# removing the stump jumper from a brush hog



## OkieDavid

I've swapped out blades many times but now it's time to drop the stump jumper and see if I can beat it back into some sort of shape or replace it. After removing the blades and center castle nut is it just "pry and pray" or does it require a gentler touch?


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## agmantoo

I would think the stump jumper is mounted to a tapered splined shaft. Can you "engineer" a homemade puller to put some pressure on the stump jumper and then give it a whack? I am hesitant to suggest this but you could put the castle nut and cotter key back on but not tight and run the unit just a little and very carefully to see if it will loosen.


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## OkieDavid

Actually I haven't messed with it yet, got that task scheduled for tomorrow. Having never taken one off before and knowing how heavy the thing is, I'm just getting my ducks in a row. I'm pretty certain that splined,tapered or keyed the thing is going to be stuck on there pretty well. Hopefully a shot or three of penetrating oil and it pops right off.


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## Old Vet

You may have to heat the stump jumper. I used to build brush cutters for a living and some time I had to heat the rotor to get it off if it had been on their for a long time.Some penetrating oil will also help.


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## Bearfootfarm

Sometimes, if you turn the cutter upside down, you and a couple of helpers can use 2 X 4's or long pipes to pry on it from opposite sides while one "taps" it with a heavy hammer.

It WILL be heavy, so don't plan on being under it or trying to catch it when it comes off


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## Ray

hi, had t use my torch to heat the crown nut, red hot to allow it to be removed. here is a view of the disk attachment. good luck, be sure to block the thing so it can't fall on you.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/122796-deadly-slasher.html


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## Elevenpoint

agmantoo said:


> I would think the stump jumper is mounted to a tapered splined shaft. Can you "engineer" a homemade puller to put some pressure on the stump jumper and then give it a whack? I am hesitant to suggest this but you could put the castle nut and cotter key back on but not tight and run the unit just a little and very carefully to see if it will loosen.


That's how mine is, a tapered splined shaft. Mine was coming off because the cotter pin came out and was coming loose on its own....I would think that prying and maybe some heat will do it. Unless you have it upside down and can work on it that way, it is heavy....I put mine back on with a small floor jack.


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## HermitJohn

duplicate


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## HermitJohn

Its been a while since I worked on brush hog to replace seals. Last one belonged to somebody else, 7ft monster, heavy as all get out.

I will say if you have any common sense and a way to do it, lay the thing over on its back rather than trying to work from underneath. Wont hurt the mower to do this. Common sense is necessary doing anything like this. If no common sense, hire a shop to do it.

There is a heavy bar that goes on tapered gearbox shaft, the blades attach to each end of bar. The stump jumper pan is usually welded to this bar especially on smaller mowers, though some have stump jumper bolted on to the bar. If bolted, you would just unbolt it from the bar. But if its welded to the bar (most likely), you will have to remove bar from the gearbox shaft. Maybe splined shaft or tapered shaft with key.

The way this is usually done is with special puller or you can use long heavy bar of iron with couple hole that match up with the holes where the blades attach. 

Way I did last one was to buy couple large diameter bolts along with couple nuts that fit them. Nothing special just largest diameter bolts TSC sold in their bulk bolts. I welded the nuts to the bar, one on each side of the center hole that fits on gear box shaft. Used bolts and couple pieces say 6 inch lengths steel bar that spanned the bolts to make a homemade puller. Worked great and I didnt need some long monster bar of steel that went from one blade attachment hole to the other. The longer the span, the heavier the bars steel needed.

What I am saying is you either need a special puller or you need to have capability to fabricate an alternative puller. Unless somebody has been removing the blade assembly on regular basis and lubing the hub/shaft, then just banging on things with a hammer isnt going to work.

And if you are really wise, while you have whole assembly removed from the gearbox shaft, you will replace the seal whether it needs it or not. Save labor of having to take all this apart a second time.

Here are examples of two welded ones.



















Here is an example of a bolt on one or at least this pic I found looks like its a bolt on.










Nope, my eyesight is getting bad I guess, those are welds along bar I am seeing that show through.


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## Darren

I just removed the stump jumper on a brush hog I recently bought. It wasn't that difficult to get off after removing the castle nut. It was well lubed by the grease that leaked out of the gear box. 

There's usually a hole cut in the mower deck that lines up with the bolts that hold the blades onto the stump jumper you can put a socket on one of those and keep the whole assembly from rotating. The castle nut was easy to get off with a long bar.

I found a shop locally that had a 150 ton press. That made quick work of straightening the 3/4" bar welded to the stump jumper. The press was wide enough to put pressure over the entire stump jumper from side to side.


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## OkieDavid

EXCELLENT help guys! Hermit- exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for the pics, it is going to be like one of them. The tractor has a front loader so flipping it over won't be any trouble'and I have access to and knowledge of fabrication so'I'll be able to fabricate a puller. Thanks for all the input everyone, that's what I come here for.
ETA- Darren good idea about using a shop press, local machine shop can straighten it if I can't


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## Darren

While we're talking brush hogs. I've been trying to replace the bottom seal in the gear box. It's a metric 40x54x7. The only problem is I haven't been able to find what I call a closed face or U shaped seal like the original. The only replacement is an open face, to the inside, that doesn't provide enough surface area to put any pressure on.

I've tried CO2 and heating the plate before hand. The only option I see now is to find a circular piece that will fit between the inner wiper that rides on the shaft and the outer rim that seals against the housing.

Anyone have any ideas?


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## HermitJohn

OkieDavid said:


> EXCELLENT help guys! Hermit- exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for the pics, it is going to be like one of them. The tractor has a front loader so flipping it over won't be any trouble'and I have access to and knowledge of fabrication so'I'll be able to fabricate a puller. Thanks for all the input everyone, that's what I come here for.
> ETA- Darren good idea about using a shop press, local machine shop can straighten it if I can't


If you got good local machine shop that will work on small jobs for reasonable price, you got a great resource. I wish I could find one. However if they quote price higher than $100, you can buy a brand new stump jumper pan for around that price (for 5 or 6 foot type brush hogs). New is better especially if your old one is really beat up.

Just a point of interest: I was looking around on internet and you can also get a NEW universal 40hp gearbox for around $120 plus shipping or a universal 75hp gearbox for $175 plus shipping. Personally I'd spend the extra $50 even if I were redoing a 5ft hog. Small light duty gearbox is false economy. The way new brush hogs are priced anymore, makes refurbishing a used one worthwhile, especially if you weld. I wouldnt mess with refurbishing trashed/rustedout light duty ones, there were some really heavy duty 5ft and 6ft hogs out there. They would be most worth rebuilding. One with a busted gear box would sell for scrap price.


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