just enough clearance to allow free movement . One of my decks had a regular bolt in it with no issues.

larrybl

Discussion Starter · #845 · Feb 16, 2012

I now have a "less expensive" plan. The bushing is free, a little dremel sanding and the bushing now fits in the idler arm and has movement, I have a replacement bolt. Wooo Hooo, Love it when a plan comes together.
Thanks Keith, Looks like this will work. I got hung up on the froze bushing, now it all makes sense, and easily fixable.

Just waiting on the weldapully's, bearing shields, and blades, Almost there!

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skyrydr2

· #846 · Feb 16, 2012

Glad I could help

larrybl

Discussion Starter · #847 · Feb 17, 2012

3

Been a BIG help Keith. More progress.... Weldapully's came in, Did a Ueee in the drive and beet feet to the welder shop. volla, pully's Done and installed. :drunkie:

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stickboat1

· #848 · Feb 17, 2012

Hey Larry , I don't want to impose on the conversation an all, but im gonna be considering doing a rebuild on a 60" deer deck in the spring. And was wondering if I will need to take out a loan.... lol By the way, Kudos on the quality. Looks good.

bontai Joe

· #849 · Feb 17, 2012

Still enjoying watching the progress on this. Looking good all the way! :thThumbsU

larrybl

Discussion Starter · #850 · Feb 18, 2012

stickboat1 said:
Hey Larry , I don't want to impose on the conversation an all, but im gonna be considering doing a rebuild on a 60" deer deck in the spring. And was wondering if I will need to take out a loan.... lol By the way, Kudos on the quality. Looks good.

No imposition at all..... It kinda depends on the condition of the deck. Mine was trashed as can be seen in the previous posts, also depends on what get's trashed in the disambly. Pretty much every bolt will snap when removeing mandrils.
So far...
10 cans of paint Blue & Black
Professional welding I think $85 or so
Flat Iron $12.00
JD plastic discharge $45.00 or so
Pullies 18.00 each
Blades 65.00
Guards 55.00
1/2 bar for rollers 18.00
Still need rollers, and Belts.

Still way under the orginal Messicks price estimate. :fing32:

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larrybl

Discussion Starter · #851 · Feb 18, 2012

Oh, and a "special" bolt lock nut and bushing from Fastenal (bought 2 each) 1.80

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larrybl

Discussion Starter · #852 · Feb 18, 2012

6

Almost there, but no cigar yet..... Everything looks good except for the tension spring clearance. It is all mocked up with the orginal 1/2 belt. The belt rides flush in the center "orginal" pully, and as expected lower in the replacement pullies, it is also centered in the idler pully. There is bairly any tension on the spring, just enough to straiten the belt, I think the belt could be a 1/4 to 1/2 shorter. The belt does rub the spring, so I will be looking for a smaller diameter spring to modify.

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larrybl

Discussion Starter · #853 · Feb 18, 2012

2

:dunno: Guess I had the belt routed wrong :fing20: Orginal is now too short, and the closest I have is too long. Guess a couple trips to T/S should solve this.

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larrybl

Discussion Starter · #854 · Feb 18, 2012

If you noticed in the last picture, the spring I modified streached in the end that I heated and cut. :crybaby: Well a trip to Messicks, the spring is available $19.50, so instead of doing a second order for the Muffler, I went ahead and ordered both. Now we will get to see how well the JB Weld heald up.
Dont ask. but the total is 206 with shipping.

stickboat1

· #855 · Feb 18, 2012

Oh, ok. That isnt too bad at all. She almost looks too nice to use.. lol.
Considering the pistons were $145 ea. In the K532. This should beget a cakefiew walk... lol still I don't think I have any holes, just the chute was torched off sometime. Need to clean that up. .
And the fact it sat outside for bout 8 yrs. The spindles turn, but not Shure how well at WOT. LOL.
Time will tell on that one.
Thanks for the insite.
Dave

skyrydr2

· #856 · Feb 18, 2012 (Edited)

Larry, how much larger are the pullies? They should all be the same ,as all 3 blades are.
If the center is smaller, the 2 ends will turn slower, oh the funky looking cut you will get, if the diameters are more than .375" different. ----____---- that is what the cut will look like. Don't ask how I know :/ Those spindles need to be humming! 4500 rpm plus at the spindles.
I thought I saw somewhere that the best tip speed for cutting grass was between 10000 - 13000 fpm ? At a forward pace of 3-5 mph. Don't hold me to this, as I really have no facts to back it up, just hear:trink39: say.

larrybl

Discussion Starter · #857 · Feb 18, 2012

Well this will be the "expermental" part of the build. The orginal pully's are NLA, so I took the belt and mandril to T/S. I test fitted the belt to a weldapully. The pully fits type A and B belts, and the belt rode lower in the pully. With the 5" pully the outside blades would turn slightly faster than the center. So I opted to go with 5-1/2 weldapully, with the thought that with the belt lower in the pully it would be closer to the orginal 5", with the slightly larger diameter the outside blades would turn slightly slower. I am hopeing that this dosn't cause a vibration. If this experment dosn't work, I can order the 5" pully's and try those (less than $30 on the site I found).
We / I should know soon how well BMP will mow. Going after the belt today.
Wish me luck.

marlboro180

· #858 · Feb 18, 2012

larrybl said:
Wish me luck.

Good luck Larry

larrybl

Discussion Starter · #859 · Feb 18, 2012

3

First try on the belt, Measured the old one on the belt ruler at T/S showed 88 - 89 on the scale. Picked up a 90 and compared to the orginal, the 90 was way shorter. I checked a 96" it came up about an inch longer, so I got it. I got it on, but it seems too tight, so I will be exchangeing it for a 97".

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4x4_Welder

· #860 · Feb 19, 2012

Still looking good, Larry.
Are you planning on getting a decal set? I'm hoping to tear mine back apart again maybe next winter for a true do-over, and I'd love to see how aftermarket decals turn out.

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