Snow Plow question.

[Alan Gee]

The tractor I picked up has a snow plow. The link that lifts the blade it home made out of thick angle iron and seems ok. But I am looking at the bar at the pivot point at the rear of the steering box casting where there is a square hole that runs from one side to the other . It looks like who ever has a section of what looks like a 7/8 ths inch steel round stock bar that has been threaded on either end with nuts on either end that is holding the pivot point for the plow. Is that what should be in there ? There are two large bolts mounted at a 45 degree slant on the back of the square tube but they dont seem to be doing anything.

[offrink]

The pivot point was answered here.

viewtopic.php?f=223&t=84596

Photos will be of a bunch of help for the two other bolts.

[Urbish]

What was originally there (as part of the blade brackets and attachment hardware) were two square blocks which are held in place by the two 45 degree set bolts. A long bolt ran through the whole works and through the hole in the pivoting lever. It looks like a previous owner went a different route with your tractor. If it works, and the nut isn't loosening or tightening as you raise and lower the blade, you should be ok. Make sure that the angle iron pivoting lever isn't riding on threads of that pivot shaft setup, otherwise you'll have premature wear. My tractor has a piece of square tubing with nuts welded onto the ends and a bolt going through the pivoting lever into one end of the tube. It's not original but works fine.

Jim

[Bob McCarty]

http://www.tmtractor.com/tm-tractor/gim/blade54a001004.jpg
This picture from TM Tractor shows the two cast blocks and bolt that go through the square tube on the steering housing.

Bob

[Alan Gee]

Ah Ha, Thanks. I figured the 7/8ths rod was wrong. It does work but its a bit jiggly in there. The 45 degree set bolts cant really hold the round rod very well.
The home made link needed a bit of tinkering. It was rubbing the steering box. I fixed that ok but still was wondering about the make shift pivot rod.
Now that I see what should be there I can make those blocks. Thanks again.

[Bill Hudson]

Ah ... Now that I see what should be there I can make those blocks. ...

My neighbor made me a couple and I asked him to put a 1/4" chamfer on one edge. It works really well when the bolt meets that surface.

Bill

[Randy Tuura]

I had a similar problem. The lifting rod had a hole that was "wallered out" quite a bit. I had a couple of good blocks but the rod holding it all together was a homemade piece of mild steel with washers welded on one end and a pin holding the other end...

I bored out the hole and welded in a bushing that is 1" OD and 21/32 ID. Don't want anything binding up because it is too precision. Then I ordered the grade 8 bolt from TM. Can't wait til mowing season is over and I can mount the plow.

[Alan Gee]

I got lucky and scored a section of 1 1/2 steel stock, bored it out and cut two nice 3 inch axle hanger bushings.
Upon installing them I could not get the shaft to slide back through. It kept hittin something hard inside the casting.
I got a raw piece of one inch stock and tapped it throuh with a hammer , it was not in there real tight so it came out.
I had a good laugh when I saw what it was. Actually there were TWO items in there . It seems some where along the line some one tried to fab two hanger bushings but they were only 3/4 of and inch thick and when he put the shaft in they slid into the casting and were not being held in place by the jam bolts. The jam bolts were doing nothing at all .

[Randy Tuura]

The plow we had when I was a kid did not have the blocks, but two square plates 3/4 inch thick that always seemed to work their way to the center. I always thought it would be a good idea to put a piece of square tubing in between just long enough so the 3/4 blocks were flush with the ends of the square hole in the bolster. Happily the one I just got has the long ones that fasten very securely with the screws...