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Got A 184 With Questions

Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 10:33 am
by BigMatt
I bought a 184 the other day and have had some problems with how the PO had the mower set up.

I brought the mower home and started to cut the grass when I looked back and the grass looked TERRIBLE! I checked the blades and they were sharp. After some staring and thinking, I realized the blades were set up to turn the WRONG WAY. I called the seller and he said he forgot to put the twist in the belt when he reinstalled it. I removed a blade and the bolt was right hand thread, so I am pretty sure the blades are supposed to spin clockwise and the deck is supposed to be right hand discharge. (both side shields are off) Anyway, I twisted the belt over itself and got the lawn mowed (with the blades turning counter-clockwise), but I think if I get new blades that are meant to turn clockwise, I should be good on that front. - correct me if I am wrong

Lastly, I am having a problem with the deck attitude. I have experience with these decks and know that the front of the deck shoud be level or slightly lower than the back. I have the back mounts all the way up. The casters in the front could go down another 1/4", but I am already cutting as low as I I would care to. How do I get the rear of the mower to kick up another 1/2 - 3/4"? It looks like I will need to bend the channels that go back to the mule drive bracket.

Any input is welcomed.

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Re: Got A 184 With Questions

Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 10:56 am
by Jim Becker
What you say on the blades and belt sounds right.
BigMatt wrote:It looks like I will need to bend the channels that go back to the mule drive bracket.

Not that familiar with 184 mowers. Maybe soemone else will recognize the mower model and be able to tell you how to change the pitch of the deck. However, I can imagine the future post:
I bought a 184 the other day. The dumb *$%^$ PO had a pair of mounting brackets bottom side up, so he "fixed" it by bending the main channels.

Bending original parts that have survived 30 years is rarely the right answer.

Re: Got A 184 With Questions

Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 11:21 am
by BigMatt
I hear what you are saying about bending the brackets. I looked at the data plate on the PTO cover and it says it is a 59lb like it is supposed to be. I am still stumped on the brackets.

Re: Got A 184 With Questions

Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 11:53 am
by Jim Becker
You should be able to adjust it by which holes you pin (#34) to in the mounting frame (#4). Of course, you say you are already in the highest holes. Any chance you have worn or bent parts in the mix that might cause it? How about pin #29 or the holes it goes through? Maybe bracket #15 either at the ends or where it attaches to the deck in the center. There should be a bushing on the center bolt. Is the bushing there?

http://www.cleancomputes.com/Cub/OEM%20Implement%20and%20Attachment%20Manuals/Woods%20Mower%20Manuals/59-LB%20Rotary%20Mower/Woods%2059-LB%20Rotary%20Mower.htm

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Re: Got A 184 With Questions

Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 12:21 pm
by BigMatt
Jim, I am not sure the bushing in the center bolt on bracket 15 may not be there, but that would only account for maybe 1/4" of play.

Re: Got A 184 With Questions

Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 1:31 pm
by BigMatt
Well, I put the belt back the way it is supposed to be and leveled the deck from left to right. I also moved the lift chains to the correct bolts on the deck and that helped move the deck forward a whole space on the push channels. With all this adjustment, the deck seems nearly level, but I would still like to get a little more adjustment out of it so I can be sure the blade isn't cutting the grass twice.

You are right Jim, if all of those things have slop in them, that could add up to a lot of deck sagging. I will check to make sure all ofthe bushings are where they are supposed to be. I am also going to move the casters up one spacer. That should bring it in right where I want it (even thought I will be cutting the grass shorter than I would like).

Re: Got A 184 With Questions

Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 3:20 pm
by Jim Becker
Keep in mind that when you mow, the deck should be hanging from the chains. The castors should be just low enough to prevent scalping. The chains are so far forward that pitch of the deck won't be effected whether the wheels are on the ground or not, but it can't hurt for them to be off.

Re: Got A 184 With Questions

Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 4:56 pm
by Former Member
Put more air in the rear tires. LOL, if all else fails. :big afro:

Re: Got A 184 With Questions

Posted: Mon May 14, 2012 11:36 am
by BigMatt
I have been pouring over one little paragraph in the operators manual.

It says -

Install bushing (16) into center hole in crosswise rear support and bolt it to the back of the mower deck with short bar forward and offset up using 1/2x2" hex head cap screw...

When you look at the operators manual, it looks like the crosswise rear support's offset is down. That is how mine is installed. If the offset was up, that might solve my problem, but I would like a little input before I go throwing around a couple hundred pounds worth of mower deck.

:lost:

Re: Got A 184 With Questions

Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 3:46 pm
by gitractorman
Matt,
Someone mentioned it, but it's worth double checking. Because all Cub mower decks "hang" from the tractor, the height of the deck is greatly effected by the inflation of the tires. Especially on a lo-boy with those big high-flotation tires. A couple of PSI in each of them can make a HUGE difference. Also keep this in mind when leveling the deck.

I worked on one a few years ago and could not for the life of me figure out why the deck was so far out of level. I was to the point of taking brackets off and comparing them to see if something was bent. My dad said, did you check the air in the tires. Sure enough, one had 10psi and the other had 15psi. I aired them both up to 20 psi, and the deck was perfectly level and about an inch higher than it was previously.

Re: Got A 184 With Questions

Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 5:56 am
by BigMatt
Ok, that is a thought I hadn't tried. I checked for the bushings and they are all there and everything seems pretty tight.

I will be getting the right blades today and putting them on. I will check the pressure in the rear tires and lower the deck a little. Hopefully that will solve my problem.

Re: Got A 184 With Questions

Posted: Fri May 18, 2012 8:47 am
by BigMatt
OK, I got the new blades on and aired up the tires. It is cutting really well now. I just need to level the deck a little and it should be perfect!