OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Reel-Type Mowers SB 45 adjustments and restoration

Different repairer...

Well, now I have her stripped down to everything except the back rollers and the shaft from the motor.

I can't figure out how to loosen the nuts holding the last two sprockets in place.


This is the nut holding the sprocket at the end of the engine drive shaft.


Here I am pointing to the nut holding the rear roller sprocket.

I am unable to move the nut on the rear roller even when I can stop the roller from turning. The nut simply won't budge and if I try in the clockwise direction (left hand thread?), I can't stop the rollers from turning.

With the other nut, I can't get enough grip on the drive shaft to loosen that nut, the shaft just turns - I have removed the engine.

Anyone resolved this in the past?

Regards,
Dave

Hi Dave, you normally crack all the nuts before you remove the chains, as you have found out, it is difficult to do after the chains have been removed.
However, mate, have faith that you are not the first to do it, nor will you be the last.
Righto, to get you back on track....
First, apply plenty of WD40 or CRC, Penetrene etc, to the sprocket nuts in question.

(2) For the engine sprocket....You need to arrest the engine clutch shaft with a pair of vice grips or stilson wrench to stop it turning. Use the correct socket spanner and undo the nut...in a anti-clockwise direction it is a right-hand thread. Tip: use some bicycle tube or scrap rubber between the jaws of the wrench or grips to help stop marking the shaft....

(3) For the roller sprocket....place the correct socket spanner with a right-angle bar on the nut (after its good soaking as above) and give the bar a sharp hit with a hammer in a anti-clockwise direction....you don't need to hang on to the sprocket with you hand whilst doing this....a good sharp hit should crack the nut and then unscrew....
Please let us know how you get on Dave,

Thanks Deejay.

I'll leave them to soak overnight and try the techniques in the morning.

regards
Dave

I am also repairing/restoring an old SB45 fitted with a Kirby-Tecumseh engine, though mine is a 14" cut.

The two bolts that you indicate are both 3/4" right-hand thread. As Darryl suggested, I left the chains on, clamped the drive shaft and after liberal amounts of WD40, off they came.

I'm slowly being convinced to replace the Kirby engine with something that I can get spare parts for. I have another cylinder mower fitted with a B&S 2HP engine that I've just rebuilt and it runs very sweetly, so I might substitute that one and put the Kirby in storage.

Chris

That sounds like a good plan, Chris, including putting the HK engine in storage. You might pick up some parts for it opportunistically and tidy it up sometime over the years, so the mower can be restored to original one day after it stops being used regularly. It's not that the HKs aren't usable, it's just that they aren't as nice to use as other engines, plus in general you can't get new parts for them.

Thanks Chris for giving me the heads-up on the thread direction of the nuts on the engine clutch shaft and rear roller sprocket....I couldn't remember exactly which way they went and surmised that they would be in the opposite of direction of travel...ie. left-hand thread....wrong!!
Just to make sure, I went and checked my machine this morning.
I've corrected my post above...I just hope he hasn't started working on it yet...and that he re-reads the post!
Thanks again Chis, as I've often said here..."It's great to learn new things and tinker here"!

Might be my turn to make a correction.

The two nuts I'm referring to are the ones on the end of the drive shaft and the one on the end of the reel drive.

I'm about to attack the drum nut as we speak - I'll let you know what happens

Chris

Thanks Chris, I hope I don't have to make another correction!! .....

Yep - standard 3/4" RH thread.

I cleaned the tip of the shaft first so I could look at the last couple of threads and then braced the gear and very carefully and gently applied pressure. It came off quite easily.

Chris

Hi Chris, good man, glad you got it all sorted...thanks for the update...

Well gentlemen I finally got the nuts off - Air gun was the only way as they were both very tight.

Both tighten clockwise and loosen counter-clockwise.

Now ready to find a sandblaster. The stripper I have been using is having little effect on the SB paint that hasn't peeled.

Here is a pic of the bits with the tools I have used. (Note the hammer).



Reel and sole plate being sharpened at the moment.


dave

Hi Dave, all looking good so far, great to see you got he nuts off with no hassle, mate.
Don't forget to remove the cutter clutch handle assembly before going to the blasters, and get the chassis primed as soon as you can after....you will be amazed how quickly the surface rust will form once sand blasted.
Some more pics please as you go along.

Very, very neat.

Here is a photo of the current shambles on my garage floor

Chris

I've never liked working on the floor - bending down gets old even faster than I do. I recommend lifting the mower up onto the bench and working on it there. It's way easier to see what you are doing. Yes, you often have to move it when you need to make a part or disassemble something in the course of a project, but with a little planning, that will only happen at the end of a stage of the process. For example, you start with the mower on the bench (I usually take the handle off, so I can rotate the whole mower without anything hitting the wall) and strip it to the extent necessary. Then you have an engine and a frame. Put the engine aside, and get the frame up to scratch, on the bench. (If you have to make parts, you put the frame on the floor while you do so.) Then put the frame aside, and work on the engine. When it's finished and you're ready to run it, put the frame on the bench, fit the engine, and take the assembled mower outside where you can run it safely. Personally I don't run engines unless they are bolted to their frames, it can get too exciting.

I normally work on my bench or some sort of dolly but at present I'm also rebuilding another engine and while I wait for parts it occupies pride of place on my rather small bench.

The floor is clean, or was until I began dislodging 35yrs + of dirt and grime from the base of the mower, and so far, my back isn't complaining - but your point is taken.

Before I clean up and take stock of the parts that I need to order, I have a question.

How do you get the cutter clutch assembly off the drive shaft?

Chris

Hi Chris, Re: grumpy's last post about lifting a Scottie 45 onto a work bench....he omitted to say, never attempt it on your own...you will do your back an injury...these machines are seriously heavy...170lbs or 73Kg or on the old scale 1.51 cwt (hundredweight)
My advice is to make a workbench using sturdy saw horses, some strong 5 ply or equivalent, with a ramp and a stop... and drive it on under its own power...see my post..Click HERE or get a mate to help you get it up on a bench.
Just remember that safety is the first priority and we actively promote workshop safety here at Outdoorking.
Keep safe guys,

I agree with Deejay, it is unwise if not impractical to lift an SB 45 without using a hoist. When I set up my machine shop I made a little die truck because I had no intention of carrying the 12" rotary table around to put it on the milling machine, and I could foresee a time when I would no longer want to carry the 14" chuck to the lathe. And both of those items are stored at the height they'll be used at, they aren't lifted into position. If you are fairly fit you might lift rotary mowers onto the bench by hand (I do, but I complain a bit if they are Hondas) but when it gets over say 50kg that has to be lifted from floor level, in my opinion it is unprofessional to do it by hand. Realistically, I don't believe any well set up workshop would have people hand-lifting more than 35 kg as a normal operation. It isn't especially difficult to set up a pivoted beam over the bench, and sling a little ratchet hoist on the end of it. The hoist can be stored under the bench in between lifts. I don't do that currently, because I don't work on reel-type mowers, but if I ever take an interest in heavy mowers, I'll set up a hoist before I start work on one.

It isn't clever and masculine to hurt yourself lifting heavy weights off the floor, it is lazy and/or dumb.

Thanks for all of the advice - I'll be careful.

Figured out how to remove the engine half of the clutch - the threaded stud is 'captive'. Once I undid the nut till it was flush with the end of the thread, a couple of gentle taps drove it in and the housing was freed.

My only real problem at present is rusted in Woodruff keys - lots of soaking and gentle tapping will release them I'm sure

I'll stop hogging DaveC's thread now.

Chris

Chris, with the Woodruff keys, the Penetrene takes slightly longer to reach the bottom because they are deeper than straight keys. I like to tap gently on one end so the key tilts. That tells me that it is free, and also makes it easier to grab the key with pliers.