AC 316 Varispeed Drive Problem

[Wailway]

My AC 316 varispeed just started a drive problem. Transmission engages, varispeed belt working, axle turning (except wheels), but no drive effort to either wheel. Anyone have any ideas.

[Charlieson]

Sounds like a sheared key in the rearend. ddh

[Wailway]

Thanks Will check that out.

[PatRarick]

Either a broken axle tube or a blown differential. Pat

[HubbardRA]

If an axle collar comes loose, the diff gears can move sideways and disengage. The axle shouldn't have any side-to-side motion.

[Wailway]

OK Have gotten this far: Removed: R.H. retaining collar R.H. Hub, seal, recessed washer R.H. Axle retaining ring Two keys from the axle assembly (they were OK) Now how the heck do you get the differential with the axle tube hub off from the axle tube? I must be missing something.

[HubbardRA]

Can you pull the axle out the left side of the tractor? If not, then you need to loosten the collar on the left side and push the axle as far as you can to the right. Remove the retaining ring that holds the left axle drive gear onto the axle. Pull the gear and spacer washers off. Pull the axle out the left side. At this point the collar that the diff is attached to should come off the torque tube with the diff still attached. The gear on the axle will prevent this collar from coming off the tube. If you don't want to remove the axle and gear, then you will have to remove the bolts from the diff and disassemble it to take it off and leave the flange on the tube. When I assemble a diff, I put the nuts on the flange side instead of the wheel side, so that the diff can be removed without disassembly. If yours has the nuts behind the collar, then the diff can be removed as a complete unit as long as you leave the bolts thru it and don't pull any of them out. I have seen them assembled both ways.

[Wailway]

I got it off. Removed the bolts holding the differential to the axle tube hub, removed the differential, and then used a gear puller to pull the axle tube hub. Good news is that the keys were all intact and not broken. The bad news is that the differential has 6 of the 8 pinion (or spider?) gears broken. I suspect that some or most of them have been broken for awhile. Can't imagine that they all just went at the same time, but who knows. Have to clean the unit up good to see if any other damage to diff. parts. Any suggestions for good sources for these gears?

[Wailway]

Well, 7 of the 8 pinion gears are broken or damaged. One spindle sleeve is damaged. The gear driving the left wheel looks OK. However, the gear attached to the right hub is buggered up. OUCH!! Is there anyway to replace this gear without having to replace the whole right hub assembly? Looks like this hub may have not had enough engagement into the differential although the collar set screws at both axle ends don't show any movement on the axle. Maybe just end-to-end wear across all the components along the axle allowed enough movement to create the problem. Looks like I can get the pinions and spindle parts without too much difficulty. Any ideas on fixing or getting a right axle hub would be appreciated.

[clyde]

Barry, I'm only about three hours from you and may have what you need - I'm just not sure what Simplicity parts would work on your 316. I've been looking at the cross reference but don't see a 316 listed. Maybe someone else knows what might work? I have a 3310V, would the axle parts work from that?

[Wailway]

I screwed up on the model. It is an AC 314. Must have had brain cramp when doing original post.

[MikeES]

Yes the 3310V is the same as the 314V. The whole transaxle assembly on the 314V is the same as any gear shift large frame Simplicity tractor. Experience from tractor pulling (blew up a couple diffs) I believe the stock washer that fits between the faces of the hub and axle gear is too thick, and prevents full engagement into the spider gears. I put a thin teflon washer between the faces and I get deeper engagement of the hub gear into the spider gears. Since doing this I have not blowen a differential in tractor pulling for 7 years, pulling 2 tractors.

[Wailway]

Mike After looking closely at the wear pattern on the axle hub gear, I have to fully agree with you about the engagement into the differential! It looks like the unit I have has been engaging the pinion gears of the differential only about 3/8 (or less) of the length of the tooth on the axle hub gear. That certainly is not good, especially under heavy loading. If I can get parts to get this beast back together, I certainly will use your info. Any ideas on source for teflon washers?

[wilm169]

There are a few of us out here that have good used ones. Levi