Flail Mower repair...

Hi guys,

I have a Mott/Alamo SD88 mower and the bearing housing on the drive side cracked. I didn't think much of it other than that I needed to replace the part. I ordered the new bearing and housing from Flailmaster and today was going to swap the old for the new and be back in business.

However when I was taking off the old bearing/housing I discovered the frame behind it is cracked/broken in several places. In fact 4 of the 6 mounting holes are broken.

So now I am trying to figure out the best way to fix it. The only thin I can think is have a plate made and placed behind the existing frame with the proper hole cut out for the shaft and then after welding it in place then weld the broken bolt holes back in place on the frame and new piece. Then drill new bolt holes through the new piece and mount everything back up.

Does that sound like the right plan? I'm not a welder so I am going to have to get someone else to do all this for me and I want to make sure with all the force that's going to be there that we're doing it the best possible way the first time.

I could have an entirely new side manufactured but that would mean cutting off the existing side and I don't really want to have to do that if possible.

Here are some pictures of the broken mounts.

That one looks like a messy problem. I would probably try to grind/groove the edges of parts so I could weld them with a wire welder. Grind down welds smooth, and try to fabricate and weld in a backing plate. Then longer bolts, and see how long the repair holds.

find a welder that you trust and let him do it his way
he is the one who will be staqnding behi9nd his work
good luck
Ron

(quoted from post at 11:16:14 05/23/13) find a welder that you trust and let him do it his way
he is the one who will be staqnding behi9nd his work
good luck
Ron

Click to expand...

I found a welder I know and trust, I am having the plates fabricated to weld in so that they will be precise (the bearing housing goes through the center hole and it should be a very precise fit) and we don't have to try to hard to get the holes right etc, it will all be setup and we'll just have to put it on and weld it up.

I also am concerned about the inside clearance from the mower blades that are on the outermost edge of the cutter shaft, I don't want them contacting the new plate, so I am thinking of having the plate made as a circle with the diameter just smaller than the outside arc of the blades or knocking the corners off to ensure they don't interfere with the operation of the mower.

Well finally got the mower repaired assembled and up and running. As it turned out Mott/Alamo changed the bearing style of the drive side bearing and as a result I had to order special spacers to place on either side of the mower to make the drive shaft pully and bearings all line up correctly.

The welder did a good job (12x12 plate welded on the interior of both sides). After assembly and a fresh lube its running great.

And now I have a good mobile welder who works at a very reasonable price. Good thing to know.