Tom King Posted February 21, 2020 Report Share Posted February 21, 2020 In working on my John Deere, I got to the place where I needed a shaft running through the transmission. The one in there is fine, except for some wear on a couple of bearing journals. That shaft is obsolete, so I needed to find a machine shop to build up the journals, and machine them back down to where they need to be for the bearings to ride on. This is fairly common, and there are special welding electrodes (stick, or wire) for such building back up. In Googling to find a suitable machine shop, I turned up this video. I thought some of you guys might enjoy watching this. This shaft if double the size of mine, that needs the work, but I enjoy watching a good mechanic work. He's making a new one from scratch, but for my job, that's not necessary. Mine has splines on both ends, and it would cost way too much to have a whole new shaft machined. i have two lathes that would do this, and this exact same milling machine, that were left to me, but they're stored where I can't use them yet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted February 21, 2020 Report Share Posted February 21, 2020 I've been watching his videos for a couple of years now. They are excellent. Production quality is high and he has a good way of explaining what he's doing. I'm not into metal work at all, but I find it very interesting to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted February 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2020 The shaft that I need machining done on, is part #8 in this diagram. It's the bearing journals on both sides of that gear in the middle. I can't figure out how to copy, and paste the diagram picture. I can highlight it with the snipping tool, but then I can't do anything with it beyond that???? I'm deep in the guts of this tractor. I replaced every moving part in the Forward Clutch Pack, and rejoined it where we split it between the clutch housing, and the engine, but the shaft coming out of the Reverse Clutch Pack had some slop in it, so we split it between the Clutch Housing, and Transmission, so we are back in there now. https://partscatalog.deere.com/jdrc/sidebyside/equipment/79943/referrer/navigation/pgId/211857 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted February 22, 2020 Report Share Posted February 22, 2020 Tom, how about having a machine shop spray weld to build up the worn areas & then machine them to specification? Abom has a couple of videos showing how he does that. It requires special equipment though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted February 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2020 That's what I was intending to do, but I don't know the welding process that the nearest machine shop uses. I talked to them on the phone, and they said they can do it, but I didn't ask them how they would do the welding. I've seen it done with nothing more than a stick welder. This is not one of the main load bearing spots in the drivetrain, and reverse has been working fine, and strong. It was forward with the reverser that was giving trouble. I'm just replacing worn stuff while I have it opened up. i have every moving part in the Forward Clutch Pack replaced, and that all buttoned back up. The tractor is 41 years old, and it doesn't look like this part of the drivetrain, in the back of the clutch housing, has ever been into before. The transmission oil pump is still the original one, that's been updated four serial numbers later than this original one. The tractor has over 4500 hours on it, or at least, since I got the hour meter working after I bought it 25 years ago. It had 1700 on the meter when I bought it, but the meter wasn't working. I had the motor rebuilt in 2009, and it starts, and runs like a new one. A new tractor this size, with loader, will cost 65 to 70k. This one has been paid for since 1995. I have about 2k into parts for it so far, including the new transmission oil pump, and all new lines inside this part. Once I get that shaft machined, and get this section buttoned back up, it looks like there are just a few seals, and a couple of really big bearings behind it to change. I'm just tearing down one schematic at the time, so I don't get confused. I expect it will be better than it was when I bought it, and should be good for 100 hours a year for the rest of my life. I just hope to get it back together in time for the grass planting I need to do this Spring. Looks like that shouldn't be a problem. John Deere is just absolutely phenomenal with parts availabilty. So far, every part I've needed, has been there next day, and many have been updated several times since the tractor was built. That doesn't include that shaft, but it should be a lot cheaper to fix that one than to buy a new one anyway. edited to add: Google found a bunch of used ones for around $220, and a new aftermarket one for 588. It was used in a bunch of different models of tractors. I'll see what it costs to fix the one I have next week, and then decide what to do. I may just order one of the used ones, so I can get the tractor back together. The machine shop that I need to look at the part is an hour away. https://aftermarket.express/john-deere/r39123 Here's what that assembly looks like all together. Right now, it's all loosy goosy. I think I'll talk to the salvage places, and see if they have that shaft, and the two pieces that ride on it that are tighter than what I have, and call it good. I'm putting new needle bearings in those planetary gears, and putting new seals on the piston. I haven't taken it all the way apart, but will mic the clutch plates when I take it apart to put the seals on the piston. That whole assembly probably weighs 60 lbs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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