Wrenchin'

It's mowing season again and I had my first issue with the Bad Boy mower Saturday. As you can see from the photo, there isn't much in the way of a bearing in the hole on the idler pulley. It broke right after the dealer had closed so I don't know if they'll have a part in stock. There's actually two of these pulleys on the deck, so I figure I should probably get both of them replaced or see if I can press a new bearing into the other one. Since this one is missing a big chunk of the flange, it definitely needs to be replaced and I'll put a new belt on as long as I'm replacing pulleys. With my old mower, I was changing the drive belt at least three times per season. Since this is the third year for the Bad Boy, I'm ahead of the game here. Hopefully, the parts will be in stock.

I've been making a little headway on the Sportster - steady by jerks as my old Pal Joey B. used to say. I've got the crank pressed into the case, after having to machine up a little driver, and I'm sorting all the hardware. I went to one of the many auto parts stores and picked up some SAE flat washers. For those of you not too into hardware, a SAE washer has a smaller outside diameter than your run of the mill flat washer. 

Even though I live in a small community, there are five auto parts stores within bicycling distance of my house. Four of them are located on the same street. I don't know how they all stay in business, but I know that the one place is run by a couple of guys about my age, they have a full service machine shop and because they've been around, they know what's up. I walked in, grabbed some gasket sealer and threadlocker, went to the counter and asked if they carried SAE washers. The old dude said yes, I told him the size and the quantity and it was a done deal.  There's a lot to be said for doing business with guys that have been around. No explanation required, no shopping through the blister packs on the wall, just a simple transaction. Like it should be. 

I don't know how many things I've fixed over the years due to the use of the wrong hardware. English bolts stuck in a metric hole, bolts snapped off because they were a little too long and bottomed out in the hole before drawing up tight or, conversely, the hole is stripped because they used a bolt too short and there wasn't enough thread engagement - like a short reach plug in an aluminum head on Jr's dirt bike. I've welded up more than a few of those over the years. And let's not forget the ever popular coarse thread nut on the fine thread bolt or some other combination there of. It's nice that there are still places that not only speak hardware but stock it as well. Here's to the wisdom that comes with age and experience.