122 CC Pilot Shaft Bushing.

[Eugene]

The Cub Cadet 122 drive shaft is being hung up in the bushing causing the drive shaft to keep turning.

Background, new clutch, new pilot shaft bushing, new drive shaft. Bushing was checked on the drive shaft before installation and again after installation. Checked bushing and drive shaft for burs. Bushing soaked in oil and greased before engine installed in Cub Cadet. Starting the engine with tractor in gear and clutch depressed, tractor does not move. Tractor out of gear, clutch depressed, grinds transmission gears.

There is a bit of space between the bolts mounting the engine to the frame. Could the engine be setting at a slight angle to the drive shaft, causing it to hang up?

Thought I would ask before I pulled the engine again. Besides that it's to cold to visit the shop.

[gitractorman]

I would loosen the 4 engine mounting bolts and try moving the engine side to side, twisting, etc., and try turning the driveshaft by hand, or just watch for it to bind. My bet is the engine is not straight with the driveshaft, causing the bushing to hang up. I've seen it before, and it's really hard to detect. The problem is that the holes in the frame get worn out and allow the engine to twist around in the frame.

[Eugene]

Thanks for the reply.

I had thought about loosening the engine mounting bolts and wiggling the engine sideways. Had not thought about turning the drive shaft by hand to check for the bind after wiggling the engine.

[gitractorman]

I had a 124 a few years back that I had the same problem with. Took me forever to figure out what was wrong, and didn't even notice that the engine was crooked in the frame. The bolt holes were about 1/8" out of round, but that lets the engine get 1/4" out of alignment, which is quite a bit at the drive shaft coupler.

[Eugene]

Short up date. Did loosen the engine in the frame. Wiggled the engine freeing up the drive shaft/bushing bind, perfect. Tightened the engine mounting bolts. Result was considerably less bind, but still binding.

Will try again when the weather improves. Will also change the bolt tightening sequence. Have the feeling that it will take several tries to get the engine aligned with the drive shaft.

[Dale Finch]

To hijack this thread for a moment, while CC guys are here, I have the drive shaft I removed from a CC transmission that I put on my F Cub, and if someone wants it, they can have it for shipping.

[Eugene]

Finally got the clutch shaft/drive shaft to not bind in the bushing. After 1/2 dozen tries wiggling the engine, I pulled the engine.

Found a burr on the driving plate assembly and that the bushing in the driving plate bound when assembled correctly, but didn't bind during the test fit when the driving plate installed in reverse.

The corrections were fairly simple. One more wack on the bushing driver and ground off the burr. Installed engine, still had to do a bit of wiggling to eliminate the slight bind.

Lessons learned, don't put the entire tractor back together before testing the components.