mccormick #7 mower

[Cameron Littlejohn]

I got a hold of a feller that bought a #7 a while back and was gonna paint it and restore it a little and got in bad health and I called him about the mower he said that there are no cracks or severe rust. All of the rust on the machine in the pictures and his description were only surface rust. It needs a pitman arm for it rotted off sitting in his yard but other than that he said its in fair shape. I know it will need some work but he said to come get it for 70 bucks. I figured that was pretty good considereing around my house you can’t find a run down one as a lawn ornament for 200 bucks. I’m excited for my early christmas present from my wife

[Big Horses]

That sounds like a great deal, Littlejohn! As long as it’s apart and going to be worked on, I’d throw new seals and pull the bearings and bushing to check them…it’s alot nicer to do it now, when you’re not trying to get something done with it!
John

[near horse]

You bet that’s a good deal. You can try using that Phospho stuff that Lynn recommends for treating the rust (after knocking off the loose scale) – then you can paint right over it. Works good.

Also, somewhere I wrote down the part numbers for seals that you can buy from your local auto parts store that will fit. I’ll see if I can find them – got ’em here on the forum.

[Cameron Littlejohn]

Thanks for all the info! I had a problem this morning, my clydesdale was tryin to get the rest of the green grass leanin over the fence and brove about 5 wooden posts and ran his fence over and got out lol luckily our driveway has a gate too so he couldn’t get out. I’ve been drillin and setting new posts all day, I’m still gonna run up and get it tomorrow tho. I’m excited, ill have to look on the forum for the part numbers on those seals. Thank y’all!

[Big Horses]

I’ve used this stuff and it’s great! Not quite as toxic as the Phospho, and I think it does just as good of a job. Their stuff is really great all the way through. I use the 2 part polyurethane alot…in fact, I used to own part of the company that handled all their stuff before Stewarts got it, and I was a tech-rep for it for a few years.
John

http://www.stewartsystems.aero/products/95/steel-conversion-coating-quart

[Cameron Littlejohn]

Ok I appreciate it ill have to check it out. I went and got the mower and its in pretty good shape, there are no cracks like he said but the bar is bent a little so I’m gonna heat it up and bend it back straight, and it needs a new pitman arm and the pitman latch is missing but I have an extra oone. But other than that other than soaking it in some diesel fuel or oil and cleaning and sharpening the blade a bit its in good shape. Ill have to make a set of shafts too and a front truck before spring.

[Cameron Littlejohn]

Yea john I searched that stuff on google and it looks like really good stuff! Ill have to get some in the near future and try it out.

[Cameron Littlejohn]

Well I took the bar off to straighten it today and the pins that are in the inner shoe aree being a lil stubborn lol I worked on one pin for four hours, I got the front one our but I can not get the back one to budge. I guess I’m gonna cut the pin into and drill it out once the shoe is off. Both the pins are wore out in the center so it needs new pins anyways. Any suggestions to get the back pin out? I don’t wanna heat it for the housing is cast and I’m afraid to bust it.

[Jay]

John, I cut mine like you talked of doing and then was able to get at both halves and with just a LITTLE heat able to get both ends out even when I couldn’t touch it before I cut it in half. Jay

[Cameron Littlejohn]

Ok I appreciate it. Ill try it tomorrow. I’ve always been afraid of heating cast when I have to drive something out. I took the knife section out and tore it all apart and sharpened the good teeth and replaced the others this morning and put it back together and straightened the section now its ready to put in. I need to get a couple wear plates but that’s about it for the knife.

[near horse]

Make sure to take a good look at the ledger plates on your guards. That’s the other half of your cutter system and they can get quite worn. If I recall Donn Hewes, one of our resident mower gurus here on the forum, has mentioned sharpening the plates up with a 4.5″ grinder.

Here’s the notes I had RE: the oil seal. Pitman oil seal – inside diameter 1.125 inches (1 1/4″) / outside diameter 1.825 inches (1 13/16″). Comparable Car Quest number – A10145 476838. I think these are a little thinner so the original poster mentioned possibly using 2 of them. NOTE: this said it was for a #9 but I imagine you can see if your measurements are similar on the #7.

Jay and other mower guys – please chime in if I’m off base or things need clarification.

[Cameron Littlejohn]

Geoff you read my mind, I was just wondering if I could sharpen those guards or if I had to replace the lol. I wrote down the oil seal dimensions that you’ve given and ill measure mine in the near future to see if there close. The gear box had no oil in it so I filled it with oil and let it soak for a day and propped the mower off the ground and when I engage the cutter bar gear or whatever the wheels are really hard to turn. I actually can’t turn them one whole turn by hand. The pitman arm isn’t on there so I know its not the blade or anything and plus the blade is removed. I’ve looked for a grease fitting going to the shaft that goes to that pitman wheel but there are none. Any way I can oil this shaft or grease it to free it up?

[Cameron Littlejohn]

Yea I didn’t mention this but I know a lot of ppl on here are against cutting the blades shorter but this mower had around a 6 foot bar, it was a hair less but anyways I cut it down to about 5 foot and assembled most of it bck minus the inner shoe for it is still stuck on the mower lol. I only have one horse tho he’s a big feller I didn’t wanna strain him too hard come mowing season. I have a clydesdale belgium cross who stands 18 hands and weighs in the 1900 to 2000 range. He’s a lil thin where he was fell off bad from the ppl I bought him from but he’s pickin up good. Do you all think he can handle it well? He’s broke quite well and he’s only 6 so he’s pretty young.

[Big Horses]

Littlejohn, if the pitman is off, then kick it out of gear and rotate the shaft by the forward end. If it turns free, then you’ve just elimated that portion from the problem. If it sticks, possibly it’s bent. You can jamb a chunk of iron between pinion and ring gear and remove the pinion gear to pull the shaft. If I’m reading right, it sounds to me more like you have a problem in the ring gear area, but it’s tough to say without seeing and being there!
Do you have a copy of Lynn Millers Horsedrawn Mower Book? It’s worth the $$ and has some great pictures, diagrams, and explanations. I’d advise you to get a copy.
When do we get to see some pictures of your mower???
John

[Cameron Littlejohn]

Lol if I can figure out how to put them on here with a phone ill put some asap, I don’t have a computer at home and all I have is my cell phone. You can turn the shaft from the front but its not the easiest thing I figured it would be easier to turn by the front so I assume there’s something wrong withe the shaft. Ill try and tear it apart some more to explain exactly what I have.

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