Need Help- transmission drain holes..

[smars4444]

The transmission front lubricating drain hole to the bearing on my Cub is plugged. I've tried using wire to get it free but having no luck.. does anyone have any tricks for getting that clear?

thanks

[Bus Driver]

This is the hole that is accessible after removing the shifter cover? It is possible that it was not drilled correctly or completely when originally manufactured. It may be necessary to remove and disassemble the transmission to determine and correct the problem.

[RaymondDurban]

It also is angled forward a bit, and if your input shaft has slid forward due to the input shaft seal retainer being installed backwards, the bearing may be blocking the hole.

[smars4444]

Yes.. I seem to be hitting solid metal after putting a piece of wire in about 1/2". I just tried spraying some brake cleaner in the hole.. It's obviously been like this for a while, how critical is that lubrication hole?

[Buzzard Wing]

best to use a magnet first....

[smars4444]

I will try a magnet.. I am the 3rd owner and I don't think the transmission has ever been worked on. Thank you everyone for your replies!

Stan

[tst]

blow air in the hole,if air passes through it so does the oil

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

The front hole does not come down into a bearing as the rear one does, but into a pocket that it fills with oil. Different bearing, unless it has backed out should not make a difference. Unless a wider one has been put in that is. Not sure what size wire you are using, but something on the order of baling wire, if old hill billy, or mechanics wire if more sophisticated, works good.

[smars4444]

Well... after trying to ream out the front drain hole with various sizes of wire and drill bits, blowing it out with air, I cleaned out the hole and can see very shiny metal. It looks like the top of a bearing... hard to believe some oil or air would not leak by it but it doesn't. I suspect it's been like this for quite some time so I'm going to button the cover back up and forget about it for now. The fact that it is like that will drive me crazy so I hope to either tear down the transmission or replace it next year. . The only issue with the transmission is it sounds like nuts and bolts rattling in 2nd gear going down hill only, but all other gears are quiet.. Thank you very much for all the help, what a great forum!

Stan

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

Have you looked at the front bearing from the transmission side? If it has been replaced it may be a sealed bearing, and if so you would not be able to blow air down that hole unless you force either the seal on the bearing, or the one on the shaft, which would not have a good result. It has been a year or more since I was into that part of the transmission and I sometimes have to think a while to remember how they are made, but as I recall that hole comes down on top of the seal retainer, which also pushes against the bearing and holds it in place. The oil hole actually briefly passes through an open area just before it hits that retainer which allows oil to drain into that cavity and lubricate the bearing. The original bearing had a shield on the gear side that allowed the oil to slowly drain out. If it has ever been replaced, it may have a bearing that is sealed on one side (next to gears) or maybe even sealed on both sides, in which case the oil will just puddle in the cavity and oil hole. You might try putting a slight bend on the end of your wire and see if the hole opens out a little just before it hits the metal.