The latest and greatest on the universial joint saga. First of all, I think everybody I talked to so far looking for the universial joints call them different names. I suspect I have heard them called 5 or 6 different names. So I make sure I have a picture to make sure they are all on the same page and now carry the one I removed from the tractor in my pocket to show them. So anyways, after going to a couple of bearing shops, drive line shops and several phone calls I could find no one with the universials or and one that could find any with the same measurements. Now I know why JD is saying they are unservicable, they put ones in that you can not find anywhere. Then they said it was a Yanmar part and then Yanmar wouldn't give out part numbers or information about them......
Then, at a suggestion from a friend of mine, I call the Kubota dealer,,,,,guess what, they had the universals as a common part. Needless to say I went to the dealer in a blinding snow storm with my universial in hand to compare the universials . Tada, they were a perfect match (we even mic'd them out to make sure). Although they only had one in stock, I ordered the other one and it will be here Monday. But you know the parts guy and owner of the dealership both had to mention I should've bought one of his orange tractors..... I knew it was coming, was just a matter of time.
So now I will have to say I have a Deerota tractor. But that's ok, I have learned several things in this process.
1. Replacing the transmission fan in the future if need is not going to be a big deal like spliting the tractor. Removing the floor is the best way to get to the fan.
2. Knocking out the universial to replace the fan without cutting the fan in half is possible with minimal cost in regards to the universial.
3. No need to split the tractor to work on the shaft or the fan.
4. No need to spend all them hours working on the tractor to do any of the above.
Lastly, I learn a lot about my tractor in this process and of course this all happens right in the middle of a significant snow storm and had to call another friend to come plow me and my outlaws out.
Monday night I should be golden. Sorry for the long post, but wanted to pass on what I have learned and hopefully save someone else a lot of time and energy.