Flatheadyoungin
Veteran Member
One of my buddies, that has a 01 TC35 hydro, had an old brush hog that he basically tore up. I think he bought it new with the tractor. Well, after clearing some rough land he hit something and racked the whole hog and bent the plate that the gear box sets on. In turn this allowed the blade bolts in the stump jumper to rub the bottom and allow the blade to rub a 180 degree ring around the deck............all, probably, from using a grade 5 bolt for a sheer key. But, in his defense, he was replacing that softy bolt a LOT. And, if he hadn't tore it up, I wouldn't have got it cheap.
I've been trying to buy it off of him for a couple of years. We just couldn't get together on the price. So, the other day, he said to make him an offer. I told him that I'd just make him mad. But, he said shoot.......I said $50. He said he was thinking $75. I called him to split the difference at $62.50. Well, he took it hahaha, what a price...
Anyway, I flipped it up like you see in the pics (there's a chain hoist holding it up if you look closely). I took a 3/4 impact and removed the big nut that keeps the stump jumper in place. Well, that turned out to be the easiest thing of the whole day.
I used a pry bar around trying to get the taperd/splined shaft to let go of the stump jumper. No go. I tried lot's of penetrating oil and some heat (and patience). This is what I do on the king pins on old 28-48 Ford axles. No go. Next, I knew I needed to apply some pressure on this shaft when I applied heat and liquid wrench. However, there were no provisions to put a large gear puller on it. I looked and studied until it hit me. I have two old heavy duty Ford hub pullers. So, i took the torch and cut three clean holes in the stump jumper, thus allowing me to use the large puller. I heated, used liquid wrench, and applied a LOT of pressure. Enough to pull the stump jumper out of shape. No go.
So, I came inside to get a bite to eat and do an internet search for this. What do you know, a google search lead me right back here to TBN! There was a thread about a fella doing EXACTLY what I was doing. What do ya know! But, there was a little tid-bit that I had read about on an old hot rod website called The HAMB. It's where I learned a LOT about building traditionally styled hot rods. I had forgotten to try wax. I had never tried it before but I had heard it works well. Back out I went- after stealing some of my wife's candles........shhhhhh, don't tell......I've been in the dog house all day for other issues, she doesn't need to know I stole her candles.
So, I heated, applied pressure and used wax. No go. The old Ford hub pullers are made to hammer on and I had been hammering on it. Well, after all of that and still no success, I decided that I was REALLY going to hit it. I had come to the conclusion that if I didn't get it apart, I couldn't fix it. And, if I couldn't fix it, it was junk anyway. I took a large 10lbs or so sledge and smacked it HARD about three times. During all of this, I went and got my shooting muffs because my ears were starting to ring. On about the 3rd smack I finally head the pop we all want to hear. She came loose!
I spent the next hour or so using that large sledge to shape the mounting plate back in to what should allow the gear box to sit level. I'm no millwright but the calibrated eyeball says she looks good!
I took the stump jumper off and took the gear box off. I noticed that the holes around the base that supports the gear box actually had cracks in it from the force of the impact. I took my angle grinder and V'd them out real good and then used my stick welder to weld them shut. Then I ground them flush.
I ruined the gasket while taking apart the gear box to inspect the gears. So, I'm kind of at a stopping point until I can make a gasket. And, wouldn't you know it, I can't find my large sheet of gasket material. I'll go get some tomorrow and get her all back together.
So, I'm gonna get some rest and head back out there tomorrow to see if I can finish it up......
I've been trying to buy it off of him for a couple of years. We just couldn't get together on the price. So, the other day, he said to make him an offer. I told him that I'd just make him mad. But, he said shoot.......I said $50. He said he was thinking $75. I called him to split the difference at $62.50. Well, he took it hahaha, what a price...
Anyway, I flipped it up like you see in the pics (there's a chain hoist holding it up if you look closely). I took a 3/4 impact and removed the big nut that keeps the stump jumper in place. Well, that turned out to be the easiest thing of the whole day.
I used a pry bar around trying to get the taperd/splined shaft to let go of the stump jumper. No go. I tried lot's of penetrating oil and some heat (and patience). This is what I do on the king pins on old 28-48 Ford axles. No go. Next, I knew I needed to apply some pressure on this shaft when I applied heat and liquid wrench. However, there were no provisions to put a large gear puller on it. I looked and studied until it hit me. I have two old heavy duty Ford hub pullers. So, i took the torch and cut three clean holes in the stump jumper, thus allowing me to use the large puller. I heated, used liquid wrench, and applied a LOT of pressure. Enough to pull the stump jumper out of shape. No go.
So, I came inside to get a bite to eat and do an internet search for this. What do you know, a google search lead me right back here to TBN! There was a thread about a fella doing EXACTLY what I was doing. What do ya know! But, there was a little tid-bit that I had read about on an old hot rod website called The HAMB. It's where I learned a LOT about building traditionally styled hot rods. I had forgotten to try wax. I had never tried it before but I had heard it works well. Back out I went- after stealing some of my wife's candles........shhhhhh, don't tell......I've been in the dog house all day for other issues, she doesn't need to know I stole her candles.
So, I heated, applied pressure and used wax. No go. The old Ford hub pullers are made to hammer on and I had been hammering on it. Well, after all of that and still no success, I decided that I was REALLY going to hit it. I had come to the conclusion that if I didn't get it apart, I couldn't fix it. And, if I couldn't fix it, it was junk anyway. I took a large 10lbs or so sledge and smacked it HARD about three times. During all of this, I went and got my shooting muffs because my ears were starting to ring. On about the 3rd smack I finally head the pop we all want to hear. She came loose!
I spent the next hour or so using that large sledge to shape the mounting plate back in to what should allow the gear box to sit level. I'm no millwright but the calibrated eyeball says she looks good!
I took the stump jumper off and took the gear box off. I noticed that the holes around the base that supports the gear box actually had cracks in it from the force of the impact. I took my angle grinder and V'd them out real good and then used my stick welder to weld them shut. Then I ground them flush.
I ruined the gasket while taking apart the gear box to inspect the gears. So, I'm kind of at a stopping point until I can make a gasket. And, wouldn't you know it, I can't find my large sheet of gasket material. I'll go get some tomorrow and get her all back together.
So, I'm gonna get some rest and head back out there tomorrow to see if I can finish it up......