
850 with chewed up first gear
#16
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Posted November 12, 2015 - 04:22 PM
That makes it a no go for me. I'd have to drive across the continent to get to it.
- chieffan said thank you
#17
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Posted November 12, 2015 - 06:27 PM
To bad he won't sell just what you need. Hell I'm about an hour from there. I would be willing to go over there and pull the shaft! Not sure what that takes, but can't be that hard??
- chieffan said thank you
#18
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Posted November 13, 2015 - 10:56 PM
#19
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Posted November 15, 2015 - 01:42 PM
Either way you decide to go, clean up what you have or replace the whole shaft, your going to have to remove the shaft to get at it. Be real hard to get at that gear with anything to clean it up. They are not that hard to pull out, just takes a little time. Much easier with the transaxle slid off the tubes.
- Chubien said thank you
#20
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Posted November 16, 2015 - 10:00 AM
I was debating how to get that gear fixed up.
I think for the time being I will try to repair that gear, at least to that I can engage it.
If I can get to it in situe I will do it that way, otherwise I will have to figure out how to remove the shaft and clean it up removed.
I'm not too bothered about the metal shavings going in the tranny, there was half of first gear ground away in there to begin with.... I'll just give the tranny a good cleanup when I'm done.
#21
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Posted November 16, 2015 - 07:07 PM
Could try a hacksaw blade - tie wrap or tape it to a piece of 1/2" x 1/8' flat steel to give it strength - the teeth on the bade should be able to clean up the gear teeth enough to get it to engage - just a suggestion.
- Chubien said thank you
#22
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#23
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Posted November 19, 2015 - 07:42 PM
One step closer to a complete disassembly and rebuild - the Bolens Bug does not hibernate over winter! One small step for you - one giant leap for your wallet. .
Hope things go well and you get the gear cleaned up ok.
- Chubien said thank you
#24
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Posted November 20, 2015 - 09:00 AM
Just a suggestion, I use old pickup jacks under the frame on each side so I have individual adjust-ability of both tubes. Also I do not remove the tube clamps, just loosen them up good. Guides the transaxle off and back on. That brake drum can be a real problem to get off, and it has to come off to let the shaft out. Worse come to worse, you can grind a small notch out of the drum just large enough to let the bearing slide by. Don't seem to harm the braking any either. Good luck with your project.
- Chubien said thank you
#25
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Posted November 20, 2015 - 07:29 PM
The brake drum came right off in my case once I punched out that roll pin! I did not realize at first the shaft bearing would not clear it. Now I know.
- Bolens 1000 said thank you
#26
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Posted November 20, 2015 - 07:34 PM
That bearing will not come off the shaft so I will need to figure a way to remove it without damaging it.
There are a couple of gear repair shops around me, I may just get a few quotes to see what it would cost to repair or replace that gear.


- Bolens 1000 and 29 Chev have said thanks
#27
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Posted November 20, 2015 - 08:30 PM
You could make up three pieces similar to the attached picture out of 1/8" x 3" flat steel to make a poor mans bearing splitter and use two pieces of threaded rod to go to a piece of flat steel at the shaft end and tighten the nuts on the threaded rod a little bit at a time to pull the bearing off - it should not be on the shaft real tight - hope this helps.
- Chubien said thank you
#28
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Posted December 16, 2015 - 10:00 PM
The gear repair shop would not touch that gear so I ended up using a dremel and carefully filed the face of the gear to help it engage smoothly. I also touched up the other gear that engages with first.
The gearbox had years of gear dust spread out throughout and I added to it somewhat by filing that other gear so I decided to give the casing a thorough clean out before closing it all up.
I decided to go get a couple of gallons of diesel and using a cheap plastic pesticide sprayer to power spay the inside, I'm glad I did, what came out of that gearbox was shocking! I repeated 4 times and used all the diesel I had, it came out really clean with hardly anything come out on the 4'th pass.
The replacement input shaft seal was difficult to get with a 3 week lead time, but Brian (bolens 1000) happen to have it in stock and I had it in 3 days.
Result: gears now slide like butter! Including first which would not even engage before this repair.

- Bolens 1000, LPBolens, Bruce Dorsi and 1 other said thanks
#29
ONLINE
Posted December 17, 2015 - 09:11 AM
Glad to hear you have it back to working again. Nothing like knowing that you made the repair yourself. I have a 6 speed that works the same way. I don't take it out of gear until the motion has stopped. Then shift out of one and into the next. Missing some linkage I haven't come up with yet between the clutch pedal and the brake so the only brake I have is the parking brake. Have used it a few time on a grade to stop the motion. Enjoy your tractor.
Edited by chieffan, December 17, 2015 - 09:11 AM.
- Chubien said thank you