new to me b1750HST w/tranny noise

[mattbatson]

nice reply...keep on sharing..mhada

thx, and I will....

I have been busy with chasing an electrical problem on one of my cars, and it kinda took priority.

however, today I finally got the dash/console and tank off...exposing the damage much better.

http://vimeo.com/31397544

took a video because the camera was in the wife's car.

man was there a lot of dirt and stuff under the dash!

 

[mattbatson]

Okay, did some work tonight in the garage...

Okay, so it seems, for some reason, the previous owner had done some welding on the FEL frame. In this picture, you see where part of the FEL bolts to the clutch cover (which is what I'm taking off and replacing). Not sure why this is, but may be related somehow to whatever catastrophic event may have happened...who knows exactly what.

Below, you can see the other side is not welded...just relying on the factory bolts to secure it...

I also found a crack on the FEL frame on the passenger side that will need to be welded up (since I am removing this frame anyways, it shouldnt be a big deal)

and another shot

here I am removing a couple of hyd hoses that are really hard to get to normally, but are exposed with all the stuff I've taken off....so they were both a little old looking and I'll be putting new hoses on there...

and here I am beginning to remove the power steering box (still so happy that I have power steering, cause I thought it was a manual box when I bought it)...disconnect the hardline

and then the soft line....and every hyd hose disconnected gets some black duct tape to keep out the debris...

Ran out of time, but just need to get the tie rod, or whatever it is called, disconnected and the power steering box should just pull off the clutch cover.

Then I'll start removing the FEL frame....

cheers ! edro:

 

[mattbatson]

got the power steering off...

and also found this...

this is at the rear of the clutch cover, just before the seat.

The more I see and dig, the more damage I find

next is stuff like the foot steps and pedals, FEL , etc...with other honey do list stuff, and the 2 yr old to watch, I have to find little bits of time where I can.
I'll keep ya posted

 

[hodge]

Wow- your tractor had a seriously tough life before you got it. At this point, you are finding external damage. What internal damage is waiting to be found? How long was the tractor operated in this condition? No wonder you heard strange sounds.

 

[firejunkie]

Wow- your tractor had a seriously tough life before you got it. At this point, you are finding external damage. What internal damage is waiting to be found? How long was the tractor operated in this condition? No wonder you heard strange sounds.

You got that right, wow that little beast was definitely put through the ringer a few times over. Well you certainly have your work cut out for you, stripping and reassembling a gear case with hydro drive, there are a lot of things that can go wrong, I would look into a sound used case assembled. On most tractors the gear case acts as the frame or at least most of it, splitting the tractor in two is just that, the engine and front end are one assembly and the gear case and rear end are the other, that's the fun part, there is a lot that will come apart just to get the gear case out.

 

[mattbatson]

yep, it was seriously abused.
In fact, I plan to take the tranny into the dealer to let them go through it after I pull the clutch cover....
it will be so easy to take off at that point, whereas I could get it all together and find I have to disassemble it again...no fun right there.

lots of little things need to be disconnected to separate the clutch cover from the engine and tranny...

here is a pic of all the different kinds of bolts the previous owner used to try and patch up the clutch cover...pulled these out of where it bolts to the engine.

also, great news, the dealer, Noonday tractor out of Flint Tx sent me the 500 dollar check. He certainly didnt have to do it, but he did...and it will really help take the sting out of buying a new clutch cover.
next I plan to disconnect the driveshafts...

 

[hodge]

It's a good thing that you are thourough- knowining that a previous owner was monkeying with it means that you not only have to know how it goes back together, but that it goes back together right, not the way that it was. It also indicates problems for some time, it seems to me.

 

[mattbatson]

It's a good thing that you are thourough- knowining that a previous owner was monkeying with it means that you not only have to know how it goes back together, but that it goes back together right, not the way that it was. It also indicates problems for some time, it seems to me.

hey,
well, I am planning on giving this thing a pretty thorough going over, and hope that after it is back together it will be basically a new, fully restored, tractor.

New clutch, new driveshaft universal joints, etc...and plan to take the tranny in for a going over by the local dealer, etc.

this is going to be a brand new tractor when I'm done.

 

[mattbatson]

so picked up some paint from the kubota dealer...

some peices out getting cleaned...

one of the tins getting prepped for paint...

the main driveshaft first...as the cotter pin is easier to get to, lol

darn cotter pin isnt coming out easily....had to take a punch with some hammer tapping.

finally got it out...

draining all the hyd oil...

have to remove this adjuster thingy that has a spring connected to one end...

hyd oil filter coming off...

one of my painted bits...

need to get the front driveshaft disconnected, along with a couple more hyd lines, then a couple of other things.

 

[mattbatson]

got some more done....
disconnecting another hydraulic line...

then this...

nother hydraulic line...

main brace attachment for FEL...

here I took some time to do some aesthetics, you can see the difference between restored/painted tin and original...will have original stickers/emblems on order from dealer soon too

check out this one...nice

more control rods to disconnect

Didnt get a shot, but got the starter off too....
I'm just about ready to stick a jackstand under the engine and unbolt the clutch cover for separation.

 

[SRS]

also, I keep looking at this contraption, wondering what it is?

nother pic...

The lever in the front of the tractor is used to hold up a belly mower. Great job on the tear down. Keep up the good work and thank you for the photos. I used to have a B1550 hydro with belly mower and Kubota loader and it was one fantastic tractor. I've since traded up to a cabbed B3030, which is nice, but personally not as tough as the old B1550. Once you get everything together you will really enjoy your B1750 (same as B1550) but a little more hp. Stanley

 

[mattbatson]

The lever in the front of the tractor is used to hold up a belly mower. Great job on the tear down. Keep up the good work and thank you for the photos. I used to have a B1550 hydro with belly mower and Kubota loader and it was one fantastic tractor. I've since traded up to a cabbed B3030, which is nice, but personally not as tough as the old B1550. Once you get everything together you will really enjoy your B1750 (same as B1550) but a little more hp. Stanley

hey, thanks for the info.
I had figured out what it was for after continuing to wrench on it and seeing other fixtures/braces/connections...all that pointed to belly mower.
I'm removing all of them as I have a JD 52 inch cut garden tractor already, and will only run a bush hog if anything with the kubota.

 

[mattbatson]

started to split it today....

i put jackstands under the engine. I jacked it up about a half inch, then lowered onto the stands
then put a jack under the clutch cover

then i went behind the tractor and tugged on the 3point

lots of little gouges on the outside of pressure plate

lots of metal debris in bellhousing

yep, missing finger or two

 

[ipz2222]

Those are some sad pictures. Lots of things to fix.

 

[mattbatson]

Those are some sad pictures. Lots of things to fix.

ha ha, yep, I know....

and it just gets better...
so when I pull the pressure plate, not only does one of the 12mm bolts break off in the flywheel, but the entire pressure plate disintegrates in my hands as it comes off.

seems also like the flywheel bolts are chamfered by the center of the pressure plate knocking around loose as the motor ran...I dont think the insides of these bolts are supposed to be like this?

So I may be replacing the flywheel bolts, lol

I was planning on taking it off anyways as I wanted to check the rear engine seal and replace it while in here. There is a bit of oil/grease in there anyways, so I bet it is leaking some.

so I went to the dealer and spent 300 dollars on new pressure plate, clutch, throw out bearing, seals behind throw out bearing, and a little spring...figured I would replace anything that looks like a wear item while I'm doing all this.

need to go back and order flywheel bolts and rear engine seal too.

more updates soon..but need to do the timing belt on the 4runner this weekend, so might be a few days before I can get back to the tractor

 

[Kubota Newbie]

Is there supposed to be a bushing in the center of that flywheel for the nose of the tranny input shaft?

 

[mattbatson]

Is there supposed to be a bushing in the center of that flywheel for the nose of the tranny input shaft?

ha ha, I'm not sure

There are bushings that support this shaft on the other side of the pressure plate (clutch cover side)...just behind the release bearing...and I have those on order too.

I'm going to make sure that whatever is missing gets replaced.
Thanks for the heads up

I'll be checking the shop manual....

 

[mattbatson]

so, back from vacation and hitting the tractor hard now...
ordered a new clutch, pressure plate, release bearing, some springs and seals too...about 330 bucks for everything.

using an impact wrench to get the flywheel bolts off...

it is a little dirty, and will be cleaned up before reinstalling flywheel...and I noticed that the rear main seal doesnt seem to be leaking.

I'm wondering if I should replace the rear main. I worry that it may take a couple of try's...damaging a seal or two, before I get it in right.
Sometimes those things can be a pain.
on the other hand, I'm in there already, so it makes sense to just do it....

guess I'll do it,

flywheel is at the machine shop getting turned and getting the pressure plate bolt that i broke off in it removed.
Should be about a hundred bucks total

 

[mattbatson]

got the engine flex plate removed...and cleaned everything up a bit

took the flexplate to the driveway for a good cleaning

and i immediately find that it is bent

and that it is cracked

and here

the cracks go all the way through and are on the backside also.

Notice the bolt holes were the stress riser and the cracks propogated from them outward. I also noticed that the factory apparently used those crappy lock washers, and if you look closely you can see the scarring left in the flexplate from the lockwashers. Of course this scarring creates stress risers and a weakpoint.
Lockwashers are a poor engineering design, but I see the factory bolts have them attached, so might have no choice when i go to reattach the flex plate.

Sooooo, I called the dealer and it is a 100 bucks for a new flexplate, so I ordered one...sigh

Just keep telling myself that this will be a heirloom item for my son to enjoy, and that it will all be worth it someday, lol

 

[SRS]

Just keep telling myself that this will be a heirloom item for my son to enjoy, and that it will all be worth it someday, lol

Matt, you're doing a great job and the pictures are super! Once you fix everything and get it at together you'll really like the B1750. I had the B1550 and it was without a doubt the best tractor I've ever owned. Tough little thing. Much beefier then my cabbed B3030. My 2 cents worth anyway, keep up the good work. Stanley