pros and cons of balance gears

[jeffscub]

i want to hear both sides of leaving them in the motor and removing them. i am fixing to rebuild my 72 108 and i am weighing my options. this tractor doesn't have deck, it just mainly pulls my bush hog. thanks jeff

[Matt G.]

If you use them, you're looking at a minimum of about $75 if all you have to replace is the bearings and stub shafts. If they were loose and rattling around, the gears are shot, too. You might be able to find used ones cheap, though. They do not seem to last as long as the rest of the engine. I had a 1650 that was fairly low hours. I had the pan off to replace a leaky gasket. The engine looked brand new inside, but the balance gears were wobbly. I removed them, and couldn't tell the difference, vibration-wise.

Here's what I would do: Take the money that you would have spent on the balance gears and put it towards having the rotating assembly balanced instead. It'll probably work better, and there's no moving parts to toss through the block.

I'm not even sure that a 108 has balance gears in it. They do not show up in the online parts diagrams...

[jeffscub]

Originally Posted by Matt G.

If you use them, you're looking at a minimum of about $75 if all you have to replace is the bearings and stub shafts. If they were loose and rattling around, the gears are shot, too. You might be able to find used ones cheap, though. They do not seem to last as long as the rest of the engine. I had a 1650 that was fairly low hours. I had the pan off to replace a leaky gasket. The engine looked brand new inside, but the balance gears were wobbly. I removed them, and couldn't tell the difference, vibration-wise.

Here's what I would do: Take the money that you would have spent on the balance gears and put it towards having the rotating assembly balanced instead. It'll probably work better, and there's no moving parts to toss through the block.

I'm not even sure that a 108 has balance gears in it. They do not show up in the online parts diagrams...

exceptionally great idea!! i have the oil pan off, i guess i could do the hard part and look and see if they have them or not. why i was asking, was, my dad and i rebuilt a 14horse that was on our economy powerking and it had them in it and that was the reason we didn't do the final assembly on the motor. all the ol timers around here said to leave them in, so we did. now i am in to the cubs and i read alot about leaving them out and that is the reason i am asking, if i leave them in i will have someone else do it and if i leave them out i will do it all myself (if it has them). thanks matt.... jeff

[jeffscub]

i went out and checked for balance gears, and no it does not have the gears. so i will be "attempting" to do this one solo. i have the engine manual downloaded, so maybe i won't be in the dark. thanks jeff