73-18 automatic 8 #51 Posted January 12, 2012 Just to let you know I myself have had many issues with my D but in whole these are a BEAST and I probably spent at least 40 plus hours pushing snow with this tractor and as always all I can say is WOW I have had my share of issues with these hydro's also so if you have any questions let me know if I can help Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hodge71 664 #52 Posted January 12, 2012 As of right now The hydro motor and the pump are at the doctors office now. I hope this thing has more power after the rebuild than it currently does. Its a dog and couldnt push a turd let alone any kind of head of snow Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AMC RULES 37,102 #53 Posted January 12, 2012 As of right now...Its a dog and couldnt push a turd... On that note Jeff, maybe it's just got bad gas, and it's all backed up? :eusa-whistle: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hodge71 664 #54 Posted January 12, 2012 Craig, I have had dogs with bad gas....not cool... :omg: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hodge71 664 #55 Posted January 24, 2012 Just got back from the hydro doc. I got one helluva lesson today on running hydros out of oil and the damage it does. All I can say is HOLY CRAP!!! Chris from Northeast Hydro gave me a 1.5 hour tutorial on how these hydro pumps and motors work to convert hydraulic pressure into motion, Quite the amazing process I must say. Swash plates, pistons, intake side, pressure side, and what happens if you put your plate in upside down and the tractor goes backwards when the motion lever is pushed forwards..... What I know to this point is that both the pump and motor rotating assemblies are shot, The brass parts at the end of the pistons (forgot what he called them) are rounded off instead of having square shoulders, and galled very badly, plus the swash plate is cooked too from running it out of oil when the O-rings blew. They are making some headway with help from Sundstrand to come up with the parts and seals to rebuild. He feels that I should be right around $900 or a bit more for parts and labor as long as all parts are available...This is such a hard decision to make now that I see how well my 416 pushes that 54" blade full of snow around. It may be just worth it to pull the plug on the 18 auto and scrap it all together before I get anymore money and time invested in it. I would be at almost $2300 if I figure the cost of the pump and motor rebuild. I'm sure I can sell the new tires and wheels plus the weights and quite a few other things on fleebay to recoup my losses on this thing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pfrederi 17,514 #56 Posted January 24, 2012 The piston Brass ends are the slippers. It is a tough question to repair or not. The motor on these is a high quality Kohler used in many industrial applications. (Much heavier duty than the KT 17 or the Magnum 18s). The extra 2 horsepower is irrelevant to your plowing needs, the extra weight of the D is a big advantage. You had mentioned that the bottom of the differential case was repaired. Before making a decision on the hydro i would definitely open it up and see how bad it was broken and to make sure the differential bolts are Grade 8 with good nuts. (I went with Grade 9), I wouldn't think a parts housing would be all that much. Even with an allowance for a replacement case and some bearings for the transmission (as long as you have it apart why not) you will be at $2500. What new tractor can you get for that. Even getting a beater P/U with a plow will be in that range. Good Luck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ken B 3,134 #57 Posted January 24, 2012 If your final investment will be 2300.00 with the repairs, my advice is... don't do it. Wait for a cheap parts tractor to come along or part it out. There are a few nice D's on Epay right now, it would be interesting to see what they sell for. At a total investment of 2300.00 if you ever have to sell it you'd be lucky to recoup half your investment. JMO. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hodge71 664 #58 Posted January 24, 2012 Well Ken there is absolutely no chance of this thing ever going up for sale if I fix It. This has been a labor of love from the beginning of this ordeal. The only way I would have sold it was when I only had it for a week and it wouldnt run. In hindsight, I should have sold this at that point, but was reassured they hydro was strong so I hung onto it. I always wanted and 18 auto since the first time I read my Dads ABCD's of tractoring at 6 years old. My son wanted a GT 14 since his first big show at Arendtsville 2 years ago, but he absolutley loves this tractor and asks every day when he gets off the school bus if I worked on it at all. Maybe I'll fix the 18 auto and sell the 416. We all know how those rear cylinders on the Onans really dont like to live long. The Kohler is a much heavier duty engine, plus I think in the long run a rebuild of it would be cheaper than the Onan. Another thing is my Dads 73 12 auto has to have damn near 5000 hours on it and never had an issue with the Sundstrand. It goes to show that caring for this things as they show in the manuals makes them last forever. Abusing them,,, well that gets into the situation I'm in now. I have been PM'd by a few great guys on here who have helped me from the beginning They feel very badly about this tractor and the cards I got dealt with it, and have offered to sell me actual working hydro pumps from their personal stash at reasonable prices. 1 gent has a motor he'd sell me but hes not sure its the right one. I guess time will tell. Paul, I like the idea of checking things out while its down for the count. Nothing about this tractor was as it was told to me. I never took one apart though and I'm a bit nervous to be honest. Does the manual outline things pretty clearly? I'd feel abit better knowing I have a resource to consult if things get hairy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WheelHorseSteve 48 #59 Posted January 25, 2012 There are 3 "D" hydro pumps on eBay right now and 1 hydro motor... Check them out. You could try these and rebuild that original tranny later if you choose. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hodge71 664 #60 Posted January 25, 2012 Thanks Steve, I checked them out and to be honest the prices scare me. I'm really gunshy when it comes to trusting people because of this tractor. I'm kinda leary of spending money on junk. I'm not sure what kind of guarantee things have on ebay. If I bought it and it was bad I would be slightly irritated to say the least Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevebo-(Moderator) 8,264 #61 Posted January 25, 2012 I would NOT have that shop rebuild for that money. I am with Ken on this one in terms of finding a good donor machine. They are out there for reasonable money. It may be time for you to park it and cover it until you find that donor tractor. Good luck- Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1maidenfan 202 #62 Posted January 25, 2012 One good thing about Ebay is that when and if you buy something Ebay has a buyer protection and it does work. That is one of the reasons I still use Ebay. Craigslist has no buyer protection! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
can whlvr 993 #63 Posted January 25, 2012 i would not rebuild it for that much either,i would get a set up from one of the guys here that know the pump was good,or part her out and try to get some dough back,the 416 is a great machine Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hodge71 664 #64 Posted January 25, 2012 Boy, I really have something to think about now. Its pretty overwhelming when everyone says part it, scrap it, park it..... just DO NOT rebuild it!!! Looks like I have some emails to send Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pfrederi 17,514 #65 Posted January 25, 2012 You said you had been working on the transmission in your wrangler, the rear end in the WH is a lot easier and the manual is good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
can whlvr 993 #66 Posted January 25, 2012 a gear tranny is a lot easier to work on than a hydro pump,and if a qualified shop cant get parts then i wouldnt even think about it,but a swap is another story,you dont have to crack open the pump,just bolt it in Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hodge71 664 #67 Posted January 26, 2012 I just found out today that my job is being is being downsized effective immediately. So it looks like I'm going to have plenty of free time on my hands to tear down the rear and rest of the machine. I guess I'll be elbow deep in no time. I got all the dents pounded out of the hood tonight and I only need filler on about 4 or 5. It might actually be less, theres 2 that look like glazing putty might be enough. Tomorrow sanding, primer and guide coat. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
73-18 automatic 8 #68 Posted January 26, 2012 Sorry to hear about your job let us know if you need anything Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jdog_kustoms 82 #69 Posted February 5, 2012 instead of rebuilding the hydro units ( pump and motor) find a good c series the later c series and that had the same pump and motor you have in your d series and i beleive most of the rear enbd parts in the d series including the case is the same as a c i was gona try and pull the stuff apart and check to be 100 persent but never got around to it and sold my d series stuff if i can help any more let me know but for a couple hundred bucks you could by a running c series and pull the parts to make your d run and save a ton of money Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
