How to Straighten a Bent Lawn Mower Shaft [Easy and simple way]

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I know that you came here to know about How to Straighten a Bent Lawn Mower Shaft. So I am here to share with you some tips and tricks on this topic.

A lawn mower’s shaft links the edge to the engine and can simply be twisted if the lawnmower collides with a large or hard item, such as a tree stump, boulder, or other heavy trash. When the lawnmower shaft is twisted, the lawnmower engine may shake abnormally, and other difficulties, such as motor or gearbox issues, may arise. Straightening a twisted shaft is doable, but owners should be aware that doing so may void the mower’s warranty unless maintained by a certified repair shop.

What happens if a crankshaft is bent?

Excessive wearing on your main bearings is one of the most serious problems that a twisted crankshaft may create. The curve reduces oil clearance, allowing wear to develop.

Can a bent mower blade be fixed?

Fortunately, a bent blade is simple to repair on its own. Simply replace it! Don’t try to sort it out on your own.

How do you remove a crankshaft from a lawnmower?

Remove the rod end cover by unscrewing the bolts. Lift the connecting rod, allowing the piston to travel to the top of the tube. Turn the crankshaft counterclockwise until the connecting rod pin is pointing away from the cylinder. Disconnect the crankshaft from the motor by sliding it toward you.

How do I know if my lawnmower crank is bent?

On a mower without a twisted crankshaft, you won’t observe the central bolt shift at all. However, if you rotate the blade and notice that the middle bolt is wobbly, it’s a solid indicator that your lawn mower crankshaft is twisted.

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How to Straighten a Bent Lawn Mower Shaft

If the middle mass of the composite shaft-blade aider is re-aligned with the rotational axis, the remainder of the motor will not know or care about the twisted shaft. If you never intend to replace or fix the crankshaft, you may re-establish this alignment by grinding material off the converter, washer(s), and any gaps. In addition, instead of removing a strip of substance along the full-back edge of the blade, its attachment hole can be “shifted over.”

To accomplish this precisely, you’d need a fixture arrangement, but I believe you can get it aligned considerably better than it is now by doing it manually. If you need further information, please let me know because I’m preparing to apply this to a lawnmower I’m going on.

At First, you have to access then straighten the shaft. Please follow my step-by-step sequence.

Accessing the Shaft

Step-1:

Permit the machine to cool fully if it has been used lately.

Step-2:

Put an old cloth on the floor to safeguard it, as well as a drain basin under the lawnmower. Make the choice to drain entirely by unscrewing the oil drain stopper.

Step-3:

Lock the gasoline hose with a clip near to the gas tank before disconnecting it. Unlock the gas cap and empty the mower’s gasoline.

Step-4:

Uninstall the air filter unit and the gasoline tank by disconnecting them. With a Philips-head screwdriver, disconnect the engine wires and throttle cable before removing the oil tube probe. Remove the ignition system wire and the metal casing on top of the motor. Take out the starter motor.

Step-5:

Release the starting clutch by cautiously tapping it with a rubber hammer around until it is released. Insert a tiny piece of wood between the flywheel and the building, then remove the flywheel bolt and replace it by inserting the flat blade of a screwdriver between the spinning and the shelter. Hit the flywheel lightly with the rubber mallet and push it away with the screwdriver knife.

Step-6:

Take the shear gear out of the crankshaft. Hold a bottom part of the lawnmower edge with one hand and crank the blade’s bolt circle with a big wrench. Remove the sword and the bolt and set them aside.

Step-7:

Return the lawnmower to its standing posture and remove the bolts that secure the deck and engine. Remove the motor and set it aside.

Step-8:

Locate the valve top and remove the screws that fasten. Insert a valve expander tool between the metal screw and the opening elastic, then force down on the spring. While the spring is stretched, slide the metal plate up and off, and then gently let go of the spring. Duplicate with the additional valve spring on the opposite side.

Step-9:

Lift out the valve gear after sliding the motor cover off by the edge. To detach the rod stopper, press down on the tabs that link the rod end limit bolts and loosen the bolts.

Step-10:

Press down on the driveshaft and raise it until the cylinder piston is at the highest, then slowly revolve the crankshaft. When the crankpin pin is pointed away from the cylinder, remove the crankshaft from the motor.

Straightening the Shaft

Step-1:

Set the twisted shaft on a strong, firm surface that will not be harmed during the shaft repair process.

Step-2:

Place a length of massive pipe over the shaft’s bent part.

Step-3:

Disconnect the pipe by hammering it over the shaft 2 to 3 times.

Step-4:

To use a level, verify the straightness of the shaft and continue the hammering operation as needed until the shaft has mostly recovered a straight shape.

Step-5:

To reassemble the mower, reverse the dismantling procedure.

Lawn Mower Crankshaft Repair Cost

Crankshaft maintenance typically costs between $50 and $105. Labor expenses are anticipated to be between $130 and $165, with replacement crankshafts costing between $150 and $250. In many circumstances, a new machine is equally as inexpensive (or cheaper). Although there may be some low-cost choices accessible, they are fraught with danger, so proceed with caution.

Symptoms of a bent crankshaft

1) AOD vehicles are often harsher on balancers than 5spd cars since the AOD tends to stress the motor severely in the 1100-1800rpm region because it is not much you can do except owing to the AOD’s shift system. The SC engine has a spontaneous harmonic at around 1300-1600rpm that can generate a vibration that, if allowed to persist, can be disastrous to the motor.

2) In my opinion, once a balancer on an engine breaks, it is quite probable that it will break again. This might be owing to rapid bearing wear caused by harmonic resonance, or it could be due to the initial balancer failing, leading to a twisted crankshaft that likes to break succeeding balancers.

This is one of the causes I worked so hard to acquire a low-cost balancer alternative for us so that folks could easily replace an old balancer before it failed. Simply put, the elastomer goes out, there’s nothing you can do besides repair or replace the balancer. Obviously, replacing the balancer would be preferable.

3) Aside from all of this, I believe that certain SC motors have a terrible balance straight from Ford. I just dismantled a 200K mile SC motor that was still on its factory balancer, and all of the components tested out to within +/- 1gram. I’ve seen a few SC motors lose up to 15-20 g.

What I indicate is that just because your engine keeps cracking balancers doesn’t always imply anything is truly wrong and has to be rebuilt, but you may be forced to pay for a BHJ.

The type of twist in the crank that would fracture a balancer is on the order of.004-.006″, so you have to accept that you won’t be capable of measuring it with any kind of straight. At the very least, you’d have to get a dial indicator.

Conclusion

Finally, the installation method for these balancers is crucial. You can’t push them on since they’re made of metal! You must apply anti-seize on the snout and the appropriate installation equipment. A plank of wood and/or hammer will strain the balancer before you ever put it on it, making early failure practically a foregone conclusion.

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