As I set here looking at the title line, I am wondering if that title is a comment about me. Am I a mechanical genius? I have explained in the past that when in high school all students were tested to learn of their potential. The guidance counselor was surprised how well I did on the mechanical aptitude test. He comment in a somewhat surprised manner, “You aced this test”. He asked, how did you do that. I remember commenting something to the effect, I don’t know, it was just easy.
Now everyone knows that I had an ability to be a mechanical prodigy, and that has had a lasting effect as we will soon see in the following narrative.
Yesterday, having taken my noonday nap, decided to get the Ford’s ole riding mower out and shred the leaves in the back yard. I would also decapitate any grass or weeds in this process.
(Decapitate explained: De-cap-I-tate, “De” means remove, “cap” well you should know what a cap is, “I” means the person removing the cap, “tate” was the name of the fellow who coined the word, it should not be in the word. The word should have been, “Idecap, meaning I remove the cap.)
As usual, I checked the oil and added gas. The tires had air in them so I was ready to get to work. The motor was running smoothly as I revved it up to the proper running speed for mowing. I drove over to the spot where I wanted to start. My plan was to shred this first area in circles, then using the mowers blow power, push the shredded leaves toward the area along the fence where no grass grows do to the Tres running up and down the fence.
Mower in place I was ready to engage the mowing blades. I always do this by moving the lever that engages the blade in a slow manner. I prefer to engage the blades this way as it is easier on the belts and it doesn’t load the motor all at once.
Lever in hand, I moved it forward slowly, but the blades would not engage. In fact it killed the motor. Now in past times, when engaging the mower blade after the mower has set for a week or two, there can be a discharge of old dried grass globs.
I again started the motor and again tried to engage the blades, but I had the same results and the motor again died. I tried it a third time with almost the same effect except, I disengaged the blades quickly allowing the motor to keep running. I believe there is a comment from Albert Einstein that fits here, “The definition of insanity is, doing the same thing over and over expecting different results”.
I stopped doing the same thing over and over, with tears in my eyes I drove the ole riding mower to the garage. I jacked the front end up and placed some jack stands under the mower (safety first). I began my investigation, looking at, pushing and pulling on things. In doing this, I was obviously on the floor, sometimes sitting, other times lying, and often crawling around. Seniors over 70 should not have to do this type work, but being on a fixed income, taking the mower to the repairman is out of the question!
Unable to determine the problem, I began removing parts and belts. Not my belt! Why do you feel the need to ask these silly questions! I dropped the mowing blade housing down from the mower body and was then able to determine what was stopping the blades from turning. There are two blades, each blade is attached to a sealed bearing, which is attached to a pulley. The right side blade and bearing would not turn, but I could not see any obstruction.
That is great, I guess I will need to order a sealed bearing for this mower before I can use it again. I was hoping I could get that crazy serpentine belt back on correctly. I then thought I should have taken a photo of the belt position before taking it off, which is one good use of the cell phone camera.
Heartbroken that I would not get to shred the leaves and decapitate the grass, I decided to put it back together. I had only been on my knees for a little over an hour. I replaced the belt and began putting the pins, along with the nuts and bolts back in place. I, for some reason, possibly divine direction or intervention, again attempted to turn the right blade.
It turned!
Both blades now turn!
I must be a mechanical genius, I don’t know what I did to make it work.
Needless to say, I rode around in the back yard with a big smile on my face. My head was so big I could hardly keep my cap on, or maybe it was the wind. Either way I was happy.
Mowing done I went to the Ford’s ole rocker and rested. As I was resting I turned my eyes to the heavens, where I saw the foliage on our tree was turning colors. Photo to follow.
The blue back ground makes the other colors stand out.
May your mower mow and your trees be colorful!
Senior Mechanical Genius; Don Ford
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