Thomas G. Marshall wrote:
"dpb" wrote in message ...
Thomas G. Marshall wrote:
I'm not sure I get what the heck is going on here.

The rear wheels of my walk-behind MTD mower turn on bolts with a 3/4"
cap. The (plastic rim) wheels have become loose, but I cannot tighten nor
losen that bolt. I can see it spinning in the plate as if the threads
were stripped. Neither clockwise nor counter-clockwise do anything.

Both rear wheel bolts behave this way. But the end of the bolt looks
like it was flared out a tiny amount so that it is perhaps some kind of
press-fit ??? My local repair place says that this is very unlikely, but
the mower is not worth bringing it to a repair shop.
What is "it" and what is "the plate"? Normally those wheels would be
mounted on a shoulder bolt. I suppose w/ something cheap they may have
made simply a peened end to hold them, don't know, don't have one to look
at...

The "it" is the bolt. The "plate" is the plate of metal that the bolt is
(what I thought) screwed into. It may be peened over at the end to hold it
in place, but the repair guy swears no. I cannot get a better look at it,
and there are no service manuals that explain how to pull that thing (bolt)
out.




I wouldn't spend a lot of time on it. It is likely that the deck is near
rusted through where the wheels attach anyway. It may be time to
consider your replacement options.

It is a shoulder bolt. The threaded ends get caked with grass and
fertilizer and rust or corrode such that the nut will strip the threads
before passing over that part of the threads. It's a cheap mower and
they use cheap (soft) bolts and steel nuts that rust. You will need to
locate the 2 bolts that hold the adjuster plate to the deck, clean them
well before attempting to remove the nuts. If you can get the adjuster
and wheel assembly off, you can hacksaw or grind the nut off the end of
the wheel bolt. Your "repair guy" really should know this.
Next time you need to remove a wheel bolt you should hit the end with a
wire brush first and maybe a shot of wd-40 or any penetrating oil.

Forget a service manual. If MTD even makes one, which I doubt, it is not
going to cover this situation. Or even how to remove the wheel when the
bolt isn't stripped. The only service manual for that machine would be
published by the engine mfg and cover only the engine.

--
Art