Removing rusty RC54 mower gear box

[rustythread]

As mentioned in a different thread, my RC54 recently discorporated due to metal fatigue cracks. One of the areas affected was the gearbox, which came out with a piece of deck permanently attached. I want to salvage the gearbox, but it's going to be an adventure.


x
I have the blade, Belleville washers, and blade boss off, but am stuck. I've been soaking bolt/screw heads and ends for a couple of weeks, and periodically tapping bolt ends and heads with a brass hammer. Nada nichts rien nothing.

1. IF I can get the four bolts out of the sides of the top mounting bracket to free up the box, what needs to come off, and where, to pull the gearbox up and off from the deck fragment and the under parts?

2. All 8 of the bolts going thru the deck metal to attach the upper bracket to the lower part are rusted solid, and several have chunks out of their heads as though prior attempts to chisel-start them failed. I may have to resort to a propane torch and easy-outs or drilling. Suggestions on methods and things to watch out for will be much appreciated.

 

[lugbolt]

from the bottom up, you will have

blade bolt
spline boss
washers

then once the blade and washers is out of the way you will look up inside of the boss/plate and there is a snap ring buried up inside. Remove it. Pull the boss off.

then remove the 4 bolts that hold the gearbox to the deck, and pull the gearbox out. Or in your case pull the remainder of the deck off of the gearbox.

 

[rustythread]

from the bottom up, you will have

blade bolt
spline boss
washers

then once the blade and washers is out of the way you will look up inside of the boss/plate and there is a snap ring buried up inside. Remove it. Pull the boss off.

then remove the 4 bolts that hold the gearbox to the deck, and pull the gearbox out. Or in your case pull the remainder of the deck off of the gearbox.

 

[rustythread]

Thanks, Lugbolt!
Once the snap ring is out, czn I use a puller on the boss/plate? It's tight and I don't want to bugger it up.

 

[rustythread]

Thanks, Lugbolt! Once the snap ring is out, can I use a puller on the boss/plate? It's on tightly.

Thanks again.

PS: 2d question: I'm going to look at an RC48-60A next week. It has the gearbox turned around for a front PTO input. What parts would I need to R&R to put the gearbox and U joint back into rear PTO configuration? Anything else I should check or look out for in swapping the RC48 onto the bekky mount on the B7200 HST?

 

[MOOTS]

Thanks, Lugbolt!
Once the snap ring is out, czn I use a puller on the boss/plate? It's tight and I don't want to bugger it up.

The plate above the snap ring? Get some good light and a pic. Clean the splines out of whatever crap they have in them, it will come off. Can lightly use a puller, if you can get the jaws behind it.

 

[rustythread]

Cleaned area around splines. Repeated insertion of penetrant. Applied bearing splitter to space between back of boss and casing; got about 1/8" movement, but the length of splined shaft showing did not change--i.e., I 'm pretty sure the boss did not move on the shaft.
With the slightly larger gap now present, applied a 3-jaw puller to the edge of the boss, pushing off the end of the splined shaft. No movement.

I'm obviously not a mechanic, so feel free to correct any mechano-cranio-rectal inversion symptoms I display. If I grasp the basic structure of this gearbox correctly, there has to be some way that the upper boss can be separated--otherwise it could not be assembled with the gears above the deck surface and boss, etc., below. I can't see anything in the diagrams I've looked at which say otherwise; although one parts diagram showed a keyway on the shaft somewhere, which shouldn't preclude a straight pull.

If I can get the !@$% gearbox off, I can throw the bracket and lower sub-assembly in the electrolysis tank for a few days to clean out the rust before proceeding. I don't want to throw the whole gearbox in there.

Suggestions, good-natured mockery, or ribaldry welcome.

 

[MOOTS]

Cleaned area around splines. Repeated insertion of penetrant. Applied bearing splitter to space between back of boss and casing; got about 1/8" movement, but the length of splined shaft showing did not change--i.e., I 'm pretty sure the boss did not move on the shaft.
With the slightly larger gap now present, applied a 3-jaw puller to the edge of the boss, pushing off the end of the splined shaft. No movement.

I'm obviously not a mechanic, so feel free to correct any mechano-cranio-rectal inversion symptoms I display. If I grasp the basic structure of this gearbox correctly, there has to be some way that the upper boss can be separated--otherwise it could not be assembled with the gears above the deck surface and boss, etc., below. I can't see anything in the diagrams I've looked at which say otherwise; although one parts diagram showed a keyway on the shaft somewhere, which shouldn't preclude a straight pull.

If I can get the !@$% gearbox off, I can throw the bracket and lower sub-assembly in the electrolysis tank for a few days to clean out the rust before proceeding. I don't want to throw the whole gearbox in there.

Suggestions, good-natured mockery, or ribaldry welcome.

Weird. Can you post some pictures?

 

[rustythread]

Got the boss to move about 1/8" on the splined shaft, but required application of the BFH; very tight and reluctant. I'm thinking about application of heat to the boss to break it loose. What danger is there that the necessary heat will catch the oils / greases on fire?