CATALYST Trimmer Blades Installation Guide

CATALYST Trimmer Blades

ALWAYS WEAR GLOVES WHEN REMOVING AND HANDLING THE REEL BLADE AND OTHER CARTRIDGES.
KEEP YOUR FINGERS AWAY FROM THE BLADE AND BEDKNIFE EDGES.

CAUTION
Wear  gloves

WARNING Sharp edges Watch your fingers

NOTE: WHILE IT IS POSSIBLE TO PERFORM BACKLAPPING ON THE REEL BLADE WHILE THE CARTRIDGE IS INSTALLED IN THE UNIT FRAME, IT MUST BE REMOVED TO ADJUST THE CONTACT TIGHTNESS.
CARTRIDGE REMOVAL

WARNING: ALWAYS STOP THE ENGINE BEFORE BEGINNING THIS PROCESS.
Remove the 2 x screws and the side cover. Move the cartridge drive belt to allow the idler to pivot down – that will leave the belt loose enough to be easily removed from the cartridge pulley. Remove the slot cover (bolt), the RH cartridge mounting bolt, then the LH mounting bolt on the opposite side. Grasp the top cartridge handle, then pull the cartridge up and evenly out of the unit frame.

PREPARATION

Once the cartridge has been removed, it’s best placed on a sturdy table and braced / held in place with 2×4 wood blocks underneath, or the bench stand that’s available separately (order# LCA-CBS) and included in the backlapping kit (order# LCA -BLKS).

TOOLS / SUPPLIES

Variable speed drill (preferably with a low-speed setting), 7/8” or 22mm socket, 1/2” drill adapter bit, adjuster screw bit (included in the tool kit), 10mm and 13mm wrenches. Also have some rags for cleaning and a light lubricant for applying the blade edges.

INSPECTION

The most important aspect of the blade and bedknife is for the corner edges to be in good condition with no significant rounding or gouges across the full length. It is best to thoroughly clean the edge surfaces before inspecting. Superficial blemishes such as corrosion can be removed with some light emery cloth sandpaper. If the edges are in poor condition and noticeably rounded, it may not be possible to effectively adjust and backlap – instead it would need to be reground by a professional reel grinding technician. Rounded edges on the reel blades and bedknife will cause the grass blades to be pinched and torn rather than sheared off cleanly.

CONTACT ADJUSTMENT

• CAUTION: SETTING THE CONTACT TOO TIGHT WILL CAUSE EXCESS FRICTION AND HEAT, EXPANDING THE METAL AND RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE BLADE AND BEDKNIFE.
• WARNING: KEEP HANDS AWAY FROM THE BLADE, BEDKNIFE EDGES AND CUTTING POINT WHILE MAKING ADJUSTMENTS.

The objective for achieving ideal cutting action is for the reel blade edges to have smooth and light rotational contact with the bedknife – that provides a clean shear across the entire width. Not maintaining light contact will damage the cut grass quality and result in rounded edges. Perform an initial check by carefully rotating the blade manually with the drive pulley while inserting a strip of paper at various spots along the cutting point.

The adjustment is made using the screws which move the blade’s position in the housing. However, before starting, make sure there’s NO weight (of the cartridge) or anything placed against the underside of the bedknife because it will affect the blade contact adjustment. First, slightly loosen the blade mount locking nuts on the outside of the housing (2-per side / turning COUNTER-CLOCKWISE). Next, loosen the adjuster screw locking nuts (turning CLOCKWISE) just enough to allow the adjuster screw to rotate freely. Use the special driver with the adjustment bit to turn the adjuster screws slightly and alternate between each one: CLOCKWISE to tighten, COUNTER-CLOCKWISE to loosen the contact tightness. NOTE: the lock nuts should turn also.

While adjusting, slowly rotate the reel blade by hand using the pulley, feeling the contact tightness and listening to the sound of the edges crossing.

Any tapping type of sound indicates uneven contact (one side is slightly tighter), and it may be necessary to reset set to no contact and restart the adjustment process – alternating slight tightening between both screws. Once consistent and smooth contact is achieved (as light as possible **), confirm the shearing by carefully inserting a paper strip at the cutting point to check across the entire width. Tighten the outer blade mounting lock nuts and recheck before backlapping. The term “light” contact can be subjective, so consider the tightness level using a scale of 0 to 5, where 0 = no contact / completely free spinning, and 5 = locked / no possible movement.

BACKLAPPING
CAUTION: DO NOT ATTEMPT BACKLAPPING IF THE CONTACT IS TOO TIGHT – SUCH AS LEVEL 3 OR ABOVE USING THE “0 TO 5” SCALE APPROACH. APPLY LIGHT LUBRICANT TO THE BLADE EDGES TO HELP REDUCE ROTATIONAL FRICTION BEFOREHAND. ALSO DO NOT USE AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF COMPOUND AND BE AWARE THAT THE CONTACT TIGHTNESS WILL INCREASE WHEN APPLYING.

Backlapping is an edge maintenance process that typically takes a few minutes, and the ideal results should provide a contact tightness level of 1 or below.

NOTE: Check to make sure the reel can spin easily before using a drill. If the drill has the option, set it to its lowest speed, as the rotation for backlapping needs is relatively slow at 150 to 200 rpms. Once it‘s rotating
(clockwise – opposite the cutting direction), add a small amount of grinding compound to the brush and apply it to the blade edges, holding it the center and moving it horizontally from one side to the other. There will be a distinct grinding / sanding type of noise that will change as the compound smooths the contact. Additional small amounts can be applied, but limit the rotation time to 3-4 minutes, then clean the excess and leftover grinding compound from the blade edges to accurately evaluate the results.

When complete, re-check that the outer locking nuts are securely tight, however the adjuster screw lock nuts do not need to be tightened completely. Reinstall the cartridge using two hands to help maintain proper alignment and angle while lowering it into the frame. Once it is fully seated (the mounting holes are visible and aligned), then reinstall all the previously removed components.

© Evergreen Turf Equipment ● 1028 4th St. SW / Unit A ● Auburn, WA 98001 ● 253.333.3345 ● caltrimmer.com