Pinion bearing replacement on Kubota L35

FarmerDave60

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Feb 22, 2020
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East Lynn, WV
I removed pinion shaft and bearings, installed new pinion and bearings along with existing collars/shims. Once everything put back in housing there isn’t enough room to install the sir clip. How do I resolve this issue?
 

200mph

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Probably need different thickness shims since you have new pinion and bearings. I think they have 4 or 5 different shims available. (Assuming you're talking about the front axle, since it wasn't mentioned in your original post)
 

FarmerDave60

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Feb 22, 2020
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East Lynn, WV
The pinion is the same one it is the front housing pinion shaft I thought I could install new bearings and use same shims but that’s not the case can you preload bearings and install all at once or separate I’m just learning I got it out okay thanks to this site and thanks for reply
 

GeoHorn

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I probably shouldn’t post in this thread as I have no L35 or experience or parts diagram to rely upon.... but one of the specialties I was trained on as a young Toyota Tech was differentials... and one of the tedious issues was pinion-gear-to-ring-gear preloads and measurements.

The pinion gear depth determines where the gear teeth interface the ring gear. That is controlled by shims, crush-sleeves, pinion bearing depth, or all three. Many pinions have an identifier on the big-end engraved so that when replacement time comes a pinion with identical depth measures is used. Other designs rely upon those shims and crush-sleeves.

If you replaced the old pinion with a new one of unknown dimension then you’ll have to go thru all the trouble the OEM had to determine at original mfr. This will likely require different shims and/or torque-values (if a crush-sleeve is used.)

With a tractor ...gear running-noise may not be the issue as it can be in an automobile... but I’m guessing you’ll be happier if you can locate a unique identifier on that old pinion and get the same one on the new pinion.

Let’s also mention that if those bearings are not completely seated on the pinion shaft (like using a shop press to properly seat the bearing) then that dimensional change will affect re-assembly also.

Hope this helps.
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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I removed pinion shaft and bearings, installed new pinion and bearings along with existing collars/shims. Once everything put back in housing there isn’t enough room to install the sir clip. How do I resolve this issue?
I'm confused, as you say different thing in your posts.

Did you install a new pinion or reuse the old pinion?

Do you have the WSM?

1: If you installed a new pinion you should have installed a new ring too as they are a matched set and trying to get a unmatched ring and pinion to work together never goes well.

2: If you installed the original pinion and just new bearings you will have to reset the preload (shims) as bearing changes change the amount of shims required.

3: If you don't have the WSM get it, as it explains completely how to properly set the pinion up.