Hit a couple road blocks restoring 1974 AMF lawn tractor

T Man44

Member
So, I'm back to tackling the restore on my 1974 AMF lawn tractor. I've taken off most of the body panels and started sand-blasting. No rust which is a good thing, just a few coats of paint to remove.

Three problems.

First, I can't get the steering wheel off. It has a pin which goes through the bottom of the wheel and through the steer shaft, I can't get it out. I've tried lubing it, drilling it, and even air chisel, won't budge. If I cut the wheel off the shaft I won't have enough remaining to put on a new wheel. That pin must be made out of titanium, my carbide drill bits won't do anything to it.

Second problem. The right side rear wheel won't come off. I've tried lubing it, heat, a puller, and yes a hammer. Won't budge.

Third. There is a U shaped piece of spring steel which the seat rests on and is bolted to. I got the bolt out to remove the seat, but when I attempted to remove the two nuts holding the spring steel to the mower they sheared off instead of coming loose. These bolts appear to be welded from the underside, so now I have two broken bolts sticking up.

This thing is fighting me all the way but I'm not giving up. It runs and cuts well, so to me it's worth fixing up. Suggestions appreciated.
 

Well, the pin is probably hardened and corroded in place. If you can apply heat enough to draw the temper, that will help. Any other option I can think of is going to require the possibility of having to find a replacement steering wheel.

On the wheel- get some penetrating fluid on it, clean it up real good to make sure there isn't a cross pin or something, cycles of heating and cooling usually defeat rust.

You're going to have to replace the sheared bolts. Careful work with a cut off wheel and grinder would be my route of repair.
 
I've tried heat cycles on the wheel a couple of times, but I have been using a propane torch and wondering if that is hot enough. Do I need something else?
 
A propane torch will me quite adequate in providing enough heat to lessen any temper. Was wondering though, can't you remove the steering wheel with shaft still connected? Otherwise, try using a slightly oversized bit with lots of lubrication. This is one time when actual drilling fluid might be preferable. Run your drill on a lower speed. Even HSS drill bits should easily be harder than your pin, provided they're not a reject set from China. But even most drill bits from China should work. Now, that said, I've also gotten an entire drill bit set (yes, from China) that would not even cut wood! The grind was so sloppy and off so badly that the cutting edges could not even make contact with the surface to be drilled. Sounds like that would be my next step - make sure your bits will drill other materials properly.

For the wheel that won't come off, try turning the mower on its side (stuck wheel down) and filling the rim with ice cubes. Keep the ice cubes coming steadily for 2 to 3 hours so that the cold transfers through to the axle. Then, give a few shocking blows to possibly help loosen, then use your torch to heat up the rim, but not the axle. Again, use shocking blows to try to loosen. If you have any available, you could also try liquid nitrogen or some other compressed gas that is very cold and let that cool the axle better and quicker than ice.

As for the seat bolts, grind them flush and then drill out what remains. When you replace the bolts, you could choose to weld them into place like original, but I would probably use quality stainless bolts with a hex head, providing the other end is accessible.
 
My advice on the stuck rear wheel-restore it right where it is. Its pretty easy to knock the snap ring off the inner end of the shaft where it goes in the pinion gear and its about a 4 hour job to replace it.(If you can find a replacement)

If all else fails on removing the steering wheel: (I assume its on a standard diameter shaft like 5/8 or 3/4" diameter.)Saw the shaft in two about midway, restore the mower and reconnect the halves of the shaft either by welding or with a coupling sleeve with either setscrews or pins to join the halves of the shaft back together.

For the broken bolts in the seat spring mount, just drill and tap threads through the welded on heads, then use bolts from the top to hold them on. And Loctite them in, of course.
 
Thanks for the replies, TRK I will try that with the sheered off seat bolts, and see if I can cut the shaft of the steering wheel in a place where I can get it back together and where it won't be seen. Regarding the rear wheel, I'm a little nervous about opening and fiddling around in the transaxle, it is very old and I likely couldn't replace it if I screwed something up. It looks a lot like this one on Ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sears-Tractor-Mower-Compact-8M-4-Speed-Transmission-Transaxle-Peerless-/382091283548. I'm assuming to get at the snap ring I have to open the case?
 
I don't know about tractors, but on other things I have run into the pin might be splined and also tapered. If it is tapered it will only drive one way of course. The taper sometimes is obvious, sometimes you have to look really close.
 
Man, your story beings back vivid memories! On our farm back in Ohio in the mid 70's we had one of these AMFtrac tractors. Best tractor EVER! We truck farmed with it on 11 acres growing vegetables for sale. It worked and worked for years pushing snow, mowing, and tilling. What I liked about it the most is the hydro would hold that rear tiller from pushing the entire tractor forward unlike all the other hydros I have used since. Wish I still had that AMFtrac! I remember having to replace our steering wheel too, I found on ours that it is a simple spring loded roll ping. Just get a punch and a hammer and drive it out (hopefully yours is the same). Good luck!
 

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