How to Repair With What You Have on Hand or GT5000 Fix the Fix.

[Shadetree Mechanic]

This is not really prepping, but being able to repair things with what you have on hand is a valuable skill. Being able to fix things is a double edged sword. I fix broken things for a living, and it has served me well. I also fix things at home and can see the value in something that just needs a little work. Needless to say, this has resulted in having many things around that need to be fixed.... In my younger years, when I had no money for parts, a simple fix would sometimes start with several hours of thinking, looking at the problem and rummaging through what I had, to see what might work.

Fast forward to 20 years ago, my new wife purchased a Craftsman GT5000 garden tractor and gave it to me for Christmas. I made sure she ordered one with the manual transmission and not be pressured by the sales man to take a hydrostatic one off the show room floor. About 10 years into it, a problem with the steering developed. The steering pinion would skip and jump if you were too quick with the wheel. The eventual outcome was no steering and a search for replacement parts.

The replacement parts were plastic bushings... A bunch of crap for a little tractor so heavy. The steering sector shaft was worn and needed to be replaced, and the mount had the holes wallowed out too. The replacements would not last and I would be doing it again someday.

So the search for a better fix led to a junk box that had some mounted bearings with the correct inside diameter, but how to make it work? Several hours later, we had the fix.

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

Well, the fix broke. So it was time to fix the fix. A second J bolt keeps the other side tight, and the teeth between the steering shaft pinion and the sector gear meshed snugly.

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

The factory did not do a good job on the steering geometry either. It would turn sharp to the left, but not to the right. The solution is to move the hole that the drag link hooks to. Years ago I looked for a way to fix this, but could not come up with anything simple. Now today I looked at it and the solution was obvious, I will chalk it up to wisdom.

"Wisdom comes from experience. Experience comes when you didn't get what you expected."

That hose clamp has been keeping it from popping off the ball, holding strong for several years now. This is a solution that I came up with when I was 10 years old, fixing the old Dynamark rider that I used to mow around the neighborhood and was my first job.

 

[Cable Guy]

Why they use plastic bushings between heavy, moving metal parts I'll never know. It's cheaper for the manufacturer I guess. If you are diligent, you can order a bulk pack of those bushings off Amazon and change them out regularly. I'm sure the service/maintenance schedule in the manual recommends replacing them. If the replacement is neglected then you chance facing an ugly, wallowed out hole. I will have to remember the hose clamp thing next time a tie rod pops out. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

The steering wheel that comes on these things is a giant plastic piece of crap. The plastic hub strips out...

The old Dynamark donated to the cause. Drilled a hole through the wheel hub and the shaft for a 1/4 20 bolt.

 

[brandon7861]

Exact same problem happened to me on Friday with my cub cadet. Started out ok, would only skip a tooth here and there, but before I was able to finish, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to steer it back to the shed so I had to stop mowing about 1/4 acre from the end. Im not looking forward to fixing it.

 

[BayouRadioAmplifier]

The steering on my 20-year-old Troy-Bilt Pony (MTD/Craftsman/Yard Machine)
is going out also. It is similar, if not the same as posted here.
Now I gotta take a look at it.

 

[MKwrench]

I helped a friend repair the same issue on his Craftsman a while back. You're totaly right, the original stuff is way too cheezy for what it has to do.
My old 1990s Ford LS25 still works, but has major slop and is getting hard on my poor elbows especialy with all of the bushings that make it move smoothly being gone.
I've wanted to replace it for 10 years, but this is where being able to always patch the issues on the old stuff becomes a curse. I fear I'll never get to enjoy anything new, because it all looks like crap to me....