Splitting L4850 - Bad release bearing

[Rob Smith]

For my 1st post , I decided to tell about the steps I took to split my 4850. While the clutch has been working fine, there was a loud squeal from the release bearing whenever I engaged the clutch. If you are handy you should be able to carry this procedure out. The rear stationary part of the tractor should be well supported and a level concrete floor is a must. The preparation, including making the plywood jack support to the point where I could remove the bearing took me 2 days. I was able to re-assemble all in one day. The only expense I incurred was for the grease. The bearing was very dry but recovered well with some TLC.
Here goes:
Disconnect battery cables. Remove engine hood and side panels.
Remove steering wheel adjustment covers and dash to access wiring; disconnect spedo. cable & necessary plugs/wiring; Shut off fuel and disconnect the two rubber fuel hoses(plug them); remove 4WD propeller shaft cover under tractor(shaft will sepatate on its own when separating); Drain hydraulic oil; Build jack support and bolt it to clutch adjustment side openings.(see photos); block the front axle to the frame to prevent rocking; Jack and support tractor under rear draw bar and under trans.; ***8230;.let air from rear tires to rest on supports; disconnect throttle rod ; disconnect hydraulic lines, one has coupling under foot rest on rhs and 2nd at the hydraulic filter(3 bolts). They will slide fwd. when separating); using floor jack, jack front section under front jack support enough to support weight only.; remove all bellhousing bolts.
Adjust front tire pressure to keep front section level; roll front section away using floor jack under jack support while keeping an eye on hydraulic pipes, throttle rod and fuel lines ; 4x4 propeller shaft will separate on its own. Wheel chocks come in handy for the front tires when moving forward. This should expose your release bearing and clutch area. Notice the grease zerk on the bearing hub. Mine just needed grease to quieten it down.
I applied a light coat of silicone on the bell housing before join up. Reverse the order to re-assemble. Clutch now works fine and no squeal. Good luck if you need to split your 4850.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Three points... I'm sorry but you're really not going to like the last one!

You should always block the front axle to the frame to keep it from rotating side to side, you got lucky.

There is an access plate to be able to grease the slide on the throw out bearing no disassembly required.

Now for the part your not going to like to hear.
I will bet you'll be wishing that you replaced the bearing while you had it apart.
While greasing the slide is a good thing, it does not grease the bearing itself and it will most likely return to squealing in no time flat.
right now it's probably just slipping on the face of the bearing that has grease on it and when that grease wears off it's back to where you started.

 

[D2Cat]

Rob, a level concrete floor isn't a must, it is a luxury. I've separated a 60HP tractor by cribbing up the rear half, and using a 3/4" sheet of plywood under the front half to allow the floor jack to roll. It was in a barn, but it had gravel throughout.

Nice description of the process. Might give others motivation to work on their tractors.

 

[Rob Smith]

Thanks for great comments.I neglected to mention blocking the front axle and have edited the above procedure . A very important safety step.Thanks N I Wolfman. On that subject, I also had a safety chain from my garage ceiling to the lift ring on the rear of the motor.(added insurance) My 4850 doesn't appear to allow access to the zerk. I did explore this option. photo shows only clutch adjustment area and zerk not visible even when manually rotating clutch cover.
Would like to know where and how to access the zerk?
Decided to take my chances on just forcing grease into the bearing as it was running smooth. Unless your time in invaluable(like mine) I also recommend replacement.Still running quiet after several hours of use.

 

[William1]

Nice write up. Clever using tire pressures for 'fine alignment'.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Nice write up. Clever using tire pressures for 'fine alignment'.

This reminded me of another point:
Do not do this if you have loaded (ballast) tires.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

My 4850 doesn't appear to allow access to the zerk. I did explore this option.

You could be totally right on this, Kubota has neglected to put the access ports in on several models as they phased out the greaseable slides.

 

[Jim Dandy]

Rob

Nice wright up. As I have learned working on my equipment there is no set way to do things. Every one have a different way of doing them. What do we have available to get the job done ?Different tools , different work environment . Do we roll the front or back away. Every one has a different way of getting the job done.I have reused many bearing. Put a small hole in the back and pump full of grease. Plug the hole up. I have two tractors with over 3000 hours on them that we did that on , still working great. Some of us do appreciate you taking the time to tell what you did.Wish you the best.
James