Woods RM550 finish mower center spindle problems

old

Well-known Member
So I have the 2 outer spindles rebuilt with new bearings and seals and installed. Went to remove the center spindle and the pulley where you take the bolt out and put them in to pop the pulley free for the clamp holder I broke one of the bolts to pop it free. Tried a different bolt and it too broke but it broke flush with the piece it goes in. It is a 1/4 inch bolt so not much room to drill it out. Not sure how I am going to go about taking it apart. I have it soaking with ATF right now and may try a left hand bit if I have one small enough to try to drill the broken bolt out. I may even try a couple of chisels on each side to see if I can pop the pulley free form the center clamp part of it. Or maybe some heat. Not much other I can think of trying so anybody have any other ideas??
Thanks
 
Old, I always enjoy your answers to most any question as I appreciate your knowledge of most anything mechanical. I would try a center punch instead of a chisel to try and turn it back out. If all else fails I would drill it out and redrill it next size bigger and tap it to a 5/16 size. Good luck and I know you probably have it all figured out by now.
 
This thing has a 2 part pulley/hub sort of thing that the hub is tighten down to lock the pulley on the shaft and the bolt that broke was also used to pop the hub loose. I was able to use a chisel to pop the center lock hub up and then used needle nose pliers to unscrew the broken bolt back out. Then I ran into another major problem. Went to press the spindle shaft out and it would not move. Heated it up to see if that would free it up but instead of freeing up the shaft bent. So I had to cut the shaft so I could save the cast housing and the guy who owns this is ordering a new shaft and spacer sleeve for it.
 
I was able to pop the lock hub out wit ha chisel and then get to the end of the bolt and unscrew it but when I went to press the shaft out it bent so now having the guy order a new shaft and spacer sleeve. This was the worst of the 3 spindles so goes to figure it would also be the hardest one to rebuild
 
Where I work,we have great success welding a nut onto broken bolt,and then backing it out.We use a gas mig. Remove while still hot;you might use half a dozen nuts sometimes,but it works better than anything else,and I have tried everything else! I have found over the years,to run a thread chaser,or a tap down in those holes before putting the puller bolt in,and then lube the threads. Good luck,Mark.
 
There was nothing to weld to since it broke off below the top of the treads. But I did get the crimp part out and then was able to grab the bolt and turn it out form the bottom since there was a 1/4 inch plus hanging out below the part that it was suppose to push up and out
 

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