Abby’s Guide > Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) > Discussions > Need repair suggestions for Ariens ST824 924050 idler arm
Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions |
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GtWtNorth
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Need repair suggestions for Ariens ST824 924050 idler arm
Original Message Oct 29, 2010 8:20 am |
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Hello all. In the process of rebuilding this blower and apart from replacing a couple of bearings, I found that the idler arm for the tractor section is really warn and causes quite a bit of arm deflection. It would probably run ok but I am concerned about premature belt failure. In the photo below, (sorry for the bad focus) you can clearly see that there is a 1/8" grove worn in the shaft and the hole it goes into is also worn oval by at least 1/8 ". So, I'm open to repair suggestions. I could weld up the shaft and regrind, but you need to be careful of the cotter pin hole. I could also weld up the bracket & re-drill but it's tough to get to the back side. I also thought about grinding off the welds on the shaft head & replacing it with another bolt of the same diameter, but I'm not sure of the clearance for a nut to hold it in on the back side of the bracket. Then there is the deluxe fix by welding in a piece of steel tubing between the two tabs of the bracket. Then the shaft would be supported along the entire length & be much less likely to wear and the arm remain well aligned. What say you???
This message was modified Nov 4, 2010 by GtWtNorth
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GtWtNorth
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Re: Need repair suggestions for Ariens ST824 924050 idler arm
Reply #6 Nov 4, 2010 12:18 pm |
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Unfortunately the tab in the front is only 3/4" wide and the pin is 3/8" so there is precious little room to drill oversize. All the flanged bearings I could find were 5/8 wide leaving 1/16 per side (in theory) . Metal bushings would work if they were thin enough, but I think plastic would wear out too fast. I did find some steel tube, 3/8 ID with a 1/16 wall that I could also use as a bushing. I could always replace the pivot pin with a slightly smaller one to give me more room for a bearing. hopefully it wouldn't be too weak to hold up to the bending forces. Anyways, here are some photos of the area in question. As you can see, I am stripping her down for paint. Rust looks alot worse than it is. It's only a very light surface coat because I used acid to attack the few rougher spots. First, a wide shot of the main tractor section chassis, looking from the front towards the rear of the machine. (arrow points to the offending bracket) Second, a closer look at the bracket, same point of view. Third, a shot with the idler arm in position. As you can see, the pivot pin is like a bolt welded into a hole in the bracket, so it would be easy to grind off the weld and replace the pin.
This message was modified Nov 4, 2010 by GtWtNorth
https://t.me/pump_upp
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GtWtNorth
https://t.me/pump_upp
Location: https://t.me/pump_upp
Joined: Nov 16, 2008
Points: 264
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Re: Need repair suggestions for Ariens ST824 924050 idler arm
Reply #10 Jan 3, 2011 5:24 pm |
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So, I finally decided to take the plunge and drill out the hole to put in a piece of tubing. Toughest part was trying to drill the hole as true as possible to the original location. I think the outcome will be a trouble free fix. Here is a shot of the completed repair with the tube tacked in place. The end of the tube is sunk just below the face of the bracket so it doesn't rub on the bracket arm. I also ground off the weld on the original pin on the bracket, removed & replaced it with a high strengh bolt. Now, you may be wondering why this part is yellow and the main body is orange? Well, I decided to go with a non stock color scheme, bright yellow for all the moving parts inside the tractor body and orange for the rest. (Kind of a safety reminder for myself) Haven't decided on what color I will use on the inside of the bucket yet, but the augers will probably be yellow (maybe black tips) The restoration is still ongoing because we aren't getting much snow here and my trusty MTD is still serving me well.
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