Securing large nut to gravely sickle bar

This photo I found on internet. The large red nut is similar to our sickle bar set-up. However twice over the years the nut has loosened and actuating lever has worn out. Lever is softer metal than threaded shaft it secures to with nut. We got a new good new lever so this time I am going to stake nut to shaft and possibly use Red Loctite. In all the pictures I find on the internet like this one, the nut the same and looks quite ordinary. The nut I have is a quite ordinary too. Maybe original OEM nut is a compression nut?

I recently rebuilt a tractor transmission and pinion nut is made to be staked to pinion shaft. Pinion shaft has 2 slots opposite of each other and you stake top nut edges into pinion shaft slots. I'm thinking do same to big nut on gravely shaft of sickle bar. Anyone know the original manufacturers specs?


 
Gravely made several sickle mowers over the years. You can find some parts manuals on the internet.

https://www.gravelymanuals.com/pdf/Sickle_Mower_IPL_0172.pdf

Some parts vendors have parts diagrams.

https://www.partstree.com/parts/gravely/accessories/885009-gravely-42-sickle-mower-for-2-wheel-tractor-sn-000101-above/sickle-mower/

This manual shows Gravely 00181818 Nut (replacement for Gravely 13619) to be a thin pattern 1 x 14 locknut.

https://www.partstree.com/parts/gravely/parts/00181818/


You might ask the question at some other group like the Yahoo Gravely Group.

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/gravelyclub/info
 
The big red nut looks like a nylon insert lock nut.
They are meant to hold the max. the first time installed.
Each reuse weakens the holding power.

Might want to convert it to a flex top all steel thin nut instead.

Or fashion up sheet metal washer with tabs that can be bent up to the side of the hex nut and down over the side of the casting.
 
Keeping the nut tight is very important, any way that works is probably good. Following the manual that says use
only SLOW engine speed and low range when mowing is equally important. The extra time spent mowing is saved when
repairs are not needed.
 

My experience is that once the lever has become loose, the taper is worn and it is darn near impossible to keep a replacement tight.
 
Look into Hex K or KEPS nuts to fit.

Locking tab washer or Bearing Lock Washer.

They come in all sizes and a few different locking types. One just a straight tab and another the tab is bent downward near the end to fit into a slot. The outer tabs can be bent up to lock the nut.

They can be retro fitted two ways.

Bent tab... If the shaft has a key way the inside of the key can be ground a little so the the tab will fit between the shaft and key.

Straight tab.. A small hole can be drilled into the shaft where the top of the arm and the shaft meet.

130-M1068_800AT_540x540.jpg


I have ran them down and used a small tack weld to hold them tight.
 

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