woods finish mower

[revg62]

the woods rm 500-2 finish mower that came with the tractor i bought (both used) has a leaking seal on the bottom of the gearbox,bad enough that it won't hold gear oil.i've been told"just fill it with grease"...we'll in my past experience shortcuts never seem to pan out.i connected it to the tractor & it turns ok with grease,has some slack in gears but no binding,haven't tried turning the blades yet.how can i tell if the gearbox is worth replacing the seal or will it just wear out the new seal ? the spindles appear ok,just wondering if i should attempt this or can any one pass on experiences they've had.thanks for being out there,there's a lot of knowledge to be gained here.thanks in advance,greg

 

[rdbrumfield]

Just this last spring I did the same thing as you have. Had a leak, filled with grease and continued to mow. When I finished, I pulled the blades and disk, checked the shaft for side play and replaced the seal. While having it apart I pulled input side to check for wear of the bearings and put it back together. Has been running great since with just replacing the seal. I did notice that the grease wanted out of the box. Seems as the gear box warmed up it wanted to force some of the grease out each time I used it.

 

[Thomas]

If it was I and plan on keeping the attachment,I would price out a new gear box etc..than do the labor myself save $$,for it does sound like finish mower do for a rebuild.

 

[RickB]

Take the drive belt off the output shaft. Grasp both the input and out put shafts with either hand and rotate the gearbox through a complete revolution, putting resistance on the shaft you are NOT turning. Do this in both directions. There should be small but noticeable backlash between the gears/shafts throughout the entire rotation. No jumping, clicking, or jerking, just smooth rotation. No end play or movement of either shaft. If the gearbox passes all these tests,replace the seal without disassembling the box. Check the shaft at the area where the seal rides, it should be smooth. No need of disassembling and rebuilding or replacing the gearbox for a $6 seal.

 

[revg62]

thanks for all the advice.think i'll try the seal if the shaft isn't too bad since a new gearbox is over $500.i'd rather put that much towards a new finish mower.will let you know how this turns out when i'm able to do it.can't be happy with the trouble i have,have to go out looking for more....thanks again,greg

 

[rbargeron]

I'll chime in on the side of replacing the seal and running oil in the box. One of the functions of the oil is to dissipate heat from the gear teeth and distribute it to the housing. Grease may not flow well enough to do the same job.

 

[JimMc]

One other area to check. If you determine the bearings to be good and the seal doesn't leak when the unit is cool, it could be the vent is stopped up. This would allow pressure to build as the box warms up and force the oil past the seal.