TuffTorq K46 Repair Guide with Pictures

GixxersRevolt · Apr 21, 2011

Yellow76 said:
Well my grass is way tall and I just don't have the time to do this rebuild and the wife is saying to just take the mower to JD and let them change out the tranny. I would really like to see the rebuild on You Tube....and I don't mind the language because I will be right there with you! Thanks to everyone on that has posted up.

GixxersRevolt-mine is a 2002 X300 with about 200 hours on it and has been a great mower as well. I just have to fix the tranny and get back to mowing. What did you pay for the parts?

Yellow76

I paid a total of $181 and change with shipping.
Parts will be here on Monday according to UPS tracking number. I am going to do the tear down and cleaning this weekend. I'll try to post video before Monday.

My mower is a 17.542HS Sabre. Not sure if it is the same setup as yours but if it is the removal and install is pretty straight forward. Could save you some considerable labor $ if you go the route of installing yourself.

I'll try to find some time to throw a video up for the removal and install too.

Yellow76 · Apr 21, 2011

Looking forward to it. Good luck and keep us posted.

gtunney · Apr 23, 2011

Yellow76 said:
Well my grass is way tall and I just don't have the time to do this rebuild and the wife is saying to just take the mower to JD and let them change out the tranny.

Hi Yellow. Like you, I didn't have the time to do the rebuild myself. I considered replacing the tranny with a new unit as your wife is suggesting, but I found out about the rebuild options and then about Duane Deardorff at Tuff Torq doing the rebuild on the side for customers.

Essentially he installs the T46 rebuild kit you can buy from Tuff Torq ($374) and if you desire, adds a T57 upgrade kit. The basic rebuild was $475.00. The T57 upgrade added $89.00. They can send you a pre-configured shipping box for an additional $13, which I used. That comes to $577. That does not include the cost of shipping the unit down to them, but it does include UPS ground return shipping. These were prices Duane quoted me in December, so I don't know if the fuel increases have changed his prices since then. A generic new K57 on the Tuff Torq site lists between $800 and $900 (not sure how it is configured), and a Simplicity spec'd K57 is $1018. If you read the Tuff Torq literature, the K57 is the same basic unit as the T46 just enhanced for additional durability and rated for a larger set of tires. You get an oil drain port and a charge pump for starters - not found in the T46.

I figured the additional upgrade cost and $100 for letting someone else do the work of installing the rebuild kit were worth it especially when compared to the price of a new build K57. A new K46 goes for over $600 and it is still a K46. I figured letting someone do the work to upgrade me to a K57 for about the same amount as a new K46 was worth the investment. Of course, if you have the time, you save a bunch doing it yourself.

Here's a link to show the work Duane did for me. The one item not normally included is the bottom case which he apparently cracked while taking my unit apart.
https://picasaweb.google.com/104657432962935815611/MyJDL118?authkey=Gv1sRgCOvz66y3qajfrAE&feat=directlink#

Good luck!

2manytoyz · Apr 24, 2011

Great thread I tore down my 727 hr. K46 tonight. Hav'nt got to removing the 3 bolts inside bottom case yet. Orderd parts from tuff torq thursday so hopefully they will be here by tuesday this week. I will post how it all turns out. I never would have tried this without this post.

desert1957 · Apr 25, 2011

Wow! I thought the K46 in my 585HR 2002 JD L120 lasted along time .
I will order my parts this week , Wish me luck.

So does anyone have the ENTIRE list of parts I should order? I know everyone's situation is different , just looking to have it all in one order.

Thanks Desert

GixxersRevolt · Apr 25, 2011

Desert,
I just went through the ordering process last week and documented the process with parts list. I ordered the suggested parts list plus a few extra. (vent cap and sealing cap).
You should go to turf torq and look up your actual tranny model for ordering parts. If you don't want to order via the web you need to call them. The number is in the earlier posts provided by LotsofGreenGrass

https://www.tufftorqservices.com/EnvEElogin/html/login.html

Here is a link to the post detailing my order. My drive is a K46V.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/2343378-post100.html

GixxersRevolt · Apr 25, 2011

I have recorded my k46 removal. I will post the video of the rebuild/repair and re-install in two additional parts after I do the work. I received the parts today but can't get to it today.

YouTube - Part 1 - K46 Transmission Removal

desert1957 · Apr 26, 2011

Good Job, Nice helmet cam too! :thumbsup:

Desert

Yellow76 · Apr 26, 2011

Gtunney, thanks for the info. I am about at that point. I ll give TT a call and see what my prices come out to. I will weigh my options then. Appreciate all the info from everyone.

2manytoyz · Apr 26, 2011

Well I removed the housing tonight in center of trans.(3 bolts) I started to remove the big gear cluster then decided not. I tipped the trans forward then secured it there and began flushing out with brake cleaner. Most of oil and cleaner went out fill hole. The rest I soaked up with paper towels. I then turned down my compressor and started blowing evrything clear and dry. Tipped tranny carefully from side to side, front to back in the process. BTW, I have a lot of slop in the big gear cluster, is this normal? I use to pull a 1600lb. roller with this mower. Geras all looked good besides some very minor pitting on the smaller gears in front of the big gear.

GixxersRevolt · Apr 28, 2011

2manytoyz,
Mine also seemed loose. I think it may be due to the fact that the cover is off. I've only mowed lawn with mine. I did the rebuild and have it posted on youtube.

If any one who watches that has already successfully rebuilt and sees anything wrong please let me know.
I am going to reinstall and hope for the best.

YouTube - Part 2 - K46 Rebuild

GixxersRevolt · Apr 29, 2011

It worked! Thanks to this post I am officially mowing.

The Hydro is powerful again and it's very quiet. Before it would wine terrible.

At first it did nothing when i fired the engine up and I was really nervous. I then read directions for priming the drive and I was off to the races!

Thanks again!

pavolmakys · May 1, 2011

Many thanks for video. May I have a question? Does tractor have a same pomer (torque) in both directions (forward and reverse)? My tractor, when I go reverse to the hill after 2-3 meters it lose the torque, but in forward directions it doesn't have any problem.
Thanks.

mikerr · May 3, 2011

This is clearly the best thread anywhere on how to perform this repair !

So I'm about to undertake the job and was just wondering ... one thing about this transmission that annoys me is that there is no drain plug on the unit. Since the unit will be apart, has anyone ever drilled and tapped a hole for a drain plug ?

Mike

WADeereFan · May 5, 2011

I returned my K46 to a fellow at the Tuff Torq factory to have it upgraded to the heavy duty K57. It cost much less than a new K57 or a rebuilt K46.

JPriami · May 8, 2011

mikerr said:
This is clearly the best thread anywhere on how to perform this repair !

So I'm about to undertake the job and was just wondering ... one thing about this transmission that annoys me is that there is no drain plug on the unit. Since the unit will be apart, has anyone ever drilled and tapped a hole for a drain plug ?

Mike

You would have to drill and tap a fill plug too then right?

JPriami · May 8, 2011

I got my JD 155C used with 89.4 hrs on it. I bought it thinking its good to go with that little hours on it. Test drove it before I bought it and it seemed ok. Got home and drove it 20min and it starts slipping. I found this thread and ordered some parts. I have them on order now. I took the tranny apart tonight to find I will need more parts. Someone has had it apart before. And assembled it wrong and messed up a few things. Now there are metal bits in there that have got into the bearings. So most of them need to be replaced. Also the final reduction gear and pinion shaft are shot. Someone installed them wrong and they wore on one side more leaving play and bits of metal have been scrapped off the shaft and inside of the gear. Also they smashed the filter on one side and that left an opening for the metal bits to go through it.

seanf · May 11, 2011

Thanks LOGG!!! just "Rebuilt" my K46 last night and the tractor is running better than ever.

One question though: The tranny still whines a bit (although seems to be getting better over time). Is that normal?

The thing pulls like it never has for me (I bought it last year and it already had "the problem").

Thanks again for this awesome tutorial...

Thanks as well to GixxersRevolt for the Youtube video... this helped alot too.

- sean

jwolf634 · May 12, 2011

Thank you LotsofGreenGrass for the K46 repair guide. I have a question about the little rod that slips out from the motor cylinder, as mine did, but did not see where it came out from but looks like the very end of the shaft that seats in the transmission case housing? Not sure but do not want to reassemble until I am sure. Does it sit at that bottom in the cavity below the shaft?
Thanks!
JWolf634