Cub Cadet GTX 1054 Garden Tractor GTX 1054 Operator's Manual - Page 26

6. Pull the deck support pin outward to release the deck from Cutting Blades the deck lift arm. See Figure 7-3. WARNING! Shut the engine off and remove ignition key before removing the cutting blade(s) for sharpening or replacement. Protect your hands by using heavy gloves when grasping the blade WARNING! Periodically inspect the blade and/or spindle for cracks or damage, especially after you've struck a foreign object. Do not operate the machine until damaged components are replaced. To remove the blades, proceed as follows. 1. Remove the deck from beneath the tractor, (refer to Cutting Deck Removal earlier in this section) then gently flip the deck over to expose its underside. 2. Place a block of wood between the center deck housing baffle and the cutting blade to act as a stabilizer. See Figure 7-5. 3. Remove the hex flange nut that secures the blade to the spindle assembly. See Figure 7-5. Figure 7-3 7. Repeat the above steps on the tractor's right side. 8. Move the deck lift lever into the top notch to raise the deck lift arms up and out of the way. 9. Remove the cotter pin and flat washer from the end of the stabilizer rod and slide the stabilizer rod out of the hanger bracket on the deck, as shown in Figure 7-4. Figure 7-5 4. To properly sharpen the cutting blades, remove equal amounts of metal from both ends of the blades along the cutting edges, parallel to the trailing edge, at a 25°- to 30° angle. Always grind each cutting blade edge equally to maintain proper blade balance. See Figure 7-6. Figure 7-4 10. Gently slide the cutting deck (from the right side) out from underneath the tractor. 11. Reinstall the belt keeper rod loosened earlier. CAUTION: Failure to reinstall the belt keeper rod may result in serious damage to your tractor's PTO system. CAUTION: If the cutting edge of the blade has previously been sharpened, or if any metal separation is present, replace the blades with new ones. WARNING! A poorly balanced blade will cause excessive vibration, may damage to the tractor and/ or result in personal injury. 26 Section 7- Service