A broken JD185 gets some help

[perry 82]

is this near you ? might be worth buying a whole parts tractor.

http://cgi.ebay.com/John-Deere-165-Hydro-s...1QQcmdZViewItem

[TT-(Moderator) 1,128]

It's not too far away, Perry - but I guess the 165's use an Eaton hydro, which would mean the arm is totally different.

Thanks for digging that one up though. :WRS:

[DMESS 24]

TT, just put that sucker out for the trash man. Ain't but 10 cents worth of metal in it anyway! :whistle:

[TT-(Moderator) 1,128]

I really wish he had the money to buy something better. (red? )

I'm about ready to clamp vise-grips to the control shaft and weld the rest of the linkage to them. :whistle:

[DMESS 24]

I really wish he had the money to buy something better. (red? )

I'm about ready to clamp vise-grips to the control shaft and weld the rest of the linkage to them.

Sounds like the perfect fix! :WRS:

[TT-(Moderator) 1,128]

....except that I don't want to waste an expensive pair of vise-grips. :whistle:

[linen beige 14]

Use a pair of Crapsman locking pliers. Aint they gayrawnteed to last forever?

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,345]

It's not too far away, Perry - but I guess the 165's use an Eaton hydro, which would mean the arm is totally different.

Thanks for digging that one up though.

That's correct. It will have an Eaton. Another thing on the Sundstrands versus the Eatons, the drive belts are oriented differently. One has a horizontal pulley and fan and the other has a vertical pulley and fan, I just can't remember which has which. :D

[TT-(Moderator) 1,128]

When you get back to work and away from this dial-up connection, then you can see the pictures I posted of the vertical input shaft on the Sundstrand in the 185. :whistle:

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,345]

So that means the Sundstrands have the vertical pulley and fan and that leaves the Eaton with the horizontal setup. Sorry, I didn't go back and look at the pictures. My bad. :whistle:

[TT-(Moderator) 1,128]

I seriously thought that you were having picture-loading problems, Terry.

(I was on dial-up for years and would have probably smashed the computer by now if it weren't for the generous folks at Verizon offering us locationally-challenged people the DSL option.)

[TT-(Moderator) 1,128]

Well....... a few cotter pins, brackets, and about 8 bolts later, the hydro unit from the 185 is out and on my bench. The direction control shaft doesn't quite feel right to me, and may be binding - which would explain why the arm broke. It might just be the pressure against the plungers when it tries to move the swashplate.

The good news is that the only "seal" between the hydro unit and the transaxle is an o-ring - which shouldn't be as hard to find as the DC arm.

Time for me to "fab up" an arm.

[perry 82]

looks like a headache. and that arm is a hard one to find. i aint found nothun yet that resembles it.

[TT-(Moderator) 1,128]

Good news, and not-so-good news.....

I fabbed up a DC arm and managed to get it installed today. The JD185 is all back together and moves under it's own power again. The deck was reinstalled and a few test passes were made through the yard.

I fitted the new arm to the hydro pump with it removed from the transaxle and sitting on the workbench, but once I bolted the hydro unit on the transaxle, the "new' arm wouldn't move AT ALL! I found that the arm was hitting against the ring gear "bump" on the differential and had to do a lttle more modifying. Everything else went together as good as I suspected it would for a green tractor.

Anyhow, the DC shaft on the hydro feels like there's a bad bushing somewhere, but the owner told me to try it anyhow. I'm guessing that is why the arm broke in the first place. Now I have my fingers crossed that it will last for a few more years. :banana: (but I seriously doubt it)

[perry 82]

good deals TT. atleast you have that out of your hair for a week or maybe 2 . like you said, it prombaly wont last long. tell him to sell it and find him a real tractor.

have you been mowing his lawn this whole time ?.

[TT-(Moderator) 1,128]

I suggested trading it in on a better one (while it still moves) but he doesn't appear interested.

Yeah..... I've taken care of his yard all but one time when his son brought his tractor down and mowed it for him.

[perry 82]

just keep hobie away from it and it might do all right .... ..... . should we place our bets now ?. or start a new poll as when it will be limbed back to your stable .

within 2 wks

within 2 months and so on.............. :banana:

[TT-(Moderator) 1,128]

He really doesn't want on it again, Perry. I feel certain that the sloppy DCL shaft on the pump is what caused the arm to break -- not Hobie's operational techniques.

I would prefer that he doesn't get an opportunity to test my theory.... so we'll let the owners son break it the next time.

Be assured -- it won't be back again. The next time it breaks, it will probably catch fire too. :whistle:

[perry 82]

:whistle: .................. catch fire ........... ......... B)