Craftsman Deck Won’t Disengage

[Sawdust]

My dad passed away a few years ago and I brought his little lawn tractor back home. Although it’s small it is probably one of my favorites to ride and cut grass. It maneuvers flawlessly, cuts good, turns on a dime, and easy on gas.

The problem is the deck won’t disengage. While searching on YouTube I found that this same deck is used on a lot of other tractors like Poulan, Husqvarna, and a lot of Sears. They have the same flaw on the idler arm. After years of wear the idler arm gets two half round divits worn into the plate causing the deck to not disengage. This part is available at around $20. plus shipping but can be repaired.

I tack welded a few places on top of each divit then used my grinder to clean it up then painted.

 

[4getgto]

So that part acts like a brake of some sort ?
Or was limiting its travel ? Or lack of travel ?

 

[Sawdust]

So that part acts like a brake of some sort ?
Or was limiting its travel ? Or lack of travel ?

It limits its travel. There’s a small roller that rides on top of that plate as you engage and disengage the idler arm. When the divit forms on the idler arm plate it hangs up in that divit. Sears has also offered an up grade of replacing the small roller with a larger one. Of coarse that won’t help me any with them being gone. I’m going to be giving this tractor to my son once I get it done. I might later check the roller out I’m sure they can be had somewhere else.