73 drive cup
 

Well, everyone has a screw up every once in a while, and I just had mine. I damaged the aluminum drive cup on my 73's k161. While trying to take the clutch drive plate off that fits into the cup, (I was taking it apart because of it not fitting right, it wobbled) I cracked the outer flange for the pulley that is built into the cup. After seeing the structural integrity of the aluminum piece, I would like to get one milled out of block steel. I guess my question is, how balanced does that cup have to be? Could a milled steel one work, or should I stick to aluminum? Any thoughts? I have another aluminum cup that I won't be needing for a while, so I do have the ability to do that.

Stick with aluminum, if the 16hp tractors aren't breaking them then your little 7hp will be just fine.

That's all I needed to know. Thanks! I've been very upset about how it happened and the price of a new one, but this helps a lot.

Yea, I understand how you feel. I had a similar mis-hap while removing the drive hub that was stuck in my good 1250's K301AQS. Sucks, but it happens. I think, and agree with the second comment-post! :biggrin2:

Olds is correct. :ThumbsUp:

Are you replacing it just because it cracked the pulley? If so, it won't hurt it. If your concerned, post a pic. But from what you describe, unless it has hydraulic lift, you can just put that one back on and run it.

Well, here's the thing, when I put the drive plate into the cup, i must not have taken as much paint off as I should have. I slid in nicely about half way and then I tapped it in the rest of the way, so now the two are literally stuck together. I have one of these halfa$$ed moments every oncce in a while and now it's coming back to bite me because now I can't get to the nut that holds the whole thing on. There are a few things I'm going to try, heat, break fluid to eat the paint, and as a last resort, cut the stupid thing. The thing that scares me with heat is the nice paint that is surrounding the area that I don't want to screw up. Maybe wrap the thing in tin foil?

Why do you need to take it off? Can't you just bolt it on and leave it?

Yes, when assembling, you need to keep paint off of that part and coat it in anti-seize. But.... your already together and it's tight, so.....

That's what I've been telling myself J, but it wobbles, I can shake it on the shaft, which leads me to think that something isn't right inside. I know it's a lot of crap to go through for something stupid, but it worries me that something else is wrong with that piece.

I know how stupid this sounds, but it's just one of those things that would bother me everytime I ran the tractor. It's one of my OCD things. And even if the cup is still good structurally, I would replace it because of the cracked pulley because of the restoration, just to keep everything looking clean.

What, me worry?