✅CLICK HERE FOR A NEW BELT ➜ amzn.to/44yEU0P ✅CLICK HERE FOR A GREASE GUN ➜ amzn.to/2HEEm1z ✅CLICK HERE FOR A NEW SPINDLE ASSEMBLY ➜ amzn.to/2wjOAxL ✅CLICK HERE FOR NEW BEARINGS ➜ amzn.to/2M6pgpG For more videos like this, check out: 👉How To Remove The Mowing Deck ➜ kzread.info/dash/bejne/l4WgqbSleafJc5M.html 👉How To Install A Belt On A Riding Lawn Mower ➜ kzread.info/dash/bejne/h5uLlsmcgKS9edY.html 👉How To Fix a Riding LawnMower That Will Not Move or Drive ➜ kzread.info/dash/bejne/mKKcx9CkY5qxk6w.html 👉How To Adjust The Belt Tension On A Riding Lawn Mower ➜ kzread.info/dash/bejne/m4ytktCMlsqdmJc.html You can connect with Steve here too: ✅Visit Steve’s WEBSITE ➜ www.stevessmallenginesaloon.com/ ✅Visit Steve’s PARTS & TOOL STORE ➜ www.amazon.com/shop/stevessmallenginesaloon ✅Follow Steve on FACEBOOK ➜ facebook.com/stevessmallenginesaloon ✅Follow Steve on INSTAGRAM ➜ instagram.com/stevessmallenginesaloon/ ✅Follow Steve on TWITTER ➜ twitter.com/SteveSaloon ✅Follow Steve on TIKTOK ➜ www.tiktok.com/@stevessmallenginesaloon

@waynemark93

10 ай бұрын

Fact! 😂 Well stated, and Thanks. Steve!

Steve is wrong on this, speaking for myself and I’m guessing many others. There is a 0% chance we would have got it right without this video. Thanks for all you do Steve!

@killer2600

10 ай бұрын

Mathematically, that's impossible.

Great tip Steve! I believe there is a 100% chance that you finished that beer as well!!!

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

You got that right!

Glad to see you’re still at it.

Exactly my problem I discovered on a replacement used deck... and I can't believe it never occurred to me the spindles were installed wrong! Even without the plastic covers the solid tube of the grease gun couldn't navigate the deep curved "well" formed by the shape of the deck. I didn't have a flex tube. Thanks for the slap on the back of the head! 😆

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

You're Welcome...

I would love to be a guest on Steve's show.... just to stand around, drink beer and occasionally say "aaayep".. lol. Love your channel buddy ! My equipment has lasted longer with less down time because of your content. Thank you. Also, I noticed here we have a prime example of the superior adhesion on the powder coating that JD has become famous for. I have an LA series that is nearly completely bare on everything except the frame and cowl.

so it's better odds than plugging a USB in correctly

@jameslawnmowerrepair

10 ай бұрын

Actually that's %50 lol

@GotrekGurninsson

10 ай бұрын

USB C my guy time to upgrade

@rbarclay6529

10 ай бұрын

You say 50%.... but I get it wrong 90% the first try every time. "60% of the time, it works, everytime." 😂

@NoNo_IStay

10 ай бұрын

​@@jameslawnmowerrepairhey look up. There's a joke up there.

@farmerwayne1404

10 ай бұрын

USB. User Still Blundering...

"Some people call it a tower , some people call it a spindle" The steel shaft inside is the spindle , the aluminium part bolted to the deck is the spindle housing .

@rebeltaz123

10 ай бұрын

I mean... if you want to get specific, the steel shaft is technically called a "spindle SHAFT" or a "jackshaft," at least according to all of my dealers. But sometimes, around the shop, we just call it "the thing the blades mounts to." Customers understand that better. and "a rose by any other name... yadda yadda yadda..."

So your saying I have a chance SteveO 😂😂. Great advice and your 100% correct! Cheers 🍻 and Steve Out!

Hey Steve! Good advice… Something else some of your viewers may not know… most of the newer spindles come with sealed bearings and may not even have a grease fitting. Those that do will probably have the sealed bearings. As you know it won’t matter how much grease you pump in, the grease won’t get into the bearings. The only solution I’ve found is to disassemble the spindle, remove the inner seals and pump that sucker full of grease. I’ve seen some vids that explain all this but it would be great if you could make one as well….

@cottydry

10 ай бұрын

I was wondering the same thing. "Is this a dummy grease fitting that goes to nowhere"?

@jaapvanharen

10 ай бұрын

I just bought me some aftermarket ones from Skana for my MTDmower: they have a greasenipplel and twosided sealed bearings. The supplier told me that the advice from Skana indeedd is to dismantle the unit (before mounting!), take of the seals of both innersides, and pump it full. For them and me it remains unclear WHY Skana would sell this and give this advice only when asked about the greasenipple and the ungreasable bearing ..... Confused? I stille am ...

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

Already did! In my playlist...

@ehsnils

10 ай бұрын

At least if you look at the SKF bearing designation system you'll see that there are many types of bearing suffixes. 2RS is a 2-sided rubber contact seal, RS is a single side contact seal. Then there are the Z and RZ seals that are non contact seals. My take is that if you replace your bearings yourself and have a grease nipple/zerk then you should use the non contact seals and grease at regular intervals. If you run the contact seals you'd push out the seal and destroy the sealing of the bearing. If you use the 2RS sealed bearings you'd have a "maintenance free" bearing setup but at the same time no need to mess with a grease gun, just replace the bearings whenever they start to behave bad. I have been using the 2RS bearings on motorcycle wheels and that has been trouble free. So it's up to you to decide what you prefer - a possibly longer lifetime if you grease manually or replacing the bearings when they go bad. Bearings are generally not that expensive, it's the amount of work that's the issue. Fully sealed bearings are greased in a clean environment.

@kevchard5214

10 ай бұрын

Not a good idea. Sealed bearings are better than open bearings because gravity pulls all the liquified grease away from the upper bearing (no matter how much you put in)so it burns up faster.

Thanks Steve I have a feeling I’ll be replacing my spindle’s soon . I had NO idea that’s what that was for. I just thought it was for grass to escape.

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

You're Welcome...

My 2002 JD L120 didn't have any grease fittings on the spindles so I tapped and installed some.

A grease fitting that in many cases is worthless being as most use double sealed bearings that prevent the grease from getting into the bearing. Personally I remove the seals from the inside (facing the grease fitting) and grease minimally as not to blow out the outside seal.

I helped my neighbor who isn't let's say mechanically inclined replace all the spindles and mentioned to him "Be aware of the position you clock the spindle when mounting so you can grease it easily. He didn't listen so he's buying a new grease gun to access the nipples lol

Lol its the little things that can make you curse at times. Thanks steve

Guess what, Steve?! This morning we discovered that the replacement spindles, which didn't come with blade nuts, would not accept the old ones!! Blades fit fine, nuts were too small. Now we have to wait until the JD dealer opens on Monday and hope they have some in stock. It never ends!! SMH 🤣🙃

Many comment about sealed bearings when not all brands use the same TYPE of spindle/setup. 1) My Husq'y spindles have a double-seal upper bearing and a grease fitting at the shaft's top end coming out a bit below it's position. The bottom race with same ID has larger bearings/balls, a larger OD, and a seal only on the bottom. 2) My '70s Cub Cadet's service spindles included single-lip seals to be installed "both facing in the same direction" One would keep grease in while the other kept dirt out and would ooze vs either one blow if over-greased. What could a guy replace what he had with? 🙂

Great advice I had no idea there was a grease fitting even there. Thanks Steve!!!!

@fredcloud9668

10 ай бұрын

Some have a grease fitting, and some don't.

How serendipitous, Steve!! My neighbour just blew up the centre spindle on his Deere 155C . We're changing ALL of the spindles, of course. He bought the thing second hand, and the previous owner didn't take care of it at all. We're going to remedy that! Everything was seized solid and it took me three hours and most of my tools to get everything freed up. You should see what's left of his mangled blades!! LOL We have all the new parts and tomorrow is reassembly day. I *probably* would have remembered to put the spindles in facing the right way, but I thank you for the reminder!! I's Beer Thirty now!

Didn't realise their were Grease nipples under the plastic. Thanks. From Melbourne AUSTRALIA 👍🤠

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

You're Welcome...

@tadeuszmichaelwlodarczyk3120

10 ай бұрын

@@StevesSmallEngineSaloon thanks mate👍

The more you know! Thanks Steve! Small tricks or tips can make a huge difference! Appreciate you!👍

What kind of beer you pop open at end of video Steve? Old milwaukee? Another great tip video,it's all based on common sense. Keep the videos coming to Pittsburgh Pa. Hope your better half is doing well. God bless 🙏 Beachbumb out,😆 😅😊😊

Well there you go! I thought those holes in the covers were carefully designed big enough to allow grass and leaves to clog your belts, and small enough to make it a pain to clear the blockage!

Don’t have to worry about that because I have a Cub Cadet. It doesn’t have a zerk fitting (sealed bearings). Nope, don’t have to think of that at all when I replace the spindles every other year because the bearings wear out.

@luuk-out-below9804

10 ай бұрын

I'm not a CC fanboy but that seems odd. I have a machine with about 500 mowing hours on it and the spindles are fine. Are you pressure washing the deck a lot?

Steve this is irrelevant to all mower decks since the early to mid 80s. All spindles are equipped with sealed bearings on top and bottom so greasing does nothing. Actually sealed bearings are better than open bearings because gravity pulls all the grease from the upper open bearing away and down so it burns up faster.

Thanks Steve. As it turns out, I replaced both spindles this year. But I did it the smart way. Called in guy who used to be the local Sears mechanic.

Thanks for the great tip, Steve and April 😊👍

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

Our pleasure!

That’s funny because I never knew that the opening was for access to the grease point! I usually take the cover off to clean all the grass and yuk out anyway. And the I grease it and reinstall the cover! Good tip to know! 👍🏼

On craftsman’s the fittings on top

If that is a John Deere deck, don't waste your time greasing it. They have sealed bearings in the spindles. All you're doing is filling the cavity with grease and the bearing is not getting the grease. I questioned our local John Deere dealer about and they were not happy about it. I'm not saying they all are like that but mine and many others are. Just thought I'd share. Thanks Steve.

Thanks for 6the video, always enjoy watching!

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

Our pleasure!

Awesome information mate , thanks brother !!!!!!👍

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

No problem 👍

You wont get grease into bearing there are seals on both sides of bearings supprised you don't know that @?🤗🌹 great channel learnt a lot from watching you drinking beer!😋

Thanks for the info Steve

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

Any time!

This assumes that the bearings are not sealed bearings - which I have found most all of these bearings to be... EVEN on the spindles with grease fittings. If the bearings are sealed, it doesn't matter WHICH way you install it, because even if you DO put grease in there, it is NOT getting to the bearings and doing any good.

Thanks for the tips 🤘

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

Any time

It helps! Psssshhhht! God Bless you Steve!

Glad to see this video. Thank you

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

You're welcome

Good tips steve thanks.

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

Glad to help

Well. I did this one time. But since I didn't know about it in the first place, even if I had lucked into the proper position, it STILL wouldn't have gotten the grease!😂

Did you tell us one time that the bearings in the towers wont take grease because the bearings have plastic covers on them that prevents the grease from entering the bearing and these covers should be removed…top cover for lower, and bottom cover for upper ???

LT1000 here - no zerk fittings (:()) -toyed w/ the idea of putting them in (drill, tap, etc.) but, so far they seem to be fine (it's a 2003 model) - did have to replace one a few years back (5+) when I hit a rock in deep grass - the rock won and broke the spindle clean off the deck!

Thank You for Sharing

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

You're Welcome...

I've seen these with the grease zerk on the "tower" yet the bearings are sealed.

Thanks for sharing 👍😎

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

No problem 👍

Steve, what are the symptoms of a spindle that needs to be replaced?

Thanks Steve

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

You're Welcome...

Thank you!

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

You're welcome!

Great video on the proper placement of the blade spindle for a John Deere mower and other types of greasable spindle's

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

Thanks 👍

@robertmailhos8159

10 ай бұрын

@@StevesSmallEngineSaloon your welcome young man 👍 I'm glad you did this video on this matter because one of these days I've got a idea that I will have to replace the spindle s on my John Deere lt mower oh by the way do you know what the part number is for the engine mounting bolts on a John Deere lt 133 mower are my John Deere lt mower is equipped with a 13 h.p Kohler over Head valve engine

@rickbroerman9267

10 ай бұрын

Grease your spindles now and don't let them go bad. Preventative Maintenance.

@robertmailhos8159

10 ай бұрын

@@rickbroerman9267 cool beans 🫘 on this matter of keeping the spindle's greasy

My neighbour has a deere 42 inch and the belt wears right through that cover. New covers last summer almost wore through now. I banded with some aluminum . Going to see how fast the aluminum wears.

don’t for get to take the spindles apart and remove the inside bearing seals so the grease actually goes into the bearings when your pump in the grease.

Thanks ! 😊

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

You're Welcome...

It's the little things.....

Good to know thank you

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

Happy to help

👍, another great video….

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

Thank You...

I never thought about it, I just thought, "Make it easy for the next guy," and face the fitting "out"

Most of the decks I've worked on have gone to permanently lubricated bearings and have no grease zerks on the spindle housing. The last Cub Cadet deck had the zerks AND sealed bearings??? WTF? Anyway I replaced the bearings with sealed ones and put a plug in the zerk hole. Didn't want them to think they could grease the bearings. I've heard of a guy on U Tube who advises to grease them until grease comes out of the top/and or bottom even with sealed bearings... I'm not thinking that's a good idea. IF you do that then the only way grease comes out is if you have blown out the seals on the bearing. That defeats the purpose of having sealed bearings in the first place... right? What do you think?

Man I love your videos. I've looked thur all about lawn zero turn and mowers. I have a Cub Cadet 46" feb deck. Had for about 4 yrs, with only 190 hrs. I have noticed that at times it want start at all. Battery good I keep a tender on it. Then come back the next day starts. Or after using it, shutting off taking a break and coming back after an hour or so want start, but let it set for hours its starts. I can hear the PTO engaging and disengaging on and off when I pull the switch. Any ideas what is causing this problem.

Taking guard off isn't that difficult but if I ever get a mower with one of those decks I will remember what Steve said.

My new Toro Timecutter has only two grease zerks on it. No spindle zerks at all. That's a lot less than the Exmark I sold.

So you say I got a 75% chance of getting it wrong. Well now with your valuable tip I still most likely would screw it up. LOL

Bearing hub or housing.

👍👍👍.Thank you

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

Welcome 👍

OOPS!!!!! I had to install the zerk myself. I think I may have installed it too low? As for the covers, I had to remove one of them. The grass over loads the covers and the belt comes off when I disengage?

Steve I have jd la135 42” mower will a 48” or 54” deck swap be possible on this mower?

Steve, What is your opinion of removing the bearing's "shield" on the side of the bearings facing in (on the "sealed" bearings) and drilling and tapping the spindle's housing so those bearing can be greased? PS: I'm once again suffering from April deprivation syndrome since she hasn't appeared in a few weeks.🙃😉😊...

Some people call it a tower, some call it a spindle. I call it Barbara....Barbara mandrel.

@StevesSmallEngineSaloon

10 ай бұрын

LOL! Right on buddy...

Details details...no body (except me) ever greases those sealed bearings. Yep, sealed. Take it apart next time ya gotta change those spindles. -- 7.23.2023 - Thanks Steve!

Hahaha. I had replaced my spindles before. Had to go and check. Hmmm, no grease zerk.

Good to know, thanks Steve. However it requires two things 1. Paying attention to detail and 2. Common sense. The only way that I would have gotten it wrong is if I did not follow those two rules. But from time to time I do make that mistake because I get into a rush. Also it helps to have a cell phone with a camera. So my odds of getting correct is within 55 to 75%, of course im only human and I need to learn to take my time and have patience.

That has to be an old John Deere deck, the bracket near the camera is bolted not welded to the deck, making the blade activation cable tension/ length of pull adjustable.

I thought most spindles being sold today have sealed bearings in them making the grease zerk a failed attempt at giving Joe Q. Public the idea you are providing time lengthening maintenance. When in essence you are just pumping grease to fill the spindle void. I have seen some that were actually serviceable. What are your thoughts Steve. I understand the thought of greasing and proper maintenance, just my 2 cents. Mike

@keith7046

10 ай бұрын

I've had my 48" mower deck for 17yrs. and always grease the spindles when I replace the blades. Haven't had to replace a spindle yet. I mow an acre and a half each time.

@paulattanasio3061

10 ай бұрын

Yep. I have a John Deere D130 that is 14 years old and haven’t replaced a spindle yet! Preventive maintenance is my Moto!!!!

Grease Zerk!

Nooice! 😎 STOC

Can’t get my spindle on wrong. Three bolts and no grease zerk. Chalk one up for cheap mowers.

If it had a grease fitting I/d leave the guard off ,so I don't forget to grease it .

there are not near enough grease zerks on today's lawn mowers! If there were, there would be a lot less replacement parts sold!

But aren't the grease fitting pointless anyway, since most spindles have sealed bearings?

@rebeltaz123

10 ай бұрын

EXACTLY! But they make customers FEEL better 🤷‍♂

They have these Deere deck wheel brackets welded on and so you cannot replace with a new bracket....I have a front deck wheel bracket mangled (bent pretty good) and there is no way to straighten it up. Would be nice if we could just buy a new bracket and bolt it on! WTF?

IF you don't know about this... and have only a 25% chance of installing it correctly... I'm quite sure it won't matter, as you won't be aware of the need to grease the spindles anyway.

Mine were installed wrong from the factory I have to take the guards off to grease 🙄🤬🤬

In most cases, the bolt holes force you to align the cover. They only fit one way.

Why don't they make decks out of stainless.

What guards...lol

You've gotoo cut em in half with a torch, grease em, then weld them back together with 7018, cool down in 0-5 h.d.oil. let sit 15min in refrigerator. Reinstall.

Too Late - I'm in the 75% part

Spindle Shaft.

That video assumes those plastic covers exist.

So , face the fitting towards the hole , lol. It’s been year’s since I’ve worked on this stuff but don’t they use double sealed bearings on these today ? And if so , whats the Zirk about ?

So you can grease a spindle that has sealed bearings.

@MrMnmn911

10 ай бұрын

Ha ha. No.

Well, if they owned a grease gun and knew how to use it, well then, yes.

remember the two guides to successful man stuff: 1: a 50% chance of getting it right is a 100% chance of getting it wrong. and If a man, all alone in the forest, with no women around, says something; is he still wrong?

Interesting that you would suggest that when you recently told your viewers that that grease nipple didn’t serve an purpose due to the top and bottom spindle bearings are sealed and will not accept grease without the removal of the bearing cover ring facing the zerk.

Is that to grease the “sealed” bearing ? 🤔

What is a "lahnmore"?

FYI: Considering that the grease nipple HAS TO BE TIGHTENED to seal the connection and prevent grease (or almost all of it) from squirting out all around the connection, that spindle/mandrel pulley cover HAS TO BE REMOVED anyway. The grease nipple tip commonly has a threaded cover to tighten for sealing and loosen for removal. Some grease will squirt out on removal, but it's nowhere near the same mess. The spindle/mandrel pulley covers have to be removed even if your grease gun has a clamping lock to seal the nipple to the zerk, because you have to be able to operate the clamping mechanism to get the nipple on and off (and maybe to adjust it), but that small cover opening will not allow this. The zerk fitting is too far inside and not open enough for your hand or fingers for either type. Sure, you want to install the spindles/mandrels for easy access to the zerk fittings, but I had to install my own zerk fittings (my spindles/mandrels did not come with them) and I mounted the spindles/mandrels with the zerks facing outside for easier access. I still have to pull the covers, but the zerks are easier to access with each one facing outward. Also, there is a video by *Woodchuck Russ the Deck Dr* proving that the inner seal of spindle/mandrel sealed bearings do not need to be pulled for a grease gun to grease them. The title is: *Don’t trust the “Experts” Grease your mower deck sealed spindle bearings Common sense maintenance.* You can find it by the title.

I thought we would run out of things to talk about but, noooo.

That guard ain't good fer nuthin no way but to catch grass and dirt. If you caint use the dang mower without sticking your foot in there, it's time to cut the herd anyway or hire it done.

Most spindles have sealed bearings. If you take out inner seals when you pump in the grease it pops the outer seal exposing bearings to dirt.😮

If it can go wrong, Mr. Murphy will make sure it goes wrong 100% of the time. He’s the most hated person among mechanics.