Tks Grumpy for your reply and comments and look forward to any additional thoughts Deejay has on my reel / blade.
As I mentioned in the initial post - I have managed to "backlap" out all but one small gouge in the reel blades and all of them from the bedknife - even if it took nearly an hour and 1/3 of a tub a lapping compound - Grrrrrrr - I might put the remaining 2/3 into those builders' coffee cups
I put the GX 140 on with my Dad back in 1980. I don't recall if we even thought about anything less than 5HP as the little Kirby just wasn't up to the task of buffalo grass and steep grades. But the 5HP Honda has no trouble with the grades and has the buffalo trembling in its tracks.
Putting the engine on was a bit of a fiddle - had to mark out new engine mount holes and weld some flat bar under the deck to match. Then move the clutch outboard so the engine would sit inboard of the frame (we have elevated garden walls - so the engine had to sit entirely inside the frame). The fiddliest job was cutting the clutch output shaft and milling a new keyway in to accomodate the 2"+ we took off to allow the engine to fit. I have a lathe but NO MILL - so had to mill the shaft on the lathe with a simple milling vyce set on the tool post holder and an end mill mounted in the 3 jaw chuck - must have taken me about an hour to set the shaft up to exact centre height and square with the chuck so I could mill the keyway.
Yes - the ribs on the rear roller were put on to keep traction without skidding up the grades. My old Dad did that many years ago - I still marvel at his patience. He didn't dismantle the rollers and cut, drilled and counted-sunk all those little strips of 3mm x 12mm flat bar - then drilled and tapped all the holes in the roller and screwed the bars on with some Loctite. He was retired at the time - but nonetheless - it must have taken him days.
