[arcticcatfarmer]

Anyone ever have to change the coupler from the hydrostat to the gearbox? I have a 1688. I think my input shaft on the pump is shot too. There is only about 50% splines left on the shaft. Am I going to have to have the pump tore down and have a new shaft installed? Yuck. I wonder why they never put a grease zerk in there way back when, the new coupler has one. Thanks for any comments.

 

[kirschenman]

Yes, the pump comes apart. If you do it yourself watch the metal seals (get new ones) but make sure they are perfectly clean. Probably best to have a shop do that part actually.

They didn't put a zerk on because engineers are dumb

 

[marli]

Yes, we have done 2 over the years. One stuffed the motor shaft, the other didn't.

That Hydra motor is a heavy little sucker.

 

[steigerman]

You need to change the shaft and seal for sure, Also cut a 2" notch in the bottom of the pump mount and knock the chunk out with a hammer so you can grease it easily, the hole they want you to drill makes it very hard to grease. Its a good idea to paint the coupler where the grease nipple is so its easy to find.

 

[hydro100]

steigerman, do you have a picture of where you cut the hole in the pump mount? tia

 

[linuxfarmer]

arcticcatfarmer, how many hours on the 1688 before this failed?

I have 3400 on mine and I haven't touched this yet... but I think my day is coming.

 

[kirschenman]

At the case dealer I worked at we would drill a hole in the top of the case so you could grease it from the top. Ideally the pulley and adapter would have been cast as one piece and the nipple could have rode out further, right where the notches are for the speed sensor. Would have been way easier to lubricate.

linuxfarmer, If you're thinking the day is coming you could the hydro out a little bit and grease the splines. Its a nasty job to do in the field and this would allow you to see whats going on. Probably wouldn't even need to disconnect any lines, just the 4 bolts that hold on the pump and jam some grease someone in on the splines. I kind of forget how it all goes together, and I'm glad of that!

 

[steigerman]

I dont have any pics but at the very bottom of the cast irom pump mount we grind two notches 2" apart through the lip to the depth of the mounting flange then if you grind a score mark between the two, hit it with a hammer and it will break out. Clean it up with a grinder and it makes greasing it a breeze. We normally use steiger green to paint the pulley when the zerk is lined up whick makes it easy to know when to stop turning the engine. You dont have to have the engine in one exact spot to grease like the drilled hole.

 

[arcticcatfarmer]

Linuxfarmer, we have about 2700 hrs. on the 1688 and my local dealer just told me to slide the coupler back and grease the splines, but when I did I saw that it should have been done 10 years ago. They said "Yeah you should grease those splines every winter". Thanks for telling me now, right. All you have to do is take the 3, 1/2"bolts out that hold the coupler to the motor side and you can work the coupler and pulley toward the hydro. Same procedure you use to change the belt. It isn't easy to get grease on the splines, probably need a bent screw driver or something to spread it on there, too small for your fingers. Sucks to have to pull that pump, but better in the winter than in a mud hole somewhere when I need to be harvesting.
We have a great local service department that makes owning a Axialflow even easier, this is not the only thing "you would have never known" that they have told me about. Thanks for all the info, guess I know what I'll be doing tomorrow.