New Hustler

[swamp donkey]

big hammer!!!!!!!!!

[Dan67]

Hit a sticking point on the tear down, all lug nuts are off but 5 rims wont seperate from the hubs i think due to all the rust, any ideas?

Jack up the hustler and hose down the rust with pb blaster.. wait some time and wack with a bfh.. (big fracking hammer)

[bugeyed_99]

Well finally got the wheels off the hustler, now have hit another snag. searched and couldn't find specific info to help but the pins or bolts that go thru the sprocket tube and thru the axles are not budging at all, I got the bolt on the bottom off, but using the allen wrench on the bolts they wont budge, just keep breaking my wrenches any ideas? Im trying to keep from cutting the axels in order to save a few for extras. I hit them a couple times with PB blaster as well

[hydromike]

but using the allen wrench on the bolts they wont budge, just keep breaking my wrenches any ideas?

Here's a silly question: Are you trying to turn the axle bolt using the allen head, or are you just holding the bolt with the allen head and loosening the nut? The allen-head is really just there to hold the bolt while you tighten the nut. If you get the nut off, you might be best to just drive the bolt out with a long punch and the same BFH you used on the wheels. You might have to get a little heat on it to help out. These bolts are hardened and are proper equipment to use when you put it back together, so if you break or frag one during dissassembly it's best to try and replace it with the same equipment. It's easy to just put a normal grade 8 bolt in there, but resist temptation and get a good shoulder bolt to replace it. McMaster Carr sells them pretty cheaply.... Here's the link to the 3/8" diameter shoulder bolt page.



Don't cut the axles just yet...

[bugeyed_99]

The nut came off without having to hold the bolt head at all due to all the rust this machine has accumulated over the years, looking at the bolt I was under the impression that the screwed out but if they don't then ill attack it with my hammer and give it a try.

[hydromike]

...but if they don't then ill attack it with my hammer and give it a try.

That's the spirit.

[bugeyed_99]

Those pins are a PTA, spent 4 hours getting one out. Sprayed it with PB Blaster then hit it with a hammer then more pb blaster then hammer, then heat. Ended up having to cut the head off and pound it out with a punch. 5 more and itll be done

[jpswift1]

Yes, they certainly can be! Glad you ended up getting it out and not having to cut the axle.

[bugeyed_99]

After finally getting out to work on the hustlers again I have cleaned up the new body and discovered a small hole underneath of where the chain sits, its about the width of the chain and 2 inches long, Im trying to figure the best way to patch it was thinking bolting a small piece of hdpe on the underside of the body as to not have to deal with the hdpe glue, would this suffice? or should I grin and bear it and try the hdpe glue? also to prevent this in the future can you shim the tranny so it sits slightly higher so the chains wont rub anymore. Hopefully in a couple weeks Ill have this thing done, good news is the tranny seems to be full functional, gonna tear it apart to check bands, but shifts by hand into forward and reverse pretty smoothly.

[Mike]

I would get a spare piece of HDPE and melt it (plastic weld it) to fill the hole. If you start at the ends and work your way towards the center you should be able to patch it up.