Well, that was a dumb mistake...

[Oo-v-oO]

MY 2000 B7500HST.

The top link has always been a really tight fit where it attaches to the tractor, to the point that you need to tap the link in if you remove itand want to put it back on. Today I was struggling with it when I wanted to move it from the top set of holes to the bottom set and got the wise idea to stick a prybar in the space between the two angled brackets and spread them out a whisker for clearance.
Bad idea.
I ended up blowing one of the tapped holes in the casting apart. There doesn't seem to be any good robust way of patching in some additional bracketry and short of possibly brazing the broken part back on it doesn't look to be repairable. The one saving grace is that the hole is in the cover over the transaxle itself, the part that has the rock shaft and cylinder for the 3-point lift and not located in the main transaxle housing.
I did some looking around and you can still buy this part new... for $700 - $1,000. Ouch.
I managed to locate a used part for $225 so I will plan on going that route. The Stupid Tax is a real thing, I swear.
Makes me madder, knowing full well that I should have known better. Oh, well. Grousing about it isn't going to fix it.

Has anybody had this top cover off the transaxle and if so are there any gotchas I should be aware of? I do not have a repair manual but do have access to online exploded parts diagrams. I'm no pro mechanic but I have 30+ years of industrial Maintenance background and do virtually all of my own truck and auto repairs so I'm not too concerned about diving in. Hopefully the cab isn't going to get in the way too badly.

Thanks for any input!

 

[GreensvilleJay]

You might (?) be able to drill the damaged hole out and install a 'helicoil'. Best case would be to remove the 'cover', turn upside down in vise and drill from the 'inside-->out',so the bit stays centered in the original hole.
Kinda curious as to why you've never ground off a bit of the top link 'ball' that gets pinned into the TL bracket ? I shaved off a good 1/8" on one to make it have some 'slop'. You could take a file to the bracket as well( more work though....)

hmm.. is this really what you have ??? If so , yuck..my idea wont work,soory ,$$$ for another casting..

 

[mcfarmall]

For future use, a die grinder with a small flap wheel works great on stubborn pin holes.

 

[ve9aa]

Oh boy...btdt, feel your pain. They should issue T-shirts for us guys who say things like :
"this probably is a stupid idea but I'll just try it a little bit........<CRACK>./././././././Darnitall, I knew better".

It would be a t-shirt most of us would wear :-(

 

[GreensvilleJay]

in the 'woodhave,shouldhave' category....
prying between the cast'face' and the toplink could have 'popped out' the toplink.

seeing that the brackets are bent sheet steel, the may not be parallel to each other, might be the source of binding ??

 

[Oo-v-oO]

You might (?) be able to drill the damaged hole out and install a 'helicoil'. Best case would be to remove the 'cover', turn upside down in vise and drill from the 'inside-->out',so the bit stays centered in the original hole.
Kinda curious as to why you've never ground off a bit of the top link 'ball' that gets pinned into the TL bracket ? I shaved off a good 1/8" on one to make it have some 'slop'. You could take a file to the bracket as well( more work though....)

hmm.. is this really what you have ??? If so , yuck..my idea wont work,soory ,$$$ for another casting..

Yup, looking from the back it is the top left bolt hole. There is now half of the threads in the part still attached to the tractor and half of them in the piece that popped off. Nothing to helicoil!

And yeah... Should have narrowed up the link bushing. Live and learn.

 

[Oo-v-oO]

in the 'woodhave,shouldhave' category....
prying between the cast'face' and the toplink could have 'popped out' the toplink.

seeing that the brackets are bent sheet steel, the may not be parallel to each other, might be the source of binding ??

I don't think so, only because it was tight all the way up and down the two brackets as well as in and out.
*should have* narrowed up the part of the top link that fits between the two brackets attached to the tractor. Duh.

 

[DustyRusty]

There is a product that I have used successfully on cast iron if it is free of any oil. It is called Metalset 4A. It might be worth the try. You can purchase it from Amazon.

Metal‌set™ A4 Product Information

High performance epoxy adhesive

www.smooth-on.com

 

[fried1765]

There is a product that I have used successfully on cast iron if it is free of any oil. It is called Metalset 4A. It might be worth the try. You can purchase it from Amazon.

Metal‌set™ A4 Product Information

High performance epoxy adhesive

www.smooth-on.com

Any idea if this product can tolerate C.I. wood stove type temperatures?
The website seems to indicate that it is primarily for aluminum repairs.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

hmm... is there any 'meat' ( material) left to drill the hole deeper ? Even if you bored through to the 'cavity', one of those 'more IS better'
If you could get a good inch more, the cast might be repairable.
I'd be leary of any 'epoxy' that could withstand the 'pull stress' of an implement bouncing...
One of those have to see it problems.

 

[DustyRusty]

I have no idea since all that I have ever used it for was to repair broken items and to seal up a hole in a gas tank. Check with them is the best way to know.

Smooth-On, Inc. Customer Service

www.smooth-on.com

 

[Oo-v-oO]

hmm... is there any 'meat' ( material) left to drill the hole deeper ? Even if you bored through to the 'cavity', one of those 'more IS better'
If you could get a good inch more, the cast might be repairable.
I'd be leary of any 'epoxy' that could withstand the 'pull stress' of an implement bouncing...
One of those have to see it problems.

Yeah, I didn't think to take a picture when I had the bracket off.

I think If I drilled any deeper I'd strike oil and there probably isn't a lot there to work with. The wall thickness where it broke out is pretty thin, as well.