520H - Gauge removal

[TC10284 113]

What is the easiest and best way to remove the gauges from the dash of a 520H? 

 

I might be missing something, but the only way I can see is removing the steering wheel, then pulling the deck lever and fwd/reverse lever up, so I can then pull up the plastic that helps hold in the gauges. 

[Lee1977 7,222]

I believe your right the gages won't come through the plastic cover. I don't think the deck lift lever is in that section.

My 520 is a 1989 I had the steering column out and had to take part of mine apart fixing the steering wheel and adding

a ball bearing to the column. Here is a picture of the dash with the plastic cover removed.

And a few of the steering wheel repair and bearing.

[lynnmor 7,856]

You can flex the plastic dash panel enough to get at least some of the gauges out.  Heat it with a hair dryer or let it sit in the hot sun to soften it.

[TC10284 113]

1 hour ago, Lee1977 said:

I believe your right the gages won't come through the plastic cover. I don't think the deck lift lever is in that section.

My 520 is a 1989 I had the steering column out and had to take part of mine apart fixing the steering wheel and adding

a ball bearing to the column. Here is a picture of the dash with the plastic cover removed.

 

And a few of the steering wheel repair and bearing.

 

 

The one I'm working on is a newer Toro WH 520H with the deck lever and fwd/reverse on the dash. 
Although I do have some of the older ones where they are not. 

[richmondred01 2,307]

Remove the wheel is the best way. The Vaccum and RPM you can use the heat gun method but the lower ones not so much.

 

[Handy Don 14,128]

Agree. I took off the wheel and the plastic panel when replacing gauges on the 518-H. Similar to 520 with only 3 gauges.

[TC10284 113]

So then my issue is that I removed the pin that holds the wheel on, but the wheel will not come off. Is there a way to remove it without breaking it? 

[Handy Don 14,128]

1 hour ago, TC10284 said:

So then my issue is that I removed the pin that holds the wheel on, but the wheel will not come off. Is there a way to remove it without breaking it? 

Ah, a problem that has vexed most of the members here at one time or another.

I see from your pictures that you have a bolt fixing the wheel to the shaft (usually there is a roll pin in there that can be quite hard to remove so you are ahead of the game). Once you've removed the bolt, you'll be contending with "nature welding", aka rust. Use your favorite penetrant and some time. There is no spline or woodruff key for the wheel so eventually it will spin on the shaft and you and work it off.

[Lee1977 7,222]

12 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

Ah, a problem that has vexed most of the members here at one time or another.

I see from your pictures that you have a bolt fixing the wheel to the shaft (usually there is a roll pin in there that can be quite hard to remove so you are ahead of the game). Once you've removed the bolt, you'll be contending with "nature welding", aka rust. Use your favorite penetrant and some time. There is no spline or woodruff key for the wheel so eventually it will spin on the shaft and you and work it off.

The pictures are mine (Lee!977). He said he has removed the roll pin and the wheel is stuck. I don't have any good advice as the only think holding mine on was the roll pin.

 

[Handy Don 14,128]

Oops, sorry to both of you. Have to read thread more closely!

To @TC10284 I'll stick with the earlier advice but without the "bolt" bit 

Penetrant and patience. Heat in this situation is risky because of potential damage to the wheel and the instrument panel.

One think I'd want to be very sure of is that ALL of the roll bin has been removed. If only part of it came out, the remaining bit could keep that steering wheel locked on. Rusty roll pins have been known to break during removal. I would try putting a suitable flat-end punch through the hole to be sure it is fully open.

Edited August 8, 2021 by Handy Don