Outdoor Power Equipment and Small Engines - Lawn Mower Question

I'm working on a Sears Eager 1 machine with front wheel drive.
I'd like to clean out the area under the machine where the belt is connected. To do this, I know that the blade adapter must be removed. How do you do it? Is a wheel puller the choice of tools?
Thanks in advance,
Paul

Try working a screwdriver under opposite sides and wiggling/prying it off. I thought those things had one side of the belt gaurd that could be removed for cleaning. Maybe I'm thinking of a different machine.

Some of those blade adapters have set screws. If it hasn't been off for a long time you will need a puller.

Thanks Guys but this blade adapter won't budge. Tried a wheel puller and that failed. I'm thinking that the owner must have hit something over time and the key is somehow mangled inside of the groove. If you can think of anything else, please let me know.
Paul

Sounds like a problem, lol. Does the crankshaft show on the bottom side of the adapter? If not, the puller won't work unless you install a bolt into the crankshaft threaded in most, but not all the way. You may need to heat the adapter. While doing all this, be careful not to bend the crankshaft.

The plastic cover has no removal slot and the adapter must come off to remove it. The shaft doesn't show so one must do as cheese says. I drill a 1/8 hole 1/8 deep in the center of the an extra blade bolt head to use for pulling. Run it in leaving it 1/4 inch shy of tight and use a HIGH qaulity jaw or wheel puller. When the adapter is out to the pulling bolt loosen the pulling bolt another 1/4 inch and go again. To be honest, unless you need a new belt, its not worth all the work to clean this area because every one I have removed the area under the plastic cover was as clean as it left the factory....Mike

Thanks Guys,
The info I've received has been more than helpful. The whole purpose of this exercise was to investigate an oil leak in the machine. After giving up on getting the adapter off, I filled the machine up with oil 2 nights ago. Checked it this morning and I have oil all over my garage. I haven't even started the thing up yet. My best guess is that the seals on the underside are shot and that over the course of sometime the owner must have hit something (unmoveable), which is leading to this mowers demise.
Any thoughts ???
Thanks in advance,
Paul

You may be right and the mower may be shot. It sounds like your mower has a bent crankshaft. There are some mower shops that straighten bent cranks on the mower. You may be able to find a shop in the Yellow Pages that could straighten it. That may be the reason the adapter won't come off also. When something is hit the force of hit enbeds the key in to the side of the keyway of the adapter so it won't come off. The mower shop should be able to help you with the adapter.

In the continuing saga, the oil is laying on top of the deck and seeping underneath. I know that this machine is shot,but the curiosity is killing me. I've already replaced the head gasket (a shot in the dark), any suggestions or hints ????
Thanks,
Paul

Unless this is a overhead valve engine replacing the head gasket probable didn't help the oil leak. If it leaking oil on top of the deck it could be coming from any of four sources. Could be the top seal under the flywheel, the crankcase breather, the flang gasket or the dipstick "o"ring. Most of the time it is the dipstick "o"ring or flang gasket.

I agree...the dipstick tube seal is prone to leak on those tecumseh engines. A new one and 5 minutes will probably stop it. If the crankshaft is bent, the mower will vibrate like a sonofagun when running.