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Bolens Manuals Are Right, Just Fuzzy

825 views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  OkieGt 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Apparently Bolens DID use a shaft collar, but with a set screw that went through the spindle. I believe some of these shaft collars were lost or replaced with washers and a roll pin, Why? because shaft collars cost a lot of money compared to a roll pin. Unfortunately without the shaft collar you get a lot more play with a roll pin and washers, causing the bearing to disintegrate in a short time, thereby causing stress on the spindle in the axle and wearing the inside of the axle. And that is what I believed happened to to my tractors front end. Just the inattention to details like using the shaft collar. Manuals don't show pictures of actual parts, they are generic drawings, and representation, in the Bolens manuals we see the shaft collar and set screw, but it really doesn't show us or tell us the size of the set screw, or does it? hmmmmmm, I'll have to do some more reading

EDIT: I went back and looked through the manuals it says the cap screw in the shaft collar is a 1/4-20 x 1" that means the set screw went through the shaft collar and into a hole in the spindle. I don't know why these little details bother me, but they do
 
#2 ·
Did you bother to read my response in your original thread?

Except for not knowing the length of the socket-head cap screw, I thought I clearly explained how the collar was fastened to the spindle.

Bolens Ride-A-Matics did not use the shaft collars to retain the front wheels. ....A cotter pin and flat washers were used.

Bolens tube-frames used the shaft collars with washers and socket-head cap screws to retain the front wheels.

I disagree with your reasoning on why your wheel bearing disintegrated. ....Excess end-play does not make the bearing fail.

A roll pin was probably installed because that was what was on hand, or readily available. ....If the end-play is minimized by using washers with the roll pin, that is an acceptable method to retain the front wheel. .....It may not be as strong against thrust as the using the shaft collar, but it will not cause the bearing to fail.
 
#3 ·
Did you bother to read my response in your original thread?

Except for not knowing the length of the socket-head cap screw, I thought I clearly explained how the collar was fastened to the spindle.

Bolens Ride-A-Matics did not use the shaft collars to retain the front wheels. ....A cotter pin and flat washers were used.

Bolens tube-frames used the shaft collars with washers and socket-head cap screws to retain the front wheels.

I disagree with your reasoning on why your wheel bearing disintegrated. ....Excess end-play does not make the bearing fail.

A roll pin was probably installed because that was what was on hand, or readily available. ....If the end-play is minimized by using washers with the roll pin, that is an acceptable method to retain the front wheel. .....It may not be as strong against thrust as the using the shaft collar, but it will not cause the bearing to fail.
nope I didn't read it, and only made it through the first sentence of this post, What's a "ride-a-matic"??? my post was about a Bolens H16 garden tractor
 
#4 ·
Hey Bruce, I wasn't trying to be pissy, but it seems that what was factory is hard to determine when we get these tractors decades later. I believe I was wrong when I said mine and others came with roll pins, I just knew they had holes drilled in many of them, maybe not all, but I do believe some versions, -01,-02, -03 etc had holes, that said, it makes perfect sense that instead of roll pins that would have needed several washers or a spacer that a shaft collar with a pin was used instead. I'm not buying the idea that so many of these spindles were drilled and I think upon close examination of the manuals show that. After reading and thinking about it your right about the bearing, maybe a hard hit against a curb or lack of washers? I'm not sure, the other side is perfect, so I suspect damage injury, Sorry if I came of flippant, Mike
 
#5 ·
#6 ·
Sorry guys, one eye sees one thing and the other sees another, very, very frustrating and I haven't been able to get glasses/operation to fix it. I miss or misunderstand a lot of things. I have no idea what a early 1960s Bolens tractor has to do with this thread?????????? and just when I think were past the whole ride-a-matic thing here comes another reference by means of a google image link without any explanation as to why the link was posted, how it pertains to my H16, or what I'm supposed to say or reply about it. Subtly doesn't work for me at all and not on the internet so much either. All my tractors are 1973-1979 single cylinder hydros, not really comparable in any way to early tractors of any brand. I know there is a reason the reference keeps coming up, but for the life of me cant figure it out, sorry . Mike
 
#7 ·
Sorry guys, one eye sees one thing and the other sees another, very, very frustrating and I haven't been able to get glasses/operation to fix it. I miss or misunderstand a lot of things. I have no idea what a early 1960s Bolens tractor has to do with this thread?????????? and just when I think were past the whole ride-a-matic thing here comes another reference by means of a google image link without any explanation as to why the link was posted, how it pertains to my H16, or what I'm supposed to say or reply about it. Subtly doesn't work for me at all and not on the internet so much either. All my tractors are 1973-1979 single cylinder hydros, not really comparable in any way to early tractors of any brand. I know there is a reason the reference keeps coming up, but for the life of me cant figure it out, sorry . Mike
You asked what a Ride A Matic was.
 
#8 ·
You asked what a Ride A Matic was.
Yes I did, but it was meant to be in context of how it related to the H16, I'll be more careful in my wording, Frankly I just missed the part of how it related to my post, so now i know what a ride-a-matic is but not sure anyone will ever say how it relates, oh well, it doesn't matter, I have a test in Humanities2 tomorrow and a paper to write in Comp2, summer courses are so fun, yeah right.
 
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