Repair Keyway or replace BGB input shaft?

[brad52]

Hi, I'm mostly a lurker but now i have a question that maybe i can get suggestions for. I just bought a 2012 on ebay for around 150 dollars that came with stock headlights and hydrolift. The tractor is mostly in good shape although it looks like there wasn't much maintainance done resulting in the input shaft keyway of the Bevel Gear Box to be damaged. The Bevel Gear Box gears and bearings are tight as can be, but the keyway is very wallowed out on the drivershaft(input shaft) and also there is bad damage to the keyway on the driveshaft flange. Is there any way to repair these keyways? JB Weld? Otherwise i guess i'm looking for an input shaft or a good BGB, and a driveshaft flange. Thanks

[DMedal]

JB Weld won't hold. But a machine shop should be able to cut a new keyway on the other side of the shaft. I'm not sure about the driveshaft adapter. -Don

[brad52]

Can that shaft be removed from the BGB while still on the tractor? Thanks, Brad

[DMedal]

I wouldn't want to say you couldn't get the shaft out with the BGB box in the tractor but I wouldn't want to try. It shouldn't take more than an hour to pull the BGB and then you can work on it comfortably. It would take the experienced people here less than 30 minutes to pull it, but longer if you have to run down your jack stands first. Oh yeah, this would assume the pulleys come off for you. :(

[rsnik]

Hi Brad, I am replacing the bgb on my 2010. You have to remove the dash (mine would not come off as I had a frozen key in the steering shaft keyway that required heat to get it out and took most of a morning) the console, the top frame cover. Disconnect brake linkage, clutch-brake rod and transmission shift rod. Disconnect drive shaft. Remove gear shaft flange. Remove tranny drive belt and cap screws securing transmission to side plates. Etc, etc, etc. It's a long and dusty road. The manual describes removing the bgb drive shaft and front shaft after you remove the bgb (removing the bgb involves more than what I described above). I have been working on removing mine for maybe a month, but not continuously. I have not got it out yet, but that's mainly because I photo everything and put parts in labeled gallon zip log bags as I go along and other tractor projects have moved in around the bgb project. I have to get the engine back together and restart the bgb removal project. If you have a bearing and pulley shop with a machine shop near you go talk to them. They showed me how to save a bgb with wallowed key ways without removing the bgb (the gears are gone on the 2010 bgb so it has to come out). One of the things they did for me was use a bigger key and file it to tightly custom fit into the wallowed keyway slots. They also have a Loctite product that helps hold the "custom" new key in place but may make future removal an issue. Theses kind of shops have all kinds of know-how and products that can pull your bacon out of the fire because they fix all kind of machinery problems all day long.

[KenK]

I would say if you go to all the work to remove the shaft. It would be best to replace it with a new one. Or a good used one.

[MikeES]

Don't discount JB Weld. Depending on "how" wallowed out. It may be fixed with JB Weld. I repaired a keyway in the solid axle on one of our pulling tractors 4 years ago and still holding.

[brad52]

Yesterday evening I had gotten this tractor pretty much torn down to clean it and to fix some other minor problems like loose steering(which is alot more difficult with the hydrolift) and pull the engine,and get the shroud off to clean beneath it. After all this it looked easy enough according to the bgb repair instructions i found here (http://www.michaelstractors.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=160)(thanks Michael); so i decided to remove the guts of the bgb while it was still bolted on the tractor to see if was feasable. It actually was really easy. Since i had already removed the dash, shift cover, the control rods(except thebrake/clutch),the engine, the hydrolift unit i had plenty of room to work but i did take off the seat(for a better view and safety) and both rear wheels. So I pulled the tranny drive pulley on the right side of the bgb, drained the lube and then removed the rear cover. I cleaned the burrs off the driven shaft and then drove the shaft part way through the bgb case with a wood dowel until the woodruff key was exposed; pulled the key and then continued to drive the shaft out of the case. Then i grabbed the gear, cleaned up the burrs on the input shaft, unbolted the bearing holder for the input shaft and it came right out. Now I'm looking for a good used shaft and driveshaft yoke. Brad