Don't know how old a tractor you are talking about , my Dads is like 60's or 70's , but my brother and me had to take hood off , pull engine , seat , dash , drive shaft at engine and transmission , and basically split tractor in 2 just to change the transmission . My Dad is hard hearing and did not notice the vibration as the front plastic coupler broke while tilling . Wobbled out the chassis were the drive shaft passes through to the transmission and screwed up the transmission gears . Found a replacement on ebay and new coupler parts on Parts Tree and it is back in business . Still beats the CR** out of you driving it , but it still tills his garden .
Although it may sound like a pain doing what you described , Sometimes it is just easier to do it than to fight trying to get at it another way .
Fred H.
