Slowly chipping away at this thing. I know the color is wrong, grass don't care and neither do I. It matches the faded paint on the rest of the machine. Pulled everything off the deck, painted it, put it back together and painted it again. Various methods of paint rust removal---(hand grinders with hard disc, flap wheel, and wire brush) as well as application of Rust Mort. Do us all a favor and lets not turn this into another paint debate as in recent weeks.
The deeper I dug the worse the deck got. The only thing I'm able to use over is the deck, bearing housings, wheels (replacing bushings in them) and blades. New spindles, seals, bearings, pulleys, idler assembly (ALL OF IT), wheel bolts, 30-40 carriage bolts to put it together with, belts, mule drive pulleys. If I EVER buy another old lawnmower, I'm going to figure in rebuilding the deck completely--this is 2 in a row that required all the same parts.
Got my bearing housings back together, just need my last 2 spindles so I can install them. Ready to run this thing and slay some grass.