STX-SERIES • RIDE-ON POWER TROWEL — OPERATION MANUAL — REV. #1 (07/16/04) — PAGE 23
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STX-SERIES — MAINTENANCE
Changing A Blade
It is recommended that all the blades on the entire machine are
changed at the same time. If only one or some of the blades are
changed at one time, the machine will not finish concrete
consistently and the machine may wobble or bounce.
1. Place the machine on a flat, level surface. Adjust the blade
pitch control to make the blades as flat as possible. Note
the blade orientation on the trowel arm. This is important
for ride-on trowels as the two sets of blades counter-rotate.
Lift the machine up, placing blocks under the main guard
ring to support it.
2. Remove the bolts and lock washers on the trowel arm, and
then remove the blade. (Access is easier if the steps are
removed.)
3. Scrape all concrete and debris from the trowel arm. This is
important to properly seat the new blade.
4. Install the new blade, maintaining the proper orientation
for direction of rotation.
5. Affix the bolts and lock washers.
6. Torque to 9 ft. lbs.
7. Repeat steps 2-6 for all remaining blades.
The easiest and most consistent way to make this adjustment is
to use the Trowel Arm Adjustment Fixture (P.N. 9177) that is
manufactured by Whiteman Industries. This fixture will allow
consistent adjustment of the trowel arm fingers. It comes with all
the hardware necessary to properly accomplish this maintenance
and instructions on how to properly utilize this tool. Adjusting the
trowel arm fingers without a fixture requires a special talent.
If a trowel arm adjustment fixture is not available and immediate
adjustment is necessary; we suggest the following procedure. If
you can see or feel which blade is pulling harder, adjust the bolt
that corresponds to that blade. Another way to determine which
blades need adjustment is to place the machine on a flat surface
and pitch the blades as flat as possible. Now, look at the
adjustment bolts. They should all barely make contact with the
lower wear plate on the spider. If you can see that one of them is
not making contact; some adjustment will be necessary.
It will be possible to adjust the “high” bolts down to the level of
the one that is not touching, or adjust the “low” bolt up to the level
of the higher ones. If possible, adjust the low bolt up to the level
of the rest of the bolts. This is the fastest way, but may not always
work. Verify that after adjustment, the blades pitch correctly. Often
times, if the blades are incorrectly adjusted, they will not be able
to pitch flat. This occurs when the adjusting bolts have been
raised too high. Conversely, sometimes the adjusting bolts are
too low and the blades cannot be pitched high enough for
finishing operations.
Adjustments are made by tightening or loosening the blade pitch
adjustment bolt (Figure 24).
Figure 24. Blade Pitch Adjustment Bolt
1. Spider Plate
2. Blade Pitch Adjustment Bolt
3. Trowel Lever
4. Trowel Arm
5. Trowel Blade