Skip Ellis

I have an older Craftsman 13" Floor stand drill press (mod 113.213130) that I've had since the 80's and lately it's started rattling something awful. when I checked it out, I found that the left handed nut that holds the front pulley to the pulley insert was off and laying in the housing and the pulley was hitting the top of the housing. To make matters worse, the left handed thread on the insert is completely stripped and the insert is no longer made and there is no substitution. Has anyone else had this problem and know of a fix or should I just 1.) live with the constant rattling or 2.) but a new drill press and salvage the old motor and use it to make a sander or something? Appreciate the help!