L175 PTO Failure and Fix

BigJim59

New member

Equipment
Kubota L175
Sep 20, 2017
31
0
0
Leonard, TX
I got the gear box all buttoned up tonight. I had to stand over it, holding the plate with the shift forks in one hand and guide the longest shift fork (the reverse gear selector) down into the dark. Once that was started in the reverse gear, I had to position the two 1st & 3rd and 2nd & 4th into their guides. Once that was done I could lift the plate and get the PTO select shaft seated into its socket.

It's a cave down there and it's pitch black. My forehead light helped some but what you need to see is usually obscured by the gears, your hands or the shift plate, I did have the presence of mind to install the new gasket, before I tried to fit the shift plate, so I only had to do it once. It took a few false starts but once it was all in the proper place it just dropped in with a thud.
 

xmikew

Member

Equipment
L1500DT
Apr 15, 2017
226
1
16
Charleston
I got the gear box all buttoned up tonight. I had to stand over it, holding the plate with the shift forks in one hand and guide the longest shift fork (the reverse gear selector) down into the dark. Once that was started in the reverse gear, I had to position the two 1st & 3rd and 2nd & 4th into their guides. Once that was done I could lift the plate and get the PTO select shaft seated into its socket.



It's a cave down there and it's pitch black. My forehead light helped some but what you need to see is usually obscured by the gears, your hands or the shift plate, I did have the presence of mind to install the new gasket, before I tried to fit the shift plate, so I only had to do it once. It took a few false starts but once it was all in the proper place it just dropped in with a thud.


Thanks for the post. I feel you on this. I had to just replace my reverse gear so could do it without splitting. I did not have the gasket for the lower cover so had to use gasket maker and get the shift forks aligned without smearing it everywhere. Did a few dry runs and got it installed well. I was glad just for that part to be done so I know you are glad to have that thing back together.

Looking forward to the day you take it for a spin again.

Thanks.

- Mike
 

BigJim59

New member

Equipment
Kubota L175
Sep 20, 2017
31
0
0
Leonard, TX
I wanted to post some pictures of the gear box in stages to give everyone that it interested a full view of how the gears lay in the box. It's hard to see because the shafts are stacked one on top of the other.



This is the PTO shaft. You can see the shift fork on the gear and the cutouts on the shaft that allow the spring loaded detent ball to align



This is it input shaft. The revers idler is the gear on the separate shaft at the top of the picture.



This is the transmission view with the output shaft installed along with 1st & 3rd gear and 2nd & 4th gears.
 

BigJim59

New member

Equipment
Kubota L175
Sep 20, 2017
31
0
0
Leonard, TX
I finally got the gasket off the rear section and it was a evil as the rest of them. They must have used some kind of sealer at the factory because I tell you, this is one of the hardest parts of this job. I have used a sharp putty knife, a real sharp blade and a wire wheel for my drill. My only consolation was the fact that it is all cast and I could hit it with the wire wheel pretty good without scratching it. This thing was never going to leak. After I install the bearing seals and assemble the clutch throw-out mechanism I will be ready to get it back together. Tomorrow is another day.
 

D2Cat

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L305DT, B7100HST, TG1860, TG1860D, L4240
Mar 27, 2014
12,895
4,264
113
40 miles south of Kansas City
Jim I went back at the beginning and looked at your whole documentary. Nice. How many part did you have to purchase? What was your total repair cost, just curious? What are you using for a gasket sealer?

How long has that fuse cover been there since removal?
 

BigJim59

New member

Equipment
Kubota L175
Sep 20, 2017
31
0
0
Leonard, TX
Jim I went back at the beginning and looked at your whole documentary. Nice. How many part did you have to purchase? What was your total repair cost, just curious? What are you using for a gasket sealer?

How long has that fuse cover been there since removal?
I am using stock gaskets ordered from an online Kubota parts retailer. I will do a cost accounting and come up with a parts list but my biggest expenditures so far have been the revers gear, that was just under $100 and the main shaft, that was around $190. Both of these items were from an ebay vendor.

To answer your question: I have never removed the fuse cover as long as I have owned the tractor. This is fixing to change since I am going to hook up the lights.
 

mllkn6

Member

Equipment
L245 DT, front loader, backhoe, bushog, planters, grain drill, fertilizer sprea
Apr 29, 2017
85
7
8
Williamston, SC
BigJim59, thank you for the post, I'm doing about the same thing now and your pictures has helped me understand what is what better. Mine is a 1977 L245DT but it's basely the same transmission, your pictures and advice has given me a new confidence to carry on. Thank you again, you have made my day and thanks to D2Cat for forwarding me your post. Keep up the great work and hope it all works great for you.

thanks,

Don
 

BigJim59

New member

Equipment
Kubota L175
Sep 20, 2017
31
0
0
Leonard, TX


Today was the day. The transmission went in and then the tractor went back together. On the transmission to rear end docking maneuver, I put the PTO in low and I snicked the drive into 2nd. That way I could turn the input shaft a little by hand to get the coupling collars to mate up. I took great care to get the gear box level on the straps. That made getting the gear box in position less of a chore.



I didn't take any pictures of the tractor going back together. Let's just say it is a fiddly business but not bad. It helps to have a helper. The most telling point of mating the two halves, after the main shaft slips into the clutch spline, is the alignment pins. Once we had the pins aligned the tractor just slid together.
 

BigJim59

New member

Equipment
Kubota L175
Sep 20, 2017
31
0
0
Leonard, TX
BigJim59, thank you for the post, I'm doing about the same thing now and your pictures has helped me understand what is what better. Mine is a 1977 L245DT but it's basely the same transmission, your pictures and advice has given me a new confidence to carry on. Thank you again, you have made my day and thanks to D2Cat for forwarding me your post. Keep up the great work and hope it all works great for you.

thanks,

Don
I did this on purpose. It is the type of thing I wanted when I started and couldn't find. I really wanted to see what was inside that gear box but I couldn't find any good clear pictures. I am really glad it's working for you.

James
 

mllkn6

Member

Equipment
L245 DT, front loader, backhoe, bushog, planters, grain drill, fertilizer sprea
Apr 29, 2017
85
7
8
Williamston, SC
BigJim59,
Glad to see you got her back together, looks great, thank again for your post and pictures. I know it has helped or will help more than just me, your pictures were more help than you know, it help me to understand not only what was what but how things looked deep inside. My ole 1977 manual show diagrams and names items, but has no explanation of what to do or how to do it.
Again thank you, I can't wait to see you driving it around. LOL

Don
 

BigJim59

New member

Equipment
Kubota L175
Sep 20, 2017
31
0
0
Leonard, TX
BigJim59,
Glad to see you got her back together, looks great, thank again for your post and pictures. I know it has helped or will help more than just me, your pictures were more help than you know, it help me to understand not only what was what but how things looked deep inside. My ole 1977 manual show diagrams and names items, but has no explanation of what to do or how to do it.
Again thank you, I can't wait to see you driving it around. LOL

Don
I am just praying that I didn't forget anything. I would be so bummed out if I had to do this all over again.
 

BigJim59

New member

Equipment
Kubota L175
Sep 20, 2017
31
0
0
Leonard, TX
I have been picking at the tractor project for what seems like weeks. Today I took my time. I cleaned up some of the electrical wire ends. I also found out why my tach/hour meter cable sheared. The meter is locked up. (I will have to keep my eye out for one.)

I had a lot of trouble fitting the new steering wheel. The OEM Kubota half moon key was just a tad big for the key way and of course the shaft was buggered by the previous owner. It fits now but I fear I will never get it back off if I need to.

The good news is it runs and moves forward. It gets all the gear and reverse. I finally got the big bastard out of the shop and I swear, you could barn dance in there now! I even installed the hood so it looks like a real tractor. It was getting kind of late so tomorrow I will put the shreader back on and give it a go.
 

BigJim59

New member

Equipment
Kubota L175
Sep 20, 2017
31
0
0
Leonard, TX
This is it. I declare that my little L175 Kubota is now healed. It is not perfect but it will do what I want it to. It is much better than it was and that's pretty good. I made a short video and posted it on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/yFi7P9hKzT0

I also figured my expenses. With shipping charges my total parts expenditures came in at just a little over $500. This includes $190 for the input shaft, $100 for the reverse idler gear and $60 for a new steering wheel all items found on Ebay. All other parts were ordered from colemanequip.com. Their customer service was very good. This does not include the cost of the used hoist I bought from a friend (this was invaluable) or the larger floor jack or the jack stands. With all this I have right at $1000 in the project.

I am assuming that due to the age of the tractor, number of hours (over 1500 showing and now the hour meter is toast) that the tractor would not have been worth fixing if you had to pay a shop to do it.

I hope this thread helps someone contemplating a similar repair.
 
Last edited:

Russell King

Well-known member

Equipment
L185F, Modern Ag Competitor 4’ shredder, Rhino tiller, rear dirt scoop
Jun 17, 2012
4,603
975
113
Austin, Texas
Good to hear you got it going again


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

BigJim59

New member

Equipment
Kubota L175
Sep 20, 2017
31
0
0
Leonard, TX
I worked on the tractor this morning. I drained the tank and pulled the plunger out of the petcock. I do not think this is a stock item. It dosen't look like the one in the parts book. It is just a simple screw type valve and the rubber o-ring was hard and flat. I went up the the hardware store and replaced it with an open stock O-ring. It works fine now. I also changed the fuel filter while I was at it.

After that I took it down to the land and mowed the corner by the road and a couple of long strips along the fence. The grass was tall but quite dry and pretty easy to mow. The tractor has a completely different feel now. I think the sticking brake was causing more problems than I realized. The tractor rolls free now. You can tell it going down hill when the engine speeds a bit. The engine is more at ease and not working all that hard. It is hard to tell if the shredder is running when the grass is not tall. It just whirls around and is very quiet. My son says it sounds like a helicopter. It is a pleasure to use now. It seems as if I can mow faster with better effect. I can now mow in 5th gear and I haven't felt comfortable doing that for quite a while.