[JayWest]

Still a newb, but trying hard to learn and increase my skillset on small engines. I suddenly seem to be having more issues with my G14 (engine is tecumseh HH140, at one point in its life a new short block was installed).

For the past couple months, the engine surges/hunts. I suspect a worn out governor spring but haven't really gotten to troubleshoot that yet. The past week or two I noticed that when going up even the slightest incline, the whole tractor would kind of hesitate and then surge forward, almost as if I had touched the brake then let go. I assumed this was still the engine surge problem but today it started not going uphill at all and made a bit of a clicking sound when trying. I had to drive it in reverse all the way to the barn. Methinks this has much to do with the transaxle and nothing to do with that surging engine.

I have been religious about full transaxle oil changes every year, 90w gear oil GL-1. I've never noticed any shavings or anything when changing the oil. it always came out dark but (to my eye) metal-free.

I know zero about transmissions/transaxles - absolutely nothing. So is this something I can easily do some investigation on myself? I'm confident I can take off the seat/fender and top cover of the transaxle, but would have no clue what I'm looking for or what to touch/not-touch. Should I drain the oil completely first so I can see better? Or at my level of skill should I not open it up at all and try to find a shop that will look at it?

Kinda bummed, been trying hard to pamper/baby that G14.

J

 

[Bolens 1000]

When was the rear axle endplay adjusted last ? Bolens recomened about every 50 hours to check it and adjust . They will start skipping and jerking when the endplay gets too sloppy and the gears are nor properly meshing .
The engine surge could be many things fuel delivery , carb issues ......

 

[JayWest]

When was the rear axle endplay adjusted last ? Bolens recomened about every 50 hours to check it and adjust . They will start skipping and jerking when the endplay gets too sloppy and the gears are nor properly meshing .
The engine surge could be many things fuel delivery , carb issues ......

I have never done it, time to learn. I've read the process and have questions before trying it.

Being newb, I look at the diagram and would have guessed that the castellated nut and cotter pin on each side would keep this from ever getting slop left & right. What exactly allows this left/right movement to increase over a short (50 hours) period of engine time?

I assume the issue is there are gears attached to the middle section of the axle, so left and/or right movement of the axle causes those gears to no longer mesh? I guess it can get far enough off to cause clicking and complete loss of forward movement but reverse still works?

Where is the best lift point for the rear? I have a floor jack but am hesitant to put it right under the bottom cover of the transaxle, worried I could bend the cover and make it leak. Theres very little space to get two jack stands plus the floor jack in there. I thought about using a board between the two attach points, but the gearbox is slightly lower than those two so not sure about that either.

When the instructions in step 3 say "repeat this procedure" referring to the left hand side, I don't follow exactly what gets repeated. After loosening the rh side, it says to tighten lh side "hand tight" and re-cotter pin it then check for binding in rotation, and repeat till just slight binding. Repeat what? It's already hand tight, so make it "more hand tight"? I know I'm mincing words but want to be sure I'm doing it right.

As always, thanks so much for the knowledge and advice folks - really appreciated.

Best,

J

 

[Bruce Dorsi]

I always used a jack at the rear edge of the transaxle center. .....Only need to raise it enough so both tires clear the floor. ...You can always use a piece of wood to span the width of the case & your floor jack.


https://www.gardentractortalk.com/d...1902-bolens-rear-axle-end-play-adjustment.pdf

Also this:
REAR AXLE END PLAY
Excessive axle end play may develop on Bolens Tube Frame 3 and 6 speed gear drive tractors after a period of
usage. Therefore, the end play must be readjusted after approximately each 50 hours of operation to avoid
differential gear separation resulting in premature gear failure.

Owners Manuals supplied with each tractor clearly describe the Rear Axle End Play adjustment but for those
unfamiliar with it this is the procedure for the adjustment:

1. First remove cotter key and loosen R. H castellated nut several turns.

2. Remove cotter key from L.H castellated nut (under posi‐traction hand wheel on tractors so equipped). Then
with rear wheels of tractor raised off the ground, turn L.H. castellated nut hand tight. Then snug up LIGHTLY with
wrench (rocking wheels back and forth as you do so) until the differential gears start to bind. Then, back off the
nut to the first cotter key slot and lock in place with cotter key.

3. Then adjust the R.H. castellated nut using the same procedure. Recheck for excessive binding before locking
R.H. castellated nut with cotter key.

IMPORTANT
The L.H. adjustment must always be performed first as the end play of all differential components and the left
hand wheel hub are controlled by correct adjustment between the axle and L.H castellated nut.

 

[JayWest]

Thanks for the clarification bruce!

I'm going to use a piece of wood to span the two attachment points in the back. I can't put anything in the center of the axle as the gear box is there and off-center and it's the bottom plate of the gearbox I'm trying to avoid.

I put it up for a moment just to see what it looked like, and I think one could say it's very out of adjustment.

Here is a pic of the left side and the slot is snug. On the right side, the same 'slot' you can actually see light through, it's not snug at all. And on the far right, look at the uneven gap just to the right of the freewheeling pin! Put my hand on the right tire and the whole tire wobbles side to side. The effect is as if on a car a half circle of lugnuts was not attached, its quite loose when floating in air.

Also - being a G14 it has the differential control knob on the LH side. Is it as simple as taking off the snap-ring and unscrewing the knob till it comes off to get to that castellated nut and cotter pin? Anything I need to be aware of when removing it?

I'll proceed with the adjustment and see if I can get it right.

 

[JayWest]

Right cotter pin was easy and nut loosens easy. Left pin was hard to get out, and the nut is deffo more than hand tight, I needed a wrench to loosen it. From what I see, I want to ask before proceeding:

Here is the bottom of the LH castellated nut. Is this how it's supposed to look on the bottom or ?

And also when I put on this nut, this is how it looks when it just gets finger tight...

If you can see the cotter pin hole in the pic, notice it just barely outside of the "castellated" top groove, so putting in that cotter pin right now isn't going to hold the nut in place.

I am certain I put the nut on just finger tight. I don't want to proceed further till someone says this isn't a sign of a problem. I have no idea if the nut is going on further than it should cause of the "groove" on the bottom (unless its supposed to be like the top pic), or if the threaded part of the axle has somehow come further outwards than it should?

 

[Bruce Dorsi]

Wow! ....It's hard to believe the nut could wear that much. ...It almost appears a washer has welded itself to the nut??? ....Replace the nut, or file or grind it flat. ...Was the thrust washer in place or was there none?

In your picture above showing the right side, the wheel hub has 2 bronze bushings (# 1185646) riding on the drive collar (# 1716506). ....Either the bronze bushings are worn and/or the end of the drive collar is broken.

You may or may not have found the parts list for your tractor: https://www.gardentractortalk.com/d...1d75-bolens-1453-01thru-05-g14-parts-list.pdf ....Bronze bushings are reference # 117, Drive collar is reference # 65, Thrust washer is reference # 108, Castlelated nut is reference # 113.

Before trying to adjust the rear axle, I would suggest removing the drive collar from the right hand end of the axle shaft. ...It is keyed to the shaft, and sometimes it is stuck to the axle shaft and does not slide on the axle shaft. ...This can prevent getting proper end-play adjustment. .....The keyway inside the drive collar can get worn and prevent the collar from moving. ....Take care when trying to remove the drive collar. ...It is cast-iron and easily broken if too much force is applied. ....This is especially important if the keyway inside the drive collar is worn.

Once the axle shaft is bare on both ends, clean any rust or roughness. ....Once you are certain the parts slide back on, you can re-assemble and adjust the end play. ....Replace the key if it is worn.

 

[JayWest]

I took another look, and several more photos. I don't think anything welded to it. Pretty sure the castle nut really wore like that. You can see signs on the coupling below it, where it looks like it took some bit of wear. The drive cone didn't seem to get rubbed. You can actually see a thread rising up on the inside towards the back/top in that pic.

On the rh side I just took the castlenut and washers off and the tire and freewheeling hub slid right off. You can see the two bronze bearings inside the hub in this pic:

so here it is before I try removing the drive collar (not going to do that tonight though)

And yep, I see that crack in the drive collar. Sheesh. This is gonna get expensive fast isn't it

Note to wife: Because the G14 is having trouble and the grass is getting tall, I've been searching craigslist for a Massey Ferguson Model 10 garden tractor ...

Doesn't having 2 of something make you a collector?

 

[turmlos]

Just a brief observation. It looks like someone drove in the roll pin that retains the freewheel pin so they could easily remove it. This might have helped lock the collar in place, throwing off end play. It may also make removal difficult. I don't think the coupling on the locking differental side should ever protrude that far, but I could be wrong. Regardless, I think some disassembly and a thorough cleaning are in order.

 

[29 Chev]

Looking at the picture you posted of the left hand hub it appears that the 1/4" key is missing in the drive coupling - it keeps the drive coupling from rotating on the axle shaft. This may be why the left axle nut shows so much wear as the nut would be rotating with the axle as the tractor moved while the coupling would be free to rotate against the nut without being keyed to the shaft as the hub rotates on the axle shaft unless the outer hand nut is tightened to lock up the differential. The inner keyway should be aligned with the keyway in the axle shaft as it is on my 1050 I believe. You may want to double check that all the components on the left hand side are still there as per the parts list and installed correctly. As stated the worn part of the nut can be filed to flatten the end and then you could use a flat washer or two so that the cotter key will hold the nut in the slots

 

[turmlos]

Good eye. If the coupling was indeed spinning much of the time, I'd be concerned about wear on the axle as well.

 

[JayWest]

To determine axle wear if it's not obvious, should I just take a micrometer and check it's the same in multiple places?

I have seen 1716507 (axle) available here and there, none currently. But I've never seen the drive collar (1716506) available anywhere (the part that has a crack in it above). Are rebuild parts/kits unobtainium?

Can the coupler on the LH side just be pulled out/off to inspect? I assume I'm at the point based on the above where I should nix endplay adjustment and drain the case and pop the cover to inspect? I'm afraid this is going out of my ability to work on...

I'll search here and google to see if someone posted about their rebuild process with enough pics and text to follow...

J

 

[Bruce Dorsi]

You're doing fine!

The only time I have seen an axle replaced is if it breaks in half. ....I don't think you will see enough wear to justify replacement.

A good 1716506 drive collar is getting harder to find, and if you can find one, it's usually expensive. .....Many have broken into 2 pieces, but yours is still in one piece. ....Your drive collar can probably be repaired.

On the left side, the bronze collar should slide freely on the coupling. ....Grab it with pliers to pull it off. .....The coupling should also slide off the axle shaft, but that may be more difficult.

Once you get things apart, inspect the coupling for a split at each key slot. ...If it is cracked, it should be replaced. ....De-burr any sharp edges, and clean any corrosion or rust. .....De-burr the square keys or replace them.

Before reassembly, make sure the coupling slides freely on & off the axle
with the key installed. ....Make sure the bronze collar slides on & off the coupling easily with the key installed.

Once that is satisfactory, you can install everything on the left side with a new thrust washer if needed.

Were you able to remove the 1716506 drive collar on the RH side?

At this point, there is no need to remove the cover or drain the fluid. .....If there is lube leaking past the seals on either side, then you need to drain the case to replace the seals. ....There are 2 seals on the LH side and 1 seal on the RH side. .....I would not change them unless they are leaking.

 

[29 Chev]

As Bruce said you are doing fine.

Would not get overly excited about the crack in the 1716506 drive collar as it may have been there for many years. A good welder could V out the crack and then bronze it together or someone who is experienced in welding cast could probably pre heat, weld and cool it afterwards using cast welding rod. Once the crack is welded the outer surface could be filed or sanded to allow the outer hub to slide back onto it. Another way to fix it would be to have someone with a lathe machine a bit off the outer edge at the end and then use a piece of thin wall pipe as a sleeve to press over top to prevent the crack from spreading under pressure from the axle key as it drives the collar. If you replace the inner bushings in the right hand outer hub (if they are worn excessively) then the outer hub should be a nice snug fit on the outside of the drive collar and it will also act like a sleeve to keep the drive collar crack from spreading once the outer hub is in place. I believe Brian offers new bushings for sale if you need them - Bolens Parts :: 1185646 Bolens Bronze wheel hub bearing 118-5646

 

[JayWest]

So I'm back to this project after a few weeks on other honey-dos I have a handful of questions, being a little unsure of what I'm doing.

On the right side, I assume that I need to pull the drive pin (64) before the drive collar (65) will slide off the axle. That drive pin doesn't have an opening on the opposite side, so I assume you just grab it with pliers and tug? So that drive pin goes through the collar and into the axle? I need to know before I start pulling on it

On the left side, I'm a bit concerned. I grabbed the left wheel and started rocking and pulling slowly towards me. It did come about an inch, and then gear oil started coming out around the wheel hub. I pushed it back and oil stopped leaking, maybe 1/2 cup came out. I have since removed the wheel from the hub, so both wheels are off. Was this a bad thing? I am going to grab the bronze drive cone with pliers and see if it will come out, and after that I'll try the coupler. But I'm nervous about if I messed up by pulling the hub outward then pushing it back. I assume the left wheel hub should stay on during the removal & replacement of the cone & coupler, but if its supposed to come off why all the oil coming out?

On left & right side questions above, I'd appreciate a little confirmation and handholding before I break something

The axle does move back and forth, and I've been very careful not to move it hard, very gently, and I can tell at some point it starts meshing up with the gears like I suspect it should. I've been gentle with that

Oh and Bruce - you wrote "On the left side, the bronze collar should slide freely on the coupling. ....Grab it with pliers to pull it off. .....The coupling should also slide off the axle shaft, but that may be more difficult. " - I have experienced the opposite. The LH wheel hub is still on (sans wheel), but with pliers I grabbed the coupler and it slid off the axle really wasy. The drive cone though.... isn't budging. Thoughts on extraction method?

J

 

[29 Chev]

On the right side, I assume that I need to pull the drive pin (64) before the drive collar (65) will slide off the axle. That drive pin doesn't have an opening on the opposite side, so I assume you just grab it with pliers and tug? So that drive pin goes through the collar and into the axle? I need to know before I start pulling on it

Good to ask questions before if unsure. The drive pin should not have to be removed before the drive collar can be slid off - the purpose of the drive pin is to stop the free wheeling pin from sliding in too far and coming out of its hole. It does not usually contact the axle unless someone has driven it in too far. Sometimes moisture gets in between the drive collar and the axle shaft on the right side so it may be stuck on the axle if it has not been moved in a while.

On the left side, I'm a bit concerned. I grabbed the left wheel and started rocking and pulling slowly towards me. It did come about an inch, and then gear oil started coming out around the wheel hub. I pushed it back and oil stopped leaking, maybe 1/2 cup came out. I have since removed the wheel from the hub, so both wheels are off. Was this a bad thing? I am going to grab the bronze drive cone with pliers and see if it will come out, and after that I'll try the coupler. But I'm nervous about if I messed up by pulling the hub outward then pushing it back. I assume the left wheel hub should stay on during the removal & replacement of the cone & coupler, but if its supposed to come off why all the oil coming out?

On the left side when you slid the hub outward the lip of the outer seal in the transaxle would become disengaged from the hub face and some gear lube would leak out if the transaxle was filled to the correct level and it was sitting level. There is also an inner seal on the left side pressed into the hub behind the bronze collar and coupling. Doubt if you hurt anything - if you check out this thread post # 56 it has pictures of what things look like with the left hub removed. Bolens 1053 Return to Service Project

 

[JayWest]

Ah I understand now, that 'drive pin' is to keep the freewheeling pin from coming out - not to fix the position of the drive collar on the axle. Makes sense. I don't know if the drive pin was cut off short to allow the freewheeling pin to be removed completely, or if it was driven in too far and may have contacted the axle. Does the hole that holds the drive pin go through to the axle or does the hole stop short? Should I try to remove it slightly before trying to pull off the drive collar (the collar isn't just sliding off, it will need some convincing)? I'd hate to pull the collar off by force and be dragging the shards of the drive pin along the axle on the way out.

On the LH side, should I remove the wheel hub as part of this process and just catch the exiting oil? Or just leave the LH wheel hub in place? The next thing on this side I'd think is removing the drive cone (the coupler already came out easy, but not the cone). Maybe I can slide off the entire LH wheel hub and then tap the drive cone from the other side?

Thanks a ton folks!

J

 

[29 Chev]

Ah I understand now, that 'drive pin' is to keep the freewheeling pin from coming out - not to fix the position of the drive collar on the axle. Makes sense. I don't know if the drive pin was cut off short to allow the freewheeling pin to be removed completely, or if it was driven in too far and may have contacted the axle. Does the hole that holds the drive pin go through to the axle or does the hole stop short? Should I try to remove it slightly before trying to pull off the drive collar (the collar isn't just sliding off, it will need some convincing)? I'd hate to pull the collar off by force and be dragging the shards of the drive pin along the axle on the way out.

On the LH side, should I remove the wheel hub as part of this process and just catch the exiting oil? Or just leave the LH wheel hub in place? The next thing on this side I'd think is removing the drive cone (the coupler already came out easy, but not the cone). Maybe I can slide off the entire LH wheel hub and then tap the drive cone from the other side?

Thanks a ton folks!

J

There is no recess for the free wheeling pin to get caught on so it should not be what is holding the right hand hub. You may have to use a puller and a bit of heat (torch) on the hub if it is rusted in place to get it to move. The hub is cast so I do not recommend hammering on it and I would suggest a bearing splitter style plate to catch the inner face of the hub to try pulling on it. If you have an air chisel with a blunt driver you could gently tap the cast with the blunt driver to try and loosen the hub if it is rusted in place but be gentle.

I would suggest removing the left hub (catch the oil) and that way you can inspect the axle shaft and the hub for any wear / damage. You may be able to tap the drive cone out from the inside if you remove the left hub - just be careful you do not damage the inner seal with whatever you use to try and drive the cone out.

 

[Dave in NY]

I had one of those hubs rusted/stuck to the shaft once and had a devil of a time getting it loose. I ended up heating it with an oxy/acetylene torch to break it free. I hope yours isn't stuck that bad! Put the penetrant right to it and let it soak. PB Blaster would be a good one. 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF works good too. WD40 is a great product, I use it frequently, but this won't be a situation where it would do much good. IMHO that is. If you have such equipment, put a blunt driver-punch in an air chisel and rattle away on with that a bit. The vibration might help loosen it up. Just thoughts.

 

[Bruce Dorsi]

The right side drive collar is keyed to the axle shaft. ....It may be stuck with rust as others have said. ....I have also had drive collars that were not rusted on the axle shaft, but the internal key lot was worn. ....This prevented the drive collar from sliding straight off. ....If that is the case with yours, you will have to try to rotate the drive collar on the shaft until the heyway slot aligns with the key.

As mentioned: Be VERY careful when trying to remove the drive collar. ....It is cast-iron and can break easily.

If you remove the left side (large hub), you will lose gear lube. ....You also need to de-burr the edges of the hub and the "ears" to prevent damaging the large axle seal when you put the hub back in.
.....The small axle seal (located at the outer end of the large hub) can be damaged by the threads on the end of the axle. ....Avoid "pulling" the hub straight off, but instead "un-screw" the seal on the threads.
.....When reassembling, either "thread" the hub back over the threads, or wrap the threads with thin plastic or foil to prevent the seal from being torn by the threads.

If the seals were not leaking previously, I would not change them at this time. ...If they were damaged during your efforts, then replace them.