Swing arm flanges

[Sutty]

I'm sorry to have to ask this, but my engineering knowledge is lacking. The picture of the flanged washer below should help you identify what I'm talking about.

Flange.jpg

I have just repainted my mower deck, and I'm now unclear how this washer should operate. There are two on the deck, that fit into belt tensioning swing arms. When tight, I suspect this washer should be pinched tight, between the bolt head, and the underlying deck, meaning it will be locked solid, and the arm will pivot on the washer flange. The big hole in the arm, so to speak, and the stepped flange, operating as the bearing.

As it currently operates, when I fully tighten it down, it does not get pinched between the bolt head and the underlying deck frame, so it isn't locked, and it moves with the arm. The result is that I see a different method of operation, to that which I think is correct, in that the 'bearing' is the arm and flange moving around the bolt.

I suspect this has been caused by the extra paint on the pivot arm, such that the tube section of the flanged washer can no longer 'reach' through to the underlying deck. If this is the case, would it be okay to shim it, with an appropriately skimmed down washer, to sort of increase the length of the tube portion?

In summary, should the flange be fixed with the deck, and the arm move around it, or should the flange be fixed with the arm, and all of it move around the bolt. If the former, is an appropriately sized shim the best fix?

[finsruskw]

And the deck and the tractor you are working on.....IS?
More info please

[ironman]

The flange washer should be stationary when the bolt is tightened down.
The pivot arm should rotate around the washer.
It is made that way so that you can tighten the bolt down without having a nut on the underneath of the deck.
Remove the paint from the pivot arm where the flange makes contact. Also, apply some grease.

And are you sure you're using the correct bolt?

[Sutty]

Thanks, that's what I thought, but needed to be sure. For reference, and as asked, machine is CC1023RD, with 48 inch J deck, 2007.

Bolt is correct, and original. I proposed a shim because I wasn't keen on somehow scraping the paint away, without causing peripheral damage, and, I'm not even sure I can get the collar portion to pass right through the arm with no paint at all on top, where the flange seats, because the paint is now probably too thick under the arm too, where it has to slide, flat surface to flat surface, over the deck structure.

In other words, if there is no paint at all under the flange on top, the end of the tube part still won't stick out, that fraction needed, on the opposite side of the arm.

I will be using grease, it's already on. I'll have to put my thinking cap on as to how best to remove or thin down the paint, without destroying my work.

Main thing is, I now know for sure how it is meant to work, as opposed to wondering, thanks to your guidance.

As it happens, and in reference to your answer, there is still a nut underneath, it is not into a tapped hole, but a through hole, but I was still fairly sure the tube part should bottom out, and get pinched down solid with the deck, when tight, leaving the arm to move around it.

Thanks for taking the time. Much appreciated.

[Ozcubowner]

Download the parts manual (top of page) it will show you how it all goes together
Oz

[Sutty]

Thanks, but I have a manual, that shows a good exploded diagram of the J deck, crystal clear. I know where everything goes anyway, from memory, I only took it apart a couple of months ago, and I'm familiar with it anyway. Sadly though what I already have doesn't give any instructions as to how any given flange or washer should operate, other than to show where it should go, which I knew. There's only two, and they can't go anywhere else, lol.

Thanks again, I'll see if there's a more explanatory manual listed here, for future reference, since I have my answer to this anyway.

As I've been pondering removing paint, thinking about how it must operate, it has become more obvious as to why what was confirmed to me above, has to be the case.

If you can't cinch down on the washer, locking it tight, for the arm to move around it, you are cinching down on the arm itself, which would obviously clamp it locked, when the nut is properly tight. What I have to do currently, is back off the nut somewhat, to keep the arm loose enough to move. It's not much of a back off, and even though it is a nyloc nut, that's not really a satisfactory way to make it operate. Having considered this it now seems obvious that you have to clamp down on the washer, which has to be long enough to reach the underlying structure, through the arm, before the arm itself goes tight.

Thanks all.

Sutty

[Sutty]

Originally Posted by Ozcubowner

Download the parts manual (top of page) it will show you how it all goes together
Oz

Not quite as easy as I'd hoped. I've been looking, and the only threads I can find that relate to the CC1023RD, are my own, and have nothing to do with manuals. And I don't know how to search for j deck, because it has a space, and it just return hits for 'deck', of which there are a huge amount of hits. If I search for "J deck", which usually works, in such circumstances, it changes nothing. If I use Google to do a site specific search, the only reference to J deck is another thread by me

I'm not surprised the mower isn't listed, being in the UK, with the site membership being predominately from the US. Understandable really, because not many people in the UK have the land that requires a ride on, relatively speaking.

Oh well, I guess I'll have to continue asking questions here and there, as and when required, hoping others with experience can chime in, as they did here.

[Sutty]

Originally Posted by ironman

Remove the paint from the pivot arm where the flange makes contact. Also, apply some grease.

I scribed around the flange with a modelling knife, and then chipped away the paint on the top, until it was all gone. Still didn't work.

Next I progressively sanded the paint from the underside of the arm, until it seemed to be sticking out, by feel and observation, and then did a trial fit. Nope, needed more. I sanded until my paint was beginning to go see through, and then success.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/KRrX8GKausU

Overview picture of newly tarted up, almost ready, deck.



Thanks again.

[Ozcubowner]

Now if you could only learn to play Cricket (haha)
Oz

[Sutty]

lol, yes, big fan, but it's depressing to keep being thrashed for the Ashes.