185 low-boy hydraulics

[als]

While changing fluids in a recently purchased 185 I found a special treat. When I removed the hydraulic filter sitting in the casting I found what looks like a 3/8 ball from a ball bearing, also a small piece of cast obviously from some flange. This has the remaining half of a threaded hole. About 1/4-20. Any idea how a steel ball could get under the filter, or where it could of possibly come from? It would have had to come up the draw/suction tube, therefore out of the case itself. I look at breakdowns and see no ball bearings. Help, ideas?

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

Doesn't the 185 use the transmission for the reservoir? My first thought for the ball bearing would be the poppet that goes in the slide rods for the gear to hold them in each position. It may have been lost when doing work on the transmission. If it was not replaced there should be one gear that does not click when you shift to it, though it may have been dropped and theyreplaced it with another one due to not being able to find it. As to the flange, nothing comes to mind off hand.

[als]

Yes the tranny is the reservoir. Is the ball on the shaft that big? I found a .375" ball.
The lost ball theory was mine too. All gears work. The cast piece is a whole nother thing.
It all works, just concerns me when I find stuff like this. And I'm the guy who would tear it down to find it. Or not. Hence why I'm asking.
Working on pto and clutch now. Getting into the tranny now for a peak see would be pretty simple now.

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

According to the parts manual, the poppet ball is 3/8. Is it possible the piece with the cast piece with bolthole is part of a broken shifter fork? I had one that one of the forks was cast. Does it look like this? This is not the one I have, but one from another poster.

[als]

Where do I find the shifter fork you are speaking of? Lift the shifter off? The ball? It does look like it could very well be the broken part.

[als]

Ok I found those pieces in the manual. I'll look in there today. Thanks. I'll post what I find.
Still have the question on the pto shaft though.

[Mike H]

ya might want to run a magnet threw the bottom of the transmission in case there is any other stray parts.

Mike

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

My guess would be someone worked on it and those pieces fell in the bottom and the "mechanic" could not find them so he replaced them. I believe that piece I pictured is the R-1 fork, and if it were missing you could not select those gears.

[als]

Ok. I found out where the cast pieces came from. Mount holes for cover and 3 point.
This is where the only 3/8" ball is shown in break downs that I can see. The shifter detent seems fine so I'll ignore it at this point. In the situation where I cannot repair the threaded hole then I will know for sure when I replace the casting.
Still searching for 1 more piece of cast. May have gone down the drain though.

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

Those holes were only meant to hold pto cover, or belt pulley attachment at most. Not thick enough metal for supporting the 3pt if any load is put on it.

[als]

Thanks john,
This is what I'm talking about. Isn't this thing part of the three point? So I shouldn't worry about the one bolt? Makes life a lot easier. It leaks there because of the break through the bolt hole, can just poxy fill and be done with it.

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

It appears to me to be part of the 3pt, but in my opinion it is capable of putting a lot more pressure on those bolt holes than they were intended for unless you are real careful

[als]

The three point shouldn't be mounted in this fashion? I'm so lost now. This isn't oem?

[Eugene]

It looks like it might have been part of an early 3-point for a Numbered Cub. Appears to be way to heavy and poorly mounted compared to the 3-point depicted in the parts manual.

I wouldn't use a rear cover plate gasket, I would use black RTV. Also check to see if there are any threads left in the broken bolt hold. If so, perhaps you can catch the remaining threads with a bolt.

[Jim Becker]

That is part of the factory 3-point. Actually, it looks like two parts welded together. The upper part above the sloppy weld was a separate part. The weld is probably a previous owner fix for the broken bolt hole. Each 3-point lower link should be pinned at the front end between two parts. This is on one side and the other is a part bolted to the final drive. This should be strong enough for one side of the lower link. But it probably wouldn't hold up by itself. I don't know what the spacer across the middle is doing there either.