Hi, I am trying to replace my cutting deck bearings on the spindle of my Westwood T1200 Ride On Mower. I have taken the deck off as well as the blade. My problem arises because I cannot take off the pulley. At some point in its life prior to my ownership the nut must have been lost of knocked off as there is something similar welded to the top of the pulley. Therefore I do not know how to remove the pulley and if i try to hit it worried i may bend the spindle itself. Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks

Pete, June 2012

There's no way around this - if the top f the spindle has been welded, the spindle itself is scrap. Grind the top off and do whatever you have to to recover the pulley. Remove the blade and boss from the other end. You will need to replace the spindle and all the bearings.

Only you can decide if it warrants the expense! A cheaper option might be a scrap deck from ebay - they usually rust to bits before the spindle bearings fail, so you might get a rotten one with good spindles for next to nothing. Getting these apart after 20 years of exposure to wet grass is never easy, however!

phil_saunders(a)bigfoot.com

Phil Saunders, June 2012