Replacing bottom seal and bearings - Woods M5 Dixie Cutter

[xsnrg]

I picked up a used M5 Dixie Cutter today for $540. It has a steady drip out the bottom seal as I've seen others describe. It also has some shaft play so I was planning to replace the bearing along with the output seal. From other forum posts and youtube, it seems like the blade bar can be a real bear to get off and I'm a little sketched out about how the bearings are loaded with correct amount of shims and tightening. I may have bitten off a little more than I bargained for and maybe should have walked away from the unit in retrospect. The deck looks solid with no signs of abuse, drive shafts don't have play and it turned easily by hand. It's the version with the slip clutch.

If anyone's done this job and has advice/steps to follow, I'd sure appreciate the extra input & knowledge to boost confidence. I sent Woods a request for the manual as it seems they've removed it from their site due to age.

I believe I can get the blade bar off either by pushing it off with 1" threaded rod through the blade mounting holes or using the chain and bottle jack method along with heat. Other approaches and tips are welcome on that, but what I really would like more description of is the re-assembly including ensuring I install and pre-load the bearings correctly.

 

[Motion]

You're correct the blade carrier can be a real character builder, it's more awkward then hard, use plenty of heat and penetrant, most use a tapered spline output shaft. Before getting too deep in rebuilding the box compare the price of a new box with the same bolt pattern and gear ratio, you may find a non-OEM rated for more horsepower than the factory one.

 

[xsnrg]

Woods replied with the owners manual ... pretty helpful. Since I'm not in a rush, I may tackle the job myself. Worst case, I could always take the gear box / vertical shaft to a shop if I run into bearing installation issue. The shimming step seems pretty straightforward, the part I'm most concerned about getting right is the vertical 'bearing adjustment' being set with a press.

 

[xsnrg]

The bar came off much easier than expected. Any suggestions on techniques or maybe links to tool/puller to get this sleeve (#4) up out of the hole and off of the shaft? I'm thinking it would need a tall, slender puller of some type. There seems to be a groove in the sleeve toward the bottom that a puller might be able to get into. I applied Kroil generously to the top of it, so hopefully it's achieved significant penetration.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I have 0% experience with this machine, but would a "gear puller" or a "steering wheel puller" be able to fit and reach?

(BTW Kroil is great sh!t....That was the stuff we used when I was and A@P)

The directions reference "old school" wheel bearing adjustment technique, but "back in the day" I would spin the rotor whilst tightening the nut at the same time.

It was 1/2 art, and 1/2 science, so I'm left wondering how that would be done if you have to "press" that collar on?


Maybe some sort of "Press and test spin, press and test spin, press and test spin....etc" sort of game?

OR....(it just hit me as I was re-reading it,) maybe there is locktite on it already and a little heat might help to free it up????


Edit: When I was a heavy mechanic doing ring and pinions, there was usually (always) a "turning torque" that you were shooting for. Just for reference it was pretty small if I recall, somewhere around 50 inch pounds or so.

I'd bet this is going to be similar, just a SWAG though.....

 

[Matt Ellerbee]

Looking at the breakdown, that shaft has to come out the top.