Horse Won't Move - Need Help Troubleshooting

[WH_cyber_nerd 16]

Greetings red square friends. I was plowing my garden with my 414-8 when it stopped moving. Everything still sounds OK. It still starts up, I can change gears, and the belt appears to be spinning as it should. It looks like the rear wheels kind of gyrate a bit when I put it into gear. But the thing just won't move.

 

After some visual inspection, I did notice the rear left wheel looks a bit different where it meets the frame than the right one. Pictures of this are attached. I'm learning as I go here, so I really appreciate any assistance! Thanks.

 

Right wheel:

 

Left Wheel:

 

[TJ5208 1,823]

Is the axels spinning in the hubs.

[8ntruck 6,376]

  Sounds like the keys/keyways in the hubs and axles have failed.

[Skwerl58 634]

I would check the hubs and keys and also check the roll pin on the clutch lever at the tranny. I had the roll pin break a few years ago during a snow storm and had to improvise by using a nail.

[Pullstart 59,734]

 

One way or another, look for what is moving, but doesn’t move the next.  Input pulley, input shaft, axles, hubs, etc.  

[oldlineman 1,450]

Looks to my eyes that the left axle has slid out some probably split ring on end of axel has came off or broke.

[Lee1977 6,217]

Probley snapped the key in the transmission pulley that is the thinnest key in the drive.

[953 nut 51,734]

That PVC spacer between the left hub and axle looks very suspicious. Use a marker of some sort for alignment on each axle end and hub then put the tractor in low gear and let the clutch out momentarily. shut the engine off and look at both hubs, chances are one of them won't be lined up as they were before. That will be the hub with a bad keyway and/or broken key.

Best bet would be to remove both hubs and replace the keys. The set screws should be torqued to 35 foot pounds and the locknuts on the set screws to 30 foot pounds.

Hub removal is somewhat of a "Right of Passage" in the  wheel horse world. DO NOT HAMMER on a hub or yse a three jaw puller. The hub is made od cast iron and will break. Here are a couple of threads that can help you along. If heat5 is needed to remove the hub some new axle seals will be needed too.

 

[ebinmaine 63,164]

11 hours ago, g00chl0rd said:

visual inspection

 

11 hours ago, g00chl0rd said:

414-8

 

 

 

Those are old style hubs that would not have been used on a 414-8.

Also, if that was an 8-speed with the right size axles there would be a space between the hub and the transmission case on both sides so BOTH of those hubs have been moving around or mounted wrong in the first place.

 

 

Somebody's already been in there changing things around at some point.

 

 

If you can tell the open end of a wrench from the closed one, you'd be perfectly fine to rip into that transmission and figure out what's going on.

[oldlineman 1,450]

Yes my bad didn't recognize that as a peace of PVC , I think Richard hit the nail on the head as others have said, probably hub key problem.

[WH_cyber_nerd 16]

Thanks all for the tips. I inspected the keys and axles as suggested, and found the right axle was spinning freely of the wheel while the left axle looked good. It looks like the woodruff key had popped out on the right wheel.

 

Interestingly, after taking off the right wheel and lifting up the tractor, I put it into gear and the right axle spun while the left wheel hardly spun. It almost seems like all the power is coming from the rear right wheel. Is that normal?

It also does seem like the left and right hubs are different types.

 

Photo is left hub/axle, video is right axle spinning freely of wheel. Notice how the left axle has an obvious keyway whereas the right does not.

[953 nut 51,734]

8 hours ago, g00chl0rd said:

after taking off the right wheel and lifting up the tractor, I put it into gear and the right axle spun while the left wheel hardly spun. It almost seems like all the power is coming from the rear right wheel. Is that normal?

With an open differential the axle that is feeling the least resistance to movement will spin freely. If you turn one axle by hand the other axle should spin in the opposite direction.

Is the axle in good condition with a good keyway? Chances are the hub will need to have a new keyway broached in it (any good machine shop can do this) or buy a replacement hub.

[lynnmor 6,794]

Probably needs a new hub, axle and key to fix it properly.

 

[Bill D 1,600]

If the axle is badly damaged, consider finding a replacement transmission to get you up and running.  If the axle is good, but the hubs are bad, Lincoln at A-Z tractor has replacement hubs available including aftermarket hubs for use when the axle keyway is less than perfect.

[WH_cyber_nerd 16]

I was actually able to get the key reseated and got the tractor moving again. No big issues there, although I couldn’t really assess the condition of the hub very well. Might be that it pops out again, but I wont be plowing that hard in the near future.

 

I wasn’t able to get the wheel fully pushed onto the axle. It is sort of flush with the end of the axle like the other wheel now. Not sure if thats a bad thing

[953 nut 51,734]

Flush with the axle is good. Torque the set screws to 35 foot pounds and the lock nut to 30 foot pounds.