RE: (ET) Wrecked my deck.

["Elie, Larry (L.D.)" <lelie ford com>]

Anything can be repaired; the real question is whether it is WORTH it.

First, hammering out the deck is a start.  I have seen LARGE fender 
washers used under the deck and 
no further repairs.  It can work if you go easy on the deck.  A better 
solution is a 3" x 5" mild steel 
plate under the deck, bolting through the weak section.  I have done that. 
 If you can weld or braze the 
plate under the deck it's even better.  Next step is a brace, like I had 
pictures of (anyone still needing 
them?) and mine are machined from aluminum bar, with a bottom plate and a 
brace to the angle iron on my 
deck.  Not all decks have the angle iron.  Many of my baffles are 
tack-welded inside.

How to keep the tractor from driving over the deck?  There are several 
types of deck.  Most have a front 
roller.  If you have one, KEEP THE ROLLER MOUNTED.  My local hardware has 
2.5" dia x 4" and 6" long plastic 
rollers in stock.  They fit.  The front roller is 8" long.  Without the 
roller, the bracket will dig in and 
pull the deck down.  If you don't have a deck with a front roller, it 
won't dig-in as easily.  A BIG HELP 
is NOT TO LOWER the strap farther than you need to float!  The strap can 
help keep you from digging in.  
I have broken a strap when I was set just a little too low.  It sounds 
trivial, but try it.  At the top of 
a mound you have to lower the deck a bit; OK, but then raise it again as 
soon as you don't need the extra 
strap.  If the strap has only an inch or two of play, you may dig in but 
you won't ride over the deck!

Larry Elie


-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Zach [mailto:czach computer org]
Sent: Friday, July 11, 2003 2:26 PM
To: elec trak yahoo group
Subject: (ET) Wrecked my deck.


Drat.

So I was mowing today with the E20. Was on a hill, and trimming around a 
  bush. Went under the bush and a corner of the mower hit a root...

Before I could shut down the deck yawed, and ripped off one of the 
mounts at the deck. The tractor then climbed onto the deck.

Damage: Looks like one of the mount plates is history. I could probably 
pound it flat, but I don't know how to weld. I could however use 
Oxypropane and braize a plate on. Would that hold?

Drat.

Chris



_______________________________________________
Elec-trak mailing list
Elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
https://cosmos.phy.tufts.edu/mailman/listinfo/elec-trak