Need help with broken bolt Lawn Tractor

[PhilA]

Need help with ideas on a flat idler pulley bolt. My John Deere L130 broke the bolt head on the fixed idler pulley. Under the bracket that holds it, it looks like a carriage bolt, above bracket where pulley rides is a bushing, which no matter what I do will not move. Any thoughts on how to get this thing out? It broke even with top of bushing.

 

[nehog]

Probably welded to the bracket. I'd press it out if you can remove the bracket (or get a ball joint press in there.) New one would need to be tacked in as well.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

Do you have enough stud sticking out to tack a nut on the end?

A pic would help a ton.

 

[Punchwood]

Put a nut on top of what's left of the bolt and weld in the center of the nut where it lays on the bolt and wrench it out.

 

[toplessHO]

if its a carriage bolt you cant twist it out
Ill PM you a link to the parts breakdown so you can see what its built like.
Rust will seize up that bushing thats only used to adapt the bearing so a standard size can be used. Put some vice grips on the bushing and twist it off and the bolt will fall out.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Picture?

 

[PhilA]

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This is the picture of the actual bolt,spacer.

 

[justme-]

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest the spacer is not removable in the traditional sense, and that the "bolt" is actually a welded in stud ( there's not enough clearance under that bracket to remove/install a carriage bolt the length I "think" it would be) and you may need to perform "surgery" on that bracket to replace it.... or drill the bolt out from the top and use a regular bolt with a locking nut on the bottom - in the bracket.

1st I'd get a better look under that bracket - mirror, camera, something to see the "head" of the bolt and see what exactly you're dealing with.

 

[PhilA]

Under the bracket is the head of a carriage type bolt,which means it is set in a square hole.
I'm thinking cut the remainder of spacer off,but then I have to fabricate a spacer for the idler to ride on. Makes my head hurt thinking of ways to do this.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Can you punch the bolt through with a drift?

 

[Kangaroo ID]

Like others have suggested, that is a welded bushing/stud. It is not coming out without grinding and cutting. Then you need to replace with a standard bolt and spacer.

 

[6t7gto]

Drill and tap it to a smaller size bolt.
Seems to me the force is sideways not up.
Just use a larger washer to keep the pulley on.

Put a stud in the broken bolt with locktite and use a locking nut on top of the pulley.

 

[skcj213]

Do you have the manual, if not, you can probably find one online. There should be an exploded view in the manual that would show the individual parts. Understanding how things go together will help you decide how to approaching the fix.

 

[WhoWhatNow]

From the parts diagram that entire bracket and stud are welded. Drill it out and use a standard bolt.

 

[PhilA]

Think I will Drill with a centering bit,then a larger bit. Then tap it and a threaded bolt and locktite. Don't think I would be able to find a spacer to work if I cut it off.

 

[bubinga]

read this Guy says he had the same problem and there is a repair kit.
http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?p=3057994

 

[bubinga]

It is supposed to be for a L 110, but the guy said it worked fine in the L 130

EDIT
Actually he has an LA 165 but it still might work.

 

[like2wheel]

Drill and tap it to a smaller size bolt.
Seems to me the force is sideways not up.
Just use a larger washer to keep the pulley on.

Put a stud in the broken bolt with locktite and use a locking nut on top of the pulley.

I agree with this.


That bracket solution from the Deere kit seems pretty wimpy to me.

 

[PhilA]

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This is what I ended up doing.

 

[mboss4]

Any idea why it tends to break in the first place? First I've heard of that...

 

[PhilA]

I haven't a clue why,unless it is bad machining of that part. The idler sits down on the sleeve portion so the only torque on the threaded part is just holding the idler down. If that makes since. I ended up tapping to 5/16. I could not drill out any more and still have hard steel to thread.

 

[PhilA]

I plan to use a grad 5 5/16 bolt and cut it off so all I have is threads, put JB Weld on the treads that screws down in hole I tapped. Then put lock nut and washer on idler as 6t7GTO suggested.