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Any Tricks to removing blade bolt

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texastruecuttin

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I made a big mistake and stripped out one of my bolts that holds my blade on.
It is a ferris ztr and i am sure i have hit somthing solid with that blade because it has been very difficult to try to get off.

I already made the mistake and have rounded of my bolt. I have tried using a pipe wrench with no luck. It got a decent grip on the bolt and even using a big cheater pipe for leverage i wasnt able to lossen the bolt.

Question is , i was looking to see if anybody had any tricks or advise for helping me and the situation ive got myself into. THanks.
 
#4 ·
At the shop we have a set of Grip Tight sockets that we use with a generous amount of KROIL(much better then anything you can buy at the store) but since kroil is hard to get try fluid film, it works as good just takes forever. You should be able to find the Grip Tight sockets locally.
 
#5 ·
Kroil is the best out there. Heat is a good idea too.
If you can't get it to turn, you can cut it off with an angle grinder and a slicer blade, and once the tension is gone, hopefully it will turn easily enough to remove with vice grips.
 
#7 ·
I normally tighten all my blade bolts via 1/2 ratchet, then torque with torque wrench.
I had some warranty issues with my mower so I took it to the shop to have the parts changed, while there I asked my tech to swap out my blades for another set I keep on my trailer. 3 months later, I 'm ready to swap blades again and its a Friday around 3pm, I get under the deck and almost bust my bA11's getting 2 of the 3 off and swapped. I get to the third one and NO way its coming off...I try and try to no avail, even pulled out the 1/2" air impact, no way. So now I am panicking, wth do I do, I got to get it off. I call my shop and tell him and he laughs and says, oh yeah we tighten down with a 1" air impact, WHAT! I hurry up and load my rig up and drive thru now rush time traffic to get there and sure enough he pulls out this monster impact, viola, off in 2 seconds...so I ask him whats the deal, always heard you weren't suppose to use an impact...his justification was, well you want the blade to stay on or you want to take a chance on the kid in the next yard getting hit with a flying blade...!?!? Since I have grand-kids myself, I understand his point. PS-Its almost blade change time too...:eek:
 
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#10 ·
LuvMyFerris.............

A 1" gun? Now that is overkill. It is a wonder they did not strip it out. Sounds like you are better off changing your own blades. Next time have the shop take the blades off and you wait until you get home and put them back one your self. A 1" gun, I still can not believe that.
 
#11 ·
texastruecuttin said:
I made a big mistake and stripped out one of my bolts that holds my blade on.
It is a ferris ztr and i am sure i have hit somthing solid with that blade because it has been very difficult to try to get off.

I already made the mistake and have rounded of my bolt. I have tried using a pipe wrench with no luck. It got a decent grip on the bolt and even using a big cheater pipe for leverage i wasnt able to lossen the bolt.

Question is , i was looking to see if anybody had any tricks or advise for helping me and the situation ive got myself into. THanks.
Click to expand...
'Bout the only thing that's gonna work is heatin it up with a torch. Forget all that oil/kroil B-S. Waste of time and money. Break out the ol' hot wrench.
And use never-seez on the bolts when ya put the blades on.
 
#13 ·
If you stripped the threads, good luck. If it's just the head of the cap screw that is damged, you can cut the head of the screw off. It will sometimes come out by hand after that. Don't use flat washers after you get it fixed. They now was a cupped washer
under the head.
 
#14 ·
Do they make an EZ-OUT that big?
 
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#15 ·
We never impact the blades on . We change the blades daily in the field (we cut alot of ranch style homes with acres of bahia and the sharper the blade the better)and use a breaker-bar and socket . At the shop we use an impact to get them off. Theres no reason to have a blade so tight you cant get if off with a breaker bar.
 
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#16 ·
Anytime you hit something it's going to be super tight, shouldn't really matter how you put it on, air or by hand.
I don't think, but anyhow...

Only two things I know of...
Get some Piece 3/8" Drive Bolt Extractor Sockets like these:
http://www.harborfreight.com/9-Piece-38-Drive-Metric-Bolt-Extractor-Sockets-67894.html
Yes, those are metric, they probably have SAE too.
I have some of these myself, haven't had a chance to use them but they look like they would work.

Or grind that momma off with a cutting disc on an angle grinder (wear eye protection!).
You have to do this careful so you don't cut too far into other steel parts, try not to get into them at all.
But once you cut the head off, the hardware falls off, you can twist the stub right out, might have to use a Vise grip.

Obviously, you regardless need a new bolt, but I'm guessing you figured as much.
 
#17 ·
LuvMyFerris said:
I normally tighten all my blade bolts via 1/2 ratchet, then torque with torque wrench.
I had some warranty issues with my mower so I took it to the shop to have the parts changed, while there I asked my tech to swap out my blades for another set I keep on my trailer. 3 months later, I 'm ready to swap blades again and its a Friday around 3pm, I get under the deck and almost bust my bA11's getting 2 of the 3 off and swapped. I get to the third one and NO way its coming off...I try and try to no avail, even pulled out the 1/2" air impact, no way. So now I am panicking, wth do I do, I got to get it off. I call my shop and tell him and he laughs and says, oh yeah we tighten down with a 1" air impact, WHAT! I hurry up and load my rig up and drive thru now rush time traffic to get there and sure enough he pulls out this monster impact, viola, off in 2 seconds...so I ask him whats the deal, always heard you weren't suppose to use an impact...his justification was, well you want the blade to stay on or you want to take a chance on the kid in the next yard getting hit with a flying blade...!?!? Since I have grand-kids myself, I understand his point. PS-Its almost blade change time too...:eek:
Click to expand...
Not so sure this shop knows what they are doing since over-tightening could be as unsafe as under-tightening. The reason torque wrenches are suggested is because that is the amount of force required to tighten the bolt to the point where it stretches the amount that the threads "lock". More can potentially cause a thread or bolt failure which results in launching a blade through the air just like not tightening it enough.

As for removing blade bolts; a six point socket is usually better because of the grip it gives to the bolt head. It is also better because it won't go on the bolthead unless it is clean of grass residue - another cause of rounded boltheads!
 
#18 ·
Don't like to heat the blade bolt. 50 cents of bolt vs $45 spindle. Easy choice for me. Had a blade bolt head worn half off. (local gov't mower, operator didn't care ) Ground the head off, used a wet rag to absorb grinding heat. A pair of vise grips unscrewed the stub from the spindle.
 
#19 · (Edited)
hosspuller said:
Don't like to heat the blade bolt. 50 cents of bolt vs $45 spindle. Easy choice for me. Had a blade bolt head worn half off. (local gov't mower, operator didn't care ) Ground the head off, used a wet rag to absorb grinding heat. A pair of vise grips unscrewed the stub from the spindle.
Click to expand...
Yes, pretty much what I suggested but I'd expect blade bolts cost closer to $10 :D
Granted you can pick one up aftermarket at a hardware store but they're not cheap and they have to be a certain grade,
the OEM bolt is made of a special material that is designed to snap off at a specific level of stress, buy the wrong bolt and
it either won't hold and fall off in operation, or worse hold on too long and whatever's tearing up the blade ends up tearing
into the rest of the mower...

The cup and all the stuff below the spindle (without the spindle itself), blade bolt and special washers and spacer is near $100 (blade too).
Everything but the spindle, blade and all, each, near $100.
I know, I have had to replace all of this.

Now the spindle I haven't a clue, but I don't want to know.

Ztr's have so much power that they built special blade bolts, this much I do believe.
They cost a near fortune but I wouldn't bypass this feature, they are designed to break off at a certain stress level
so that it doesn't cost even more in broken parts.
 
#20 ·
LuvMyFerris said:
I normally tighten all my blade bolts via 1/2 ratchet, then torque with torque wrench.
I had some warranty issues with my mower so I took it to the shop to have the parts changed, while there I asked my tech to swap out my blades for another set I keep on my trailer. 3 months later, I 'm ready to swap blades again and its a Friday around 3pm, I get under the deck and almost bust my bA11's getting 2 of the 3 off and swapped. I get to the third one and NO way its coming off...I try and try to no avail, even pulled out the 1/2" air impact, no way. So now I am panicking, wth do I do, I got to get it off. I call my shop and tell him and he laughs and says, oh yeah we tighten down with a 1" air impact, WHAT! I hurry up and load my rig up and drive thru now rush time traffic to get there and sure enough he pulls out this monster impact, viola, off in 2 seconds...so I ask him whats the deal, always heard you weren't suppose to use an impact...his justification was, well you want the blade to stay on or you want to take a chance on the kid in the next yard getting hit with a flying blade...!?!? Since I have grand-kids myself, I understand his point. PS-Its almost blade change time too...:eek:
Click to expand...
i cant beleve they use a 1 inch gun thats just stupid and i'am surprised they are not breaking the bolts off when tightening
 
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