I have come to realize that the drag bar is bent on my No.4 JD mower. I have been using it this way for a few years but would like to straiten it. Currently I have the lead and timing set correctly but this puts the pitman arm out of alignment with the flywheel. My thoughts are to heat the bar while it is on the mower and iteratively pull it back into its proper shape, adjusting the lead until the pitman are is running parallel to the flywheel and the lead is correct, I would then go back and adjust the timing. I do not have a good bar to compare It to or a press to bend it in so the torch is pretty much my only option. Has anyone else had experience re-bending one of these? I don’t really see another way of tackling this but I am open to suggestions or advice.
Billy