Repairing rear riding lawn mower hydrostatic transaxle. Broken retaining ring.

[@timmytrout8302]

Wow, thanks for the video. I did the exact thing with the left wheel. I wish I watched your video before I started work. I wouldn't have banged so hard on the wheel knowing what could happen. Now decision time as to what I'm going to do next. May be more work than what I want to do. Thanks again for the information in this video.

[@Mike-su8si]

4 of my torx screws broke when i was taking it apart i might just get 4 replacement ones from the store. Your transmission looks different from mine but they all usually have the same size axles

[@35gretsch]

Just want to say thanks for posting this video. I’m a new DIYer and I’m in a similar situation where I can’t get my John Deere rear wheel off. I’ve cut the rim almost completely off and I think I’m gonna be resulting to to replacing the shaft cuz I’m about ready to beat it to death,lol. Anyway your video was extremely helpful. Thanks

[@tonedubb4325]

No problem buddy.

[@peteloomis8456]

My rear wheel rim is held on with a roll pin that slides through the flange or hub on the wheel & through the axle . On something like this where it was rusted on I would have first pulled the air valve out of the stem so the tire won't explode then use a torch to heat the outer circumference of the flange or hub then letting it cool & spraying with some PB blaster then heating again & pounding the wheel off with a BFH & a wood block to not bend the wheel . Good thing though is now you know how to go through & rebuild the rear differential on this ! I was on KZbin here to find some people who were going through & rebuilding these rear differentials because mine although works good for being made in 91 & has mowed my 15 acres for some years before I bought a bigger tractor & now use the Sears for the smaller areas I looked in the factory manual & it literally shows no drain or fill plugs to change out the fluid in it so I now assume that they greased then sealed for the life of it so I am going to take mine apart one winter to clean it up good inside then inspect & replace any parts it might need then if possible add a fill & drain plug on it to use gear oil in it instead of grease provide the seals it uses can be used for gear oil & not just grease to keep water dust & dirt out of it . The deck manderals are the same they have roller bearing but are sealed on both side so what I did was took the spindles off & apart cleaned them up good then drilled a hole for a grease zirk in each spindle in a area that's easy to get at on the mower deck to grease the bearings . Take one of each inner bearing seals off but keep the outers on then fill the cavity with grease then assemble & once every other mow Wich would be for me about 8 hours I just pump a couple of strokes of grease into the bearings to keep them lubricated instead of having to replace them every few years because they can't be greased & are sealed but do get exposed to dirt dust & water from wet grass that ultimately causes the one time grease job to break down then the bearing rollers start to get rusted & pitted causing excessive heat & vibration which kills the bearings .

[@tonedubb4325]

I don't believe you can put gear oil if it calls for grease only. The casing is not designed to hold gear oil. You can take it apart and remove and add more new grease.

[@RobertCornell464]

Thanks for this video, dealing with this exact problem the axle came out before the wheel came off. In fact I still have the hub of wheel on the shaft I still have to remove yet (air chiseled the wheel off as it was bent anyhow) and have to do the repair on the transaxle as well. Luckily I have extra wheels but not extra hydro trans. Sometimes that bigger hammer and steel bar method is just too much!! The other side just fell off.

[@BartFisher-du3gx]

Thank you for your video on trans axle. I cannot remove right wheel from my old cub cadet The left one came off with axle. Any suggestions on how to get it removed? Bout ready to chunk it!!!

[@tonedubb4325]

Don't try to force it. You will break the retaining ring. Sprat penetrative oil WD40. use a torch to heat it and spray wd40. Eventually, the rust that holds the axle and wheel hub will come apart. Don't hit the wheel inside or yank it aggressively. That retaining ring is pretty flimsy.

[@johnanthony2545]

This is very helpful only wish I saw this first before oh sh/t. Thanks for the info.

[@jloganhicks1]

Thanks for the video and the part number.

[@carlosexclusa7201]

Thanks for the video. What oil and how many quarts you put back in.

[@tonedubb4325]

Use 80w-90 oil. Not sure how much. Try to Google it. I think that one used grease instead gear oil.

[@makalribera6742]

Great video , thanks for the info

[@rwcrue]

What kind of mower are you working on? I have a Husqvarna YTH2448T that has the same problem. I am still trying to get the rim off of the hub.

[@tonedubb4325]

@rwcrue use penetrative fluid to loosen it.. if it doesn't work, it is a heating torch. Never pound on it with a hammer. It will snap the retaining ring.

[@mismo350z]

Well same happens to me now lol where or do u have a link for the orings? And did you replace the seals? Thank you

[@tonedubb4325]

Is this what it looks like? Hydro Gear 2 Pack Genuine 44871 Spiral Retaining Ring .625 OEM a.co/d/9Gy6Ot8

[@BlackDynamite901]

Sigh....I broke both sides.fml this seems difficult. Good vid

[@tonedubb4325]

Inexpensive parts but A lot work.

[@BlackDynamite901]

@@tonedubb4325 no doubt. Ive taken the wheel off before and had enough sense to Google it beforehand. This time,in the heat and humidity just threw common sense in the wind as I hammered both wheels off. Lesson learned

[@tonedubb4325]

They say.. if you can get it off, use a bigger hammer. Shouldn't have listened to their advice.

[@tonedubb4325]

Cant get it off, i meant

[@BlackDynamite901]

@@tonedubb4325 lmao. I used the handle to my car Jack and wacked it with the hammer. Only smacked my hand once. Half deaf now as well

[@___123n]

I want to give this a try but I’m worried I won’t put it back together right .. the replacement is around $550..

[@tonedubb4325]

It's a little intimidating. Slowly take your time. Take pictures or videos of everything so you can put it back together exactly like the way you took it apart.

[@johnanthony2545]

You have nothing to loose. But time. Have a shop do it would probably cost same as new I’m thinking. Labor cost.

[@fredthompson5997]

The wheezing?

[@robertskelton2576]

Hydro Gear uses a clips so small you can hardly see it. They need to upgrade to Tuff Torque style.

[@Mike-su8si]

I might lock up my gears and test out that trick everyone else does it i don't why but I'll find out once i do and weld it up I'm not gonna weld mine with it sitting in place in the oil case I'll just clamp it to keep the gears together then weld it with it sitting out of the case i do have other transaxle transmissions

[@jaredvinje8070]

How did you end up getting the tire off the axle? I did the same thing.

[@tonedubb4325]

Once that clip was broken or smashed, the axle was able to slide out. The retaining ring was pretty thin. Now, the wheel and axle were separated, put the nut back on the axle, spray plenty of wd40, and if needed, heat up that stuck axle. Hit it nut with a big hammer. It'd come off.

[@joelwalker4356]

Can you post links for the gasket sealant and oil you used?

[@tonedubb4325]

I added more links and info on the description below.

[@joelwalker4356]

In your video you don’t show how much gear oil you used how many quarts should I buy?

[@tonedubb4325]

Fill the transaxle with approximately 2.5 quarts or 80 ounces of 20w-50 synthetic oil. During the filling process, connect a drill to the fan/pulley shaft and spin the transaxle to purge the air out of the system, allowing room for more fluid. Make sure the hydro disengage lever is engaged so the axles will turn as you spin the fan/pulley shaft with a drill.

[@joelwalker4356]

@@tonedubb4325 Thank you so much for the update that we extremely helpful and one last question when I pull the casing a part I noticed the bypass rod is just sitting in there not connected to anything is that suppose to look like that or is hook to something inside the case

[@joelwalker4356]

also im having trouble getting the case to connect back together before putting the lid back on I move the gears and ll the gears are moving as they should it just won't sit into the casing flush for some reason

[@lordrichard8184]

I made the same mistake pulling a tire. Didn’t know the axle was held in place by a paper clip. How long did the job take?

[@tonedubb4325]

Took me about 1hr just removing. Had to order the ring clip. Took about 2 to 3 hours reassembled it back included installing it back on the machine. My suggestion to all of there. If you got a rush rim stuck to the axle, get a wisegrip or oversized plumber pipe wrench and clamp it to the axle. Spray WD40 and try to spin the wheel to break free from the axle. Just kept on doing it until it break free. If it doesn't budge, use a torch. Dont bang on the wheel, you'll end up like us breaking the clip.

[@lordrichard8184]

@@tonedubb4325 I had successfully pulled the one side off with a slide hammer. The other side not so much I’ll probably pull the trans and replace the clip. Thanks for the video and response!!

[@tonedubb4325]

Take pictures of it so you know how everything goes back together. Good luck

[@lordrichard8184]

@@tonedubb4325 finally got the job done today. You’re video and take pictures tip was a big help. Just need to add the oil and put it back in but it feels like it should work just fine.

[@tonedubb4325]

Glad to hear that.

[@jkruty]

How do you get the oil back in it

[@tonedubb4325]

It's been a while, i think there was fill plug or bolt that you've to remove to fill it up.

[@sunnybeach4837]

I've got a zt2800 that the oil filter stud is stripped out bad. It can't be rethreaded. What would have to be done to replace the oil filter stud?

[@tonedubb4325]

Isn't that part of the engine casing? How did that happen? Maybe try rethread it. Can you even a rethread nut that size? Only one idea for rethreading it if you cant find a nut that size. Find large bolt that has same pitch as the oil filter, then a large nut for that bolt. With the nut flush on the bolt, place them on the drill press and precisely drill a total of 4 holes between the nut and the bolt to create your custom rethreading nut. Good luck. I think there are videos out there showing you how to much those rethread nut.

[@tonedubb4325]

Hope you can salvage enough threads on it to screw a oil back.

[@kevinbarnes2108]

Hey I had the same thing happen to me several weeks ago. I took the transmission apart and replaced the retainer axle clip. Now that I put it back together and back on the mower it only spins and axles with not turn. Is there something I need to do to get it to work. Did you have a problem like this also ? I need advice and help please

[@tonedubb4325]

There is a level to allow you to shift to drive, neutral, and reverse. It's probably not installed correctly. It's probably in neutral or not engaged at all. That's why the axle spines freely.

[@kevinbarnes2108]

Thanks for the advice. The problem was I didn't give the system enough time to get the air out. I purged the system several times and the axles started turning. Cut grass yesterday afternoon. Thanks !!

[@tonedubb4325]

@@kevinbarnes2108 nice.

[@tmacc1529]

@@kevinbarnes2108 So happy to see your comment here! Any advice on the purge procedure and how long it took for your wheels to engage?

[@kevinbarnes2108]

@@tmacc1529 If you have the transmission still out of the mower and full of oil start turning the fan pulley and also start turning the brake disc pulley until you can notice the brake disc getting harder to turn. This should help

[@bujutsukai]

Does anyone know what the small metal rectangle in the notch of the axle is called? I lost one and have run out of ideas of what to look for.

[@tonedubb4325]

It's called key. Go to a tractor supply, homedepot, ace hardware store, or order on ebay or Amazon.

[@bujutsukai]

@@tonedubb4325 That's it! Thank you so much for that, and for this great video.

[@Mike-su8si]

I'm gonna fix mine its called the retaining ring is what we broke inside the transaxle transmission off the axle but I didn't have any other choice at the time and that's what happened I call it a clip to

[@lesliephillips8099]

I broke mine the other day and was hoping it was as easy as simply pushing it back in lol. WRONG! This is a great video because I was gonna buy another transmission off EBay for $150 a $175… but now I feel I can do it myself…especially for a $5 ring clip!!! Man…I’m excited! Thanks for the help. My mower is a 1993 Craftsman LT4000…

[@Mike-su8si]

@@lesliephillips8099 you might snap off a few torx screws i broke 4 of mine off just unscrewing them but i still got the transmission opened up the broken torx screws have just enough meat i can twist them out instead of drilling them out if they don't break again

[@jessmaldo6248]

Where can I purchase the entire axle from?

[@tonedubb4325]

Here is just an axle retaining ring. Maybe you can find it on eBay. www.ebay.com/itm/276245978803?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=nFtqHFGcRYq&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=IPwfKrY2SMG&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[@NoeGil-j9s]

Can I use the same ring clip on lt1000?

[@tonedubb4325]

Yes, if they are the same.

[@NoeGil-j9s]

@@tonedubb4325 I appreciate it so much

[@NoeGil-j9s]

Hi I wish you can help me, I did replace the ring clip on my lt 1000 and I put all back rigth but it dont move back or front what can be

[@tonedubb4325]

@user-lg9xo9op7d dumb question. There's a linkage from the transmission to the rear allowing you to pull it or release it so either it goes in gear or not. Have you checked that lever on the transmission? Is it installed properly when you put it back together, allowing that lever to engage or disengage?

[@dannesvanstrom3408]

What type of oil in these axles?

[@tonedubb4325]

Some used grease, and some used oil. Up can put 80w-90. Read up online for your mower.

[@fredthompson5997]

Wasted up?

[@___123n]

What model was this ?

[@tonedubb4325]

I don't recall. I think it's a craftsman LT2000.

[@back40ranch]

I just did the same thing

[@jasonackerman684]

Just happened to me also. Having done this job, would it be worth it again? My craftsman is 20 + years old. Buy a new component for 400 bills and bolt on? Or dig into it for $5 and 5 hours of time? Just asking, torn. Considering the rim is still locked to the broken axle and if I have locked rim issues on the opposite side I’m cursing up a storm again. I’m torn between new vs old (guts, gears shafts, clips etc). Thanks. Great video.

[@perezjr1]

Can I get to cclip part number please ,‘hard to read in video

[@tonedubb4325]

Hydro Gear 44871 Spiral Retaining Ring

[@natesage1803]

I did the same thing

[@tonedubb4325]

Sorry to hear that,. We like to beat things with a hammer.

[@kevinbear4873]

I JUST knocked out an axle. There’s my day!

[@tonedubb4325]

Yup. That sux. I know how you felt.

[@johnanthony2545]

Yep just did exactly same. Bent rim with puller then decided to add hammer. Well crap. 😂

[@michaelmyrick8898]

​@@tonedubb4325 and

[@Constitutionalactivities]

Man I did it today 😂

[@johnanthony2545]

@@Constitutionalactivities ha yep it sucks. But you get to inspect gears clean and lube gears. It’s a messy job. Mine showed no wear on 1993 mower so pleased with that. Went back with never seize on wheel shafts. Fixed bent rim better than the one that wasn’t mauled by me 😝. Still took 2 days having to pull body off to clean and fix starter solenoid hidden under body.

[@michaelcolston3341]

Was that from a hydrostatic Murray riding mower?

[@tonedubb4325]

It was craftsman one but who knows what manufacturers made them. You know craftsman doesn't build them.

[@dariushicks8243]

Same thing happened to me I know how you fill

[@tonedubb4325]

They lied. They said if using a hammer doesn't work. Use a bigger hammer. 😂

[@dariushicks8243]

@@tonedubb4325 lol

[@fredthompson5997]

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