I put ice on the shaft to see if I could shrink it a bit - 10 min. Then I got the pliers you mentioned above (wrapped in tape to save the spacer 060) and tried to pull the spacer out. It didn't work. There is only a little bit of room and I can get a grip, but it slips off w/o moving.
Hydraulic fluid leak when hot?
- Thread starter la724
- Start date
I iced the shaft for 10 min. to help shrink it. I got the pliers you mentioned above and taped them to keep from damaging the spacer 060. I can barely get a grip on it and I pulled but nothing before the pliers slip off.
I am getting the spacer 060 off right now! I went to the local Kubuta dealer and ordered my parts, then went to see the service manager. What a blessing they were as well as LA724 and all who've contributed to this thread. I told them about my dilemma and he took me to a mechanic who'd done the same job 1 week ago on a different model tractor.
He told me that I'm MUCH better off making sure the fwd propeller shaft does not come out. Instead, he told to take a flat head screw driver and push inside the seal and start prying it out, working around it as necessary. Spacer 060 is going to be trashed anyway so scratching it is no big deal. When I pried, the back side began to push out and I used a pry bar in the other hand to pull from that side. Came out in few minutes.
Then he said to use a pry bar that is ground down to a point so that it will dig into the spacer 060. I found a punch with a point and sharpened it and decided to try that. I had to dig in and pry against the case, so I made sure I pried against the thicker part to be safe against cracking. It began to SLOWLY move. I then switched to a pry bar and started working it out.
I am going to keep my knee against the shaft to make sure it doesn't come out as I finish removing the spacer.
He loaned me a sleeve (looks like a piece of pipe - it's the one that comes in the "kit" that is available) to help tap on the new 060 sleeve. He also loaned me a tool just the right size to press the new seal on when it arrives.
Will get the parts off today and am waiting on the new parts to arrive in about 3 days.
Thanks to everyone for the help so far. I'll try to add more info as I go. A few pics below of taking off the spacer and the loaner tools.
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I struggled with using a long pry bar and a piece of wood to move the spacer the next 2 inches. It is very tight. I added rust penetrator to the spacer - it helped a little. I changed to a 3/4" square tubing to work the pry bar against instead of wood - I could get better leverage. I was scuffing the propeller shaft a bit and will clean it up with a fine file and sand paper, but it shouldn't make much difference as the 1 1/2" spacer is rubber lined and the seal runs on the spacer.
I then got a bag of ice and iced the shaft for a few minutes and that made the difference. It began to slide with the prying and the closer it got to the colder part of the shaft the faster it moved. The last 4" or so was easy. I had considered heat to the spacer and cold wet rags around the shaft before and after but that was not necessary.
Pics attached. The glove? Protection for my knee holding the shaft in place in case the pry bar slipped. I used one hand below the square tubing to control slipping off (can't you just feel that pry bar digging into your leg?).
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I'm glad you got it! I don't remember issues with the spacer sliding on the shaft, But I removed the shaft to change the bearing ( which I didn't need to and should have done it like you did) Good job