B-80 Transmission Input Pully Frozen

[rmaynard 15,434]

I have a couple of those input shafts should you need one. I also have any other gears that may have been damaged. I have used bearings, but other than the #1533 bearing, I would suggest using new ones.

 

I am leaving for the Wheel Horse show on Thursday morning, so I can ship Monday through Wednesday.

 

PM or email me at rmaynard@qis.net.

[r356c 375]

Thanks Bob,

 

My 4-speed unidrive transmission shopping list looks like:

2-27 axles  (and hubs)

2-28 Input Gear

2-31 Spline Shaft

 

Steve,

I found the root cause of why this transmission was such a mystery. The needle bearing 2-29 was not installed. By who? I don't know. I'll assume the factory.

The two needle bearings in the case supporting the input gear were taking the entire radial load for awhile, failed, and the the boss in the casting supported the input gear at an angle.

The boss is worn down about .030 on the low side. I am sure a machine shop can fly cut the boss back to level and some McMaster-Carr shims or thrust washers can replace the missing meat.

The photo shows what it did to the spline shaft.

Edited June 14, 2014 by r356c

[stevasaurus 22,713]

Actually, it looks like that bearing just disintegrated.  I think I can see what is left of the bearing sheath in that picture.  If you take a small screwdriver or an awl, I think you can get behind that piece of metal...it will bend in a little and then rip and you can pull it out with a needle nose pliers. 

 

Bob sounds like he has the parts you need, and he will do you right...just replace them. 

 

sure did a number on the bottom of that spline shaft.

Edited June 14, 2014 by stevasaurus

[r356c 375]

The ridge is from the galling of the spline shaft. There was never any bearing in here.

Overall, this transmission can be saved ! I was worried the bore around the input gear was tore up, but the boss took the abuse. A much easier fix.

[stevasaurus 22,713]

Great pics...thanks 

[Racinbob 11,048]

Of course you have a better view of it even with the good pictures but are you sure r356c? That looks exactly like one I have. It looks like the inner flange of the bearing case is still at the bottom of the bore and the outer flange has been battered and ground to smitherings. I didn't realize I still had the outer casing in mine until I got to picking at it.

[r356c 375]

Hi Racinbob,

 

This input gear is scrap, so out comes the hammer and center punch...

 

Nope, no bearing sleeve in here.

 

It's amazing the transmission worked, and worked hard from the looks of the axles. The designers knew a thing or two about damage tolerence and having critical components like transmissions fail gracefully.

Edited June 14, 2014 by r356c

[Racinbob 11,048]

Ok. I see what you mean now. I have a few parts but I'm not sure how they cross to yours. The other Bob is going to be a lot more help to you. Did the hi/2nd gear survive the abuse? Especially the inside teeth? That was toast on mine and is a bugger to find. I did find a NOS on Ebay that I bought but it was pricy.

[r356c 375]

Everything else looks good!  Wheelhorseforum is well on it's way to getting another horse back on it's feet.

The resources here, both technical and experience wise are unbeatable.

Edited June 14, 2014 by r356c

[Racinbob 11,048]

You got that right. The folks on here are the best. I've been playing with Wheel Horses since 1960 and I thought I was pretty knowledgeable about them. I quickly found out here that I was just starting to learn.

[r356c 375]

As should have been expected, local machine shops wanted far more to make one cut than the transmission is worth. That is, if they would touch it at all.

The question is back to scrap or save.

My initial guess of how much of the boss had been worn away was off by a lot.  It is .122 low on the worn side.

This goes from shims to thrust bearing territory.

An eighth inch thick, 1.5 inch o.d. thrust bearing is a substantial chunk of metal. It will "hide" a lot of imperfections from the rotating input gear if the boss is "machined" by hand rather than the correct way.

Knowing the conditions the transmission operated under for a long time makes this an easy decision. Save it!

Edited June 20, 2014 by r356c

[r356c 375]

This is not as drama filled as some machine shops would want you to believe. $$$

Rough grinding using the side of a Dremel diamond cut-off wheel.

Machinists use a product called dykem to identify high and low spots. A sharpie pen works too.

Lots of checking with the 19mm socket pushed in from the bottom of the bore to use as a visual reference of level.

Edited June 20, 2014 by r356c

[r356c 375]

.125 material removed to make room for a thrust bearing and roughly 50% available bearing contact surface. The dark areas are sharpie ink.

I don't think this surface really sees much thrust load at all in *normal* use.

Plenty good to get the B-80 motoring around again.

The final material removal used a piece of emery paper pinched between the 19mm deep socket used as a pilot in the bore and a disk of aluminum as a backer for the paper.

I did this one by hand. The *next* one will get some 1/4 inch threaded rod, washers and nuts to compress everything and give a place for a hand drill to attach.

Edited June 20, 2014 by r356c

[r356c 375]

After an initial failed attempt to mate the case halves together a year and a half ago...

(These horses are patient if the owner gets frustrated and walks away)

 

The B-80 is back together and motoring around.

I had completely forgotten what a pleasing sound those old cast iron Kohler engines sing.

As mentioned, the original owner was a retired Air Force A&P. He did a nice job on the engine rebuild.

He was Korean War era. Interesting stories about bore sighting an F-86 Sabre in Korea when I was purchasing the B-80.

 

The best news... the wife called the Wheelhorse "cute" during my initial runs.

I won't tell her they can multiply like rabbits.

 

 

[rmaynard 15,434]

Glad you got her back together and running. You are correct that nothing sounds better than cast iron singing in the sunshine. 

[r356c 375]

Thanks Bob! Our best thoughts on your continued recovery with the back surgery.

 

Without Red Square, this B-80 would not have been able to be repaired. (At least by me.)

 

I know, pictures or it didn't happen.

 

[stevasaurus 22,713]

I'm curious as to why it took so long to get together, and what was the mating problem.  I happen to have one frustrating me at the moment.  It has set for 5 days now, while I think about it. 

[r356c 375]

Hi Steve!,

The electrolysis tank you have going is too cool!

 

Well, I transposed open and closed end for two of the needle bearings when I ordered replacements.  I only discovered this after I had gooed one half of the case flange with gasket seal and attempted final assembly. Your instructions are clear and correct. It was my oversight.

 

Mid June is the beginning of twice-a-week mowing of Bahia grass and the Wheelhorse project went into the nice to have rather than the need to have category.

Births, deaths, weddings, work... the usual events... time slips... I knew the transmission was well pickled and not picking up surface rust so I let it slide.

 

I hooked up the mid-mount scraper blade and played in the dirt this evening. Everything is holding together!

The B-80 is my first piece of ground engaging capable equipment.  Those transmissions are stout! The little Kohler burbles along like it may be using 4hp pulling a scraper full of dirt around. Sweet!

[can whlvr 993]

good lookin tractor,well worth the time and bucks  to keep her alive