NEW 123 work continues.
 

Good Morning.

Memorial Day!

I finally got my PTO Clutch re-built & everything put back together on my 123.
Got the blades sharpened, adjustments made to belt, .015 on the new pressure button .
Cuts like a champ! That is until I rounded one corner and hear a POP!! Now the hydrostatic drive is not driving, forward or reverse. It was late last night, so I pushed it into the garage. I’m gong out to take a peek this morning and see what, if anything I can find wrong. Man I hope it is a simple fix. LOL, I have ZERO experience with a hydrostatic rear end. And no manual either. I’ll post back in a bit with what I find, or with mass confusion. Not sure which will happen first.
:bigthink:

I think you lost/broke either a spirol pin on the rear coupler of the driveshaft, or the solid pin at the front of the driveshaft.

Thanks Matt! I'll look back there next. It just did not make sense as hard as that little transaxle was pulling for something to be wrong in there. Combine that with the lack of any reaction from the drive / disengage lever on the right of the tractor.

Of course I started looking in at the connections at the top & working my way down from there. LOL. I guess instead of Shroty, I could be called Wrong way.

Well Matt I lucked out! I finally got the time to go looking for the cause.
Pulled off the drive shaft cover and yep...you nailed it. The solid pin had gone missing. Something black caught my eye laying in the bottom of the pan under the drive shaft. Sure enough, there lay the missing pin.

I did notice that the bolt on keeper plate had some radial wear. Not bad for a 43 year old origional part, but bad enough I'm going to pull it, braze in the wear spot and re-mill the keyway before I put it back together. Maybe it will be good for another 43 years. LOL.

I appreciate the help Matt. The 123 is new to me and this is going to be a work in progress. This winter I may well pull it al the way down and repaint. But for the first summer I want to keep her runing right next to the 1650. Less time in the yard for me means more time in the saddle.

Glad to hear you got it figured out :ThumbsUp:

For the sake of discussion on a rainy day, will brazing hold up on that drive hub? (That's a $70+ MSRP part, BTW). :bigthink::American Flag 1:

Probably not for long. I've gas-welded a couple with good results.

I'm not sure. I said brazing because I believe it may be a cast iron part BTW. However if I Get into it and discover it is not I will then carbon weld it.
I know I could buy a new one, but I tend to squeak when I walk.

Help!!
 

Well, here we are coming up on Labor Day. The 123 has been a trooper!
The gas weld on the drive yolk is still holding well, which is more than I can say for my rebuild of the PTO. I was mowing away over the weekend when I heard a wierd rattle, got off checked it out. Yep, PTO rattling like crazy. shut it off, yep clutch plates broken! Started pulling things down. The PTO Clutch needs to be rebuilt. I have felt around in the set screw holes and do not feel any set screws. The clutch is loose on the shaft, but will not come all the way off. It wobbles around, but will not come off.

What do I do to remove the clutch assembly so that I can rebuild it, AGAIN?

There should be set screws in the holes, they may be filled with dirt and hard to notice them.

I feel your pain, the PTO clutch came appart on my dads 100 the second time in about 1 1/2 years. It's nearly 50 years old and it comes apart twice within two years? :angry:

I think there is 6 total set screws on there. Once all are out, I believe the pto should slip off the shaft no problem. I know there is alot of information here at Only Cub Cadets on this very matter. You must use the search tool to fine information. Good luck! Pictures help, and we love pictures of what the 123 is looking like lately too!

There are indeed 6 set screws, or I presume they are still all in there. The first one I tried to take out, after wedging a t-20 torx bit into it (because the 1/8 allen stripped out) came out in two pieces. The ponted set screw from that hole came out intact. On to the next set, yep! Stripped allen screw again, wedge in the torx bit and it striped the tool! Geez! LOL. Nothing is ever easy huh? :bash2:

I have sprayed all the holes down with penetrating oil, and been rotating the assembly nightly to fill each one & let it set. I'd prefer not to have to drill out more set screws than I just have to.

I'll post pictures after I get back this weekend. It's the last Trout fishing trip of the year for some buddies & I'm going too.
:beer2:

Shorty123,

Nothing great ever comes easy. My gasket had to be replaced behind my pto on my 123 and it was a nightmare!!! Glad that one is over. It will be well worth the time that you have spent on it. You are doing the right thing by soaking each set screw overnight or for a while and what better way to spend your time waiting than to go Trout fishing!!! I like your thinking.....:biggrin2.gif: Let us know on your progress and how your trip went. Hope that you took a lot of tuna fish sandwiches with you!!!

Cub Cadet 123

Well, the fishing trip went well. The set screws are still determined to stay right where they are. However they are starting to move a bit. More oil applied, working them back & forth. With a little finesse I may get them out before Halloween! LOL.

Finally! All the set screws are out, the last set had to be drilled out. The clutch came off and ball bearings went everywhere!! It appears that the bearing mounted on the crank shaft gave up the ghost. The inner race from the bearing is still on the crankshaft. I'll get it off today and start the rebuild.

I see me at the local parts store this afternoon. Bearing, clutch plate, pressure buttons. I've got the whole thing apart, may as well put it back together with all fresh parts.