Cool and grey here chez Casa Reynard, and it is currently raining.
Slept well, which felt fabby after three nights with little or no sleep. Yay! Womanhandled the mower into the "work area" in the garage (the only clear patch of floor in there), dismantled the steering and removed the offending part. It really is a classic example of fatigue failure. Parental unit didn't "get" me switching to Engineering Nerd mode, but strength of materials is my specialty.
Anyways, I will be going to the local agricultural engineering place this afternoon to order another. They're an official stockist, so have a parts database. I also need the doodad that slots into the pivot to lock the whole shebang in place, as I've only half of the original.
Have found out that the Kelek runs a lot better when it is kept warm. As an experiment, I put it on a hot water bottle, and it runs beautifully when I do. It's also a heck of a lot easier to wind. This experiment is a two-edged sword really. Heat will cause the oils and grease and whatever gunk is inside the movement to become less viscous and so allow for smoother operation. But then heat also makes metal expand. If something isn't meshing right due to wear, then a warmer environment will certainly help overcome that.
Anyways, it is almost time for luncheon and I has a hungry.
