I'm not sure how to put this...

[SilentbutnotreallyDeadly]

... without a certain amount of foul language.

This is the belt tensioner for the mower belt that drives the cutting deck. As you may be able to see it has been in close contact with one of the three bolts that hold the electric powered clutch to the underside of the engine.

The Lad and his cousins were out mowing this morning under M'ladys supervision. No-one noticed the noise. I only noticed it later when the tension wheel jammed and the belt slipped... creating copious smoke.

So here we are again...

[RallyDarkstrike]

@silentbutnotreallydeadly ....so you're going to sell that piece of unreliable crap and buy something else...right?

[Shop-Teacher]

@silentbutnotreallydeadly Wow. Just wow.

[SilentbutnotreallyDeadly]

@rallydarkstrike

Of course...

...not.

I'm going to do what all owners of fine Italian automobiles do and keep fixing it until it catches fire.

I'm hoping that the (what appears to be) 17 year old spare drive belt from Germany in the inherited Grillo spare parts collection and a new bolt 'might' fix it. Quite what I have to go through to fit the damn thing remains an open question.

[SilentbutnotreallyDeadly]

@shop-teacher said in I'm not sure how to put this...:

@silentbutnotreallydeadly Wow. Just wow.

You're enjoying this meme.

[RallyDarkstrike]

@silentbutnotreallydeadly Considering it's working it's way through everything else at this point, I think fire is probably next

[SilentbutnotreallyDeadly]

@rallydarkstrike

I'm working on it...

[Brickman]

@silentbutnotreallydeadly It's cursed I tell ya!

[Shop-Teacher]

@silentbutnotreallydeadly I absolutely am!

[SilentbutnotreallyDeadly]

@brickman
Maybe. But I suspect the hand of a previous Australian 'mechanic' had a hand in it...

Because even the factory can't be this daft. There'd be less than 10 mm clearance from the pulley to this now utterly rooted bolt...with the current setup.

[SilentbutnotreallyDeadly]

@silentbutnotreallydeadly

Yep... it's been Australianised...

This is how the belt tensioner spring should look:

And this is the spring I found:

And this spring went right back to that L bracket behind and below both springs in the first image...not to the chassis as it should.

Sod it...I'm going for a swim.

[pip bip]

@silentbutnotreallydeadly i'd be inclined to burn the monster and buy a newer one.

[SilentbutnotreallyDeadly]

@pip-bip said in I'm not sure how to put this...:

@silentbutnotreallydeadly i'd be inclined to burn the monster and buy a newer one.

Your inclination is sound. However, since we are also down an obscene amount of coin for a lounge, a hot water system and a new piece of Oppo relevant agricultural machinery...none of which has been delivered yet...a burning and a buying is not going to happen.

[pip bip]

@silentbutnotreallydeadly bugger.

[SilentbutnotreallyDeadly]

@pip-bip said in I'm not sure how to put this...:

@silentbutnotreallydeadly bugger.

On the other hand, #content!

[onlytwowheels]

@silentbutnotreallydeadly

Maybe it would be cheaper to hire someone to mow...

[SilentbutnotreallyDeadly]

@onlytwowheels said in I'm not sure how to put this...:

@silentbutnotreallydeadly

Maybe it would be cheaper to hire someone to mow...

Wet hire for a ride on mower around here is $40 an hour. Truth be told, we also have a 6 foot slasher behind the tractor and a self propelled walk behind mower so we aren't short of tools. It's just that the slasher is a blunt instrument while the walk behind would take forever. The Grillo (for all its faults) cost us nothing and continues (till right now) to be a cheap fix. Just a damn frustrating one...

[onlytwowheels]

@silentbutnotreallydeadly

It just seems like every time the Grillo is used, something happens that puts it out of service. I'm guessing that you have a good relationship with the folks at the parts counter

[SilentbutnotreallyDeadly]

@onlytwowheels said in I'm not sure how to put this...:

@silentbutnotreallydeadly

It just seems like every time the Grillo is used, something happens that puts it out of service. I'm guessing that you have a good relationship with the folks at the parts counter

Not going to argue with that assessment. My thinking is that I'm working through some long term past mismanagement issues...I hope!

So far I haven't bought any parts for it other than filters and tubes. And I spoke to the Grillo Oz rep for the first time only today. I don't think that's going to be an ongoing relationship either...

[onlytwowheels]

@silentbutnotreallydeadly

Sometimes it's best to go directly to the manufacturer when your local rep seems like they won't be of much help.

http://www.grillospa.it/contatti