If you recall, I tore up the pully and spindle on my old workhorse Murray 10hp pusher..(see below)

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Someone was gracious enough on this forum to give me a link to a site which had EXACTLY what I needed...$75.00 worth of new parts! Yeah baby! (tax free too).

So, being the pragmatic fool that I am--rather than to give up on this old beast I decided to repair it. Kind of like my old Volkswagen Vanagon diesel I own. I refuse to give up on 28 years of relationship and investment. Or the tom cat that beats up everyone in the neighborhood or the old player piano that makes everyone in my neighborhood think I am a wiz at the keyboard....

So, yesterday we (I) began to install the new spindle housing and top pulley. Having the skills necessary to ruin parts that I would reuse is part of the fun and was ordained by an undergrad professor 26 years ago at Fresno State.

In removing the part that runs from the top of the pulley to the bottom blade which runs thru the spindle, I foolishly banged it hard with a hammer. To whit---I mushroomed the top where the bolt would tighten down on the pulley. Dumb. Why we hire out technical work to professionals.

So, I hit OSH to get bolts, (not really sure if 9/16-20 or 14mm 1.5) would fit I happened to mention to the young kid about my issue with the threads being messed up. I was figuring on heading over to Harbor Freight for a one time only buy of a thread chaser kit.

This youngster showed me how his dad would grind down the tip then hit it with a file. Or, he would use a thread chaser which cost a grand total of $4.25. (OSH paid the sales tax this weekend in Taxifornia). (Which BTW is a big issue when you factor in the cost of living in California).

I came home thinking I would see if I could hunt down a new shaft part. I removed the old shaft and put it in a vice. I carefully threaded the 9/16-20 thread chaser and BINGO....we have THREADS! Dude. Like, this is a major break through in markies training as a lawn mower expert.

Now, I had figure I would hit it with an impact once...good thing, I had to remove it various times to fix small issues such as using a large flat washer that caused a binding problem. If one can screw things up. I screwed it up trice.

Now whatever you lay down--will ultimately grow legs.

Several key parts just vanished in my yard. The part that hold the front of the deck and a rod that a spring connects to when the deck is engaged......

Back to OSH. Large bolts and longer springs. Jerryrig is the key word here folks. Like, totally slop n crap.

8 hours later, two trips to OSH, one to the gas station for fuel and we have a completed Murray. Albeit the deck digs the crap out of my yard--so I am figuring out how to level this deck. Clearly the blade was UPSIDE DOWN! Oh Markie! Look at those lovely Crop Circles! NO! Look at that mess. Good thing this is the back yard. The homeowners association would be knocking at the front gates by noon tomorrow!

OK, deck nose is now higher, and, the blade is on correctly and I only had to grind a bit off the end of one side of the blade to stop banging on the deck.

Mental Note: Grinders tend to spray sparks, and when they slip you put a nice gash on your fore arm....do not wear short pants or flip flops. Remember that.

Blood and tears, oil and gas, we are now ready for a trial run. Since the Murray was on its side, I sent a plume of blue smoke up into a neighbors yard while the Tecumseh cleared out the motor oil from the carb.

Drop the deck, and it's way tooooo low. Digging in like a mulcher. So up comes the nose, and god only knows how you level it in the back with those star fittings.. I put the rear on #7. Hey it's a learning experience remember?

It cuts, it mows, the deck is nice and quiet, the blue smoke cleared, the yard in the back looks like a drunk with a weed eater tried to mow the lawns, but what the heck....the old

beast is running again....and guess what...

I still want a new Johnnie Popper 38" with a rear bagger. But what the heck, nothing in life is free. So, the old Murray gets a new lease on life. Even without a Stimulus Plan from Wash DC.

No Cash for Clunkers 4 Murrays 4 Deeres or Troybilts yet----(we can hope and dream?)

(Feel free to get your complimentary popcorn and soda as you leave the forum).

And yes, asprin helps with the gash on the arm....