My "new" Hustler

[xbunsenx]

This document may help with the belt length.

Comet1.pdf

[Brentd27]

If your Tecumseh has a 1" shaft on it, picking up a new clutch from mfg supply and using engine for now will let you shake down the machine before investing a ton in it. You will need to check the threads for a belt number and a center to center distance to go with that. What I seen in the picture was a clocking issue that may or may not be there. ( if the engine is running at speed in the picture disregard the belt issue).
Being sure the engine turns 3600-3800 unloaded and a new drive clutch should move that right along ok. Then once you've done the shake down you can move on to wants and needs.
Not seeing the other side it is hard to say whether it will need a driven clutch spring or not from being 2 stroke, most 2 strokes hade 2 holes on the left side.

Engine wasn't running at all in those pics. Driver clutch was stuck closed and floating on the shaft. I've got back problems, so an electric start engine is a must for me. I'm shooting for a way for me to keep fishing without having to constantly chase my walking cane, and to really make the water accessible to me again.

[Brentd27]

UPDATE:

So I finally got the old Comet 40 apart. Turns out it was over-tightened, quite possibly by a combined effort from King Kong and Godzilla. A 4-foot pipe wrench and a 1" steel rod with 1/4" keyway opened it up. (See pics below.)

Now I have some decisions to make. Do I buy new springs for the Comet 40 and throw a 13hp Predator in there and call it good, or do I go all out and upgrade to a Comet 780 and a 22hp Predator engine? My wallet is saying "Springs and smaller engine," but my heart is saying "Comet 780 and 22hp. Wallet be damned!"

And now one last question: The previous owner replaced all the inner bearings, but they were installed in a way I would consider backwards. The flange "ears" are toward the axles rather than against the frame leaving a gap between the frame and the "ear". Pics:

20160529_184431.jpg 20160529_184508.jpg

Does this make any difference? I can understand why the were installed like that since the axle is going into the "bottom" of the bearing, but it seems like it would make more sense, from a mounting strength perspective, to mount them with the ears against the frame. Thoughts?

And last, but not least, here's the pics of the Comet 40 and the false drive shaft I made to open it up.

20160522_153416.jpg 20160522_153437.jpg 20160522_153446.jpg

[Brentd27]

Decided to post this as a separate thread since it got kind lost in my other thread... The previous owner of my Hustler replaced all the inner bearings, but they were installed in a way I would consider backwards. The flange "ears" are toward the axles rather than against the frame leaving a gap between the frame and the "ear". Pics:

20160529_184431.jpg 20160529_184508.jpg

Does this make any difference? I can understand why the were installed like that since the axle is going into the "bottom" of the bearing, but it seems like it would make more sense, from a mounting strength perspective, to mount them with the ears against the frame. Thoughts?

[dirtdobber]

Isn't this a 950?

[Brentd27]

The label says 960-hk, and no, that's not a typo, unless there was a mistake in the original stamp.

[Mike]

I merged the two threads just to keep from duplicating questions/answers. For the bearings, I would install them correctly. Will they work that way? Sure. Will they last that way? I don't know. It seems like the ears and/or bolts may break off more easily when they are mounted that way and it may not keep the axles true either.

Do you know how long it's been like that?

[dirtdobber]

20160609_202454.jpg

Here's is how the inner bearings are mounted on my 950. Don't know if yours is the same. Note that mine carries the lightweight 2 piece flange and yours has the heavier cast flange. The flange ears need to be tight against the frame.

The bearing position impacts the axle position which could impact chain alignment unless your sprockets are spliced and adjustable.

[dirtdobber]

Splined not spliced.

[Brentd27]

I merged the two threads just to keep from duplicating questions/answers. For the bearings, I would install them correctly. Will they work that way? Sure. Will they last that way? I don't know. It seems like the ears and/or bolts may break off more easily when they are mounted that way and it may not keep the axles true either.

Do you know how long it's been like that?

This is the machine previously owned by garrett1308. Looks like he did the bearing swap back in January sometime. I didn't notice they were in there "backwards" until I started taking a deeper look into the machine once I got it to my shop. In all honesty I was deeply hoping someone would say "No, that's how they're supposed to be for REASONS" so I wouldn't have to take the whole dang thing apart and put them in correctly. I pretty much knew the answer already, though. I guess this gives me a reason to pull the whole frame out of the machine and inspect it.

My family has always said the first thing I do with anything I buy is completely apart and try to make it better. Been that way since I was old enough to hold a screwdriver.