Re: (ET) d'oh - did I hook something up wrong?

[David C Robie <mycroftxx1 juno com>]

You are right about that lift strap position.  Some day will change mine
to be more effective.  Suspect that it's that way so hammerheads won't
raise the deck high enough to try to clear a hayfield with it, or hurt
someone..

 I suspect that you didn't set the lift cable up right.  It should be
'double purchase' IE down to the deck, under the bar (which should have a
roller on it) then back up to the lift with the end held up there by the
bent rod through the 2 holes just behind the roller (which rod may be
missing).  Double purchase puts less srain on the lift motor.

At any rate it ain't meant to lift vertical  The trick is;  First reove
the deck power cable (PTO cable)  Put the tractor in the lowest 'creep'
gear.  Pull up the deck til the front part is high . Then by hand push
the roller end to the ground.  At that point you let the winch out while
holding the roller on the ground and . moving the tractor backwards. 
Then the deck will be vertical. You are best having 2 people do this but
after a couple times you can do it alone.   While in there, scrape the
deck clean. If you can't get a blades off, Sears has some 'worn bolt
removers' that will take badly rounded bolts off.  Never sharpen a blade
without balancing it.  Balancers are cheaper than bearings.  Also, you
might need new friction clutch fiber washers these are a std lawnmower
item.

If you dont mind backstrain,  you can, with the lift cable unwound a good
bit (yours is brken so you don't have to do that)  just set the brake, 
lift the front of the deck up and the roller end will swing underneath
and then she'll be sittin bottom available.

Replacement strap:  At the dollar and discount stores you will find in
the pet department a long 1" wide dog strap that is usually black and is
2 straps sewn flat together, a doubled up strap.  It's about $7.00.  The
big pet shops charge a lot more.
     This strap is too long so when wound on the winch the drum is
bigger, which reduces the effective lift power.  You can leave it that
way it will work.  But it will work better if you cut a couple feet off
if it and redo the loop using flat steel  bars and pop rivets. 
     Inside the loop on the other end is held by a single staple bent
over.  If you are careful getting this staple out you can reuse it.  It
don't have to be stainless steel, regular steel rod from Ace Hdw or Home
Depot can be used. (NOT coathanger ! )

Have done 3 or 4 of these there's no real trick to it.  EXCEPT. the
bumper and winch bolts are rusty use a real good breakfree liquid first.
(NOT WD 40).  Replace the bolts ONLY with grade 5 or grade 8.  The load
on that winch will shear regular (Chinese crap steel) new bolts

Last time I checked Wheelhorse they wanted $60 plus ship for that strap. 
The doubled dog straps I put on appear as strong if not stronger and
still there no sign of strain.  A single 1" strap of any make (they all
come from China) will fray, wear out and be gone in a couple years or
less.  This thing don't fray.

Dave
Weymouth MA

   

On Wed, 12 Jul 2006 19:16:12 -0400 (EDT) Michael S Briggs
<msbriggs alberti unh edu> writes:
> 
>       I finally had time to finish putting most of my "new" E-15 
> back 
> together, after painting, and plopped the batteries in with my 
> freshly 
> made cables (4 gauge). For pictures, see 
> http://einstein.unh.edu/~msbriggs/Elec-Trak/
> (the flash from the camera makes it look brighter blue than it 
> really is)
>       Anyway - I haven't put the mower blades on yet, figuring I 
> could 
> use the lift to raise the deck up to give me easy access for putting 
> them 
> on. So, once I got everything back together, I used the lift to 
> start 
> raising the deck up. After the U-bar hit the top of the deck, it 
> *really* 
> struggled. I heard a straining/tearing/cracking noise, so stopped 
> for the 
> moment to check everything out.
>       I'm wondering if I connected something wrong, as far as how 
> the 
> deck connects to the tractor. I had trouble getting the U-bar to go 
> all 
> the way into the rails it slides into (had to bang on it with a 
> sledgehammer to get it most of the way in), and I suspect that 
> that's the 
> problem.
>       I decided to give the lift another try, and again when the 
> U-bar 
> hit the top of the deck, heard a tearing noise again, and eventually 
> the 
> lift strap snapped. D'oh.
>       How the lift strap connects to the mower deck doesn't seem 
> all 
> that well thought out to me, personally. I'd think it would make 
> much more 
> sense to have it connect closer to the front of the deck, to give 
> better 
> torque for lifting the front up for good access to the underside. 
> Instead, 
> it relies on a very small lever arm between the lift attachment 
> point and 
> the U-bar. Or am I missing something?
> 
> Thanks,
> Mike
> 
> -- 
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> Michael S. Briggs
> UNH Physics Department
> (603) 862-2828
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> 
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