BX23 hydro fan busted.

[David_G]

After 500+ hours of all sorts of rough bush, rocks etc I finally busted the hydro fan with a stick.
In the bush? No.... Would you believe in the school grounds whilst moving a pile of dirt. The one and only stick within the entire area got me.

Anyway I have got a replacement on the way.

Any surprises in replacing it or is it just a slide the shaft forward and replace?

 

[Volfandt]

I was grubbing some fence rows a couple Sat's ago when I heard a terrible loud sound from underneath the tractor. I was going slow so I immediately reversed and when I looked up under the BX23 I found an inch thick vine sticking up almost into the fan. No damage was done so I lucked out that day

Theres a few that have posted their experiences w/R&R'ing the fan here. Do a search and you should find them.

If I recall, removng the ROPS and either removing or repositioning the floor pan made it much easier to acees the fan and that there was "just" enough clearance for the driveshaft/fan assembly to be worked out.

Good luck
Volfandt

 

[milkman]

I replaced one on my BX2200 and did it from the bottom side, others have removed the floor pan, either way is tight as there is not much room to get the old fan off and the new one on. The engine will shift forward some, just enough to get clearance. The job was annoying enough that I decided I didn't want to do it again so I now use a plate to protect the soft parts anytime the mower is removed, the plate was easier to make than it was to replace the plastic fan. Here's a link. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/customization/40142-soft-underbelly.html?highlight=soft+underbelly

 

[kwolfe]

I was grubbing some fence rows a couple Sat's ago when I heard a terrible loud sound from underneath the tractor. I was going slow so I immediately reversed and when I looked up under the BX23 I found an inch thick vine sticking up almost into the fan. No damage was done so I lucked out that day

Theres a few that have posted their experiences w/R&R'ing the fan here. Do a search and you should find them.

If I recall, removng the ROPS and either removing or repositioning the floor pan made it much easier to acees the fan and that there was "just" enough clearance for the driveshaft/fan assembly to be worked out.

Good luck
Volfandt

I had the same thing happen to me. What a terrifying sound. I shut the machine off real quick. If I had gone 1" more forward, I would have shredded that fan. I also back up onto a 2" sapling that same day. Got propped up under the deck and casued it to bend up at my feet. That plus the sound of the sapling crunching really got me scared . No problem, stomped the floor back into place, and now I pay a lot more attention why I am backing up.

 

[rdsaustintx]

The only thing saving my HST fan is you guys. I have read so many stories about it here that I *stay* paranoid. I routinely hop off and collect any stray branches or roots. There are a bunch of possible paths up into driveshaft that a even a skid plate can't cover.

So, thanks!

RDnT

PS: Has anybody definitively determined whether the BX24 fan can come out w/o major surgery??

 

[Volfandt]

Well I decided to add alittle more protection so broke down and fab'ed up a cheap skidplate today. I had enough stock laying around including an access panel off of a PBX cabinet so alittle pounding, pending, drilling and bolting I hopefully have alittle more protection for all the grubbing I'm still pondering on doing
The rear brackets slide over the frame just below the HST and the front brackets hook into the MMM lift arm mounts. A spacer in the front keeps it from slapping arpound and tightens it up. Theres still gaps on the sides but it'll deflect anything direftly below it

 

[milkman]

Well I decided to add alittle more protection so broke down and fab'ed up a cheap skidplate today.

I like your skidplate, looks easy to put on and off. I'd like to see how it hooks on the back, I've been thinking about making mine a little longer, mine hooks in front and I like that if it hooked or butted up in the back, I could take the hooks off and let it hang from the mower lift arms like yours.

 

[Volfandt]

Milkman, your skidplate was one of the ones I used as a template.

In the 1st pic you can see the two hooks at the bottom of the plate. I cut 2 pieces of 3/4" wide x 1/4" thick bar stock I had into 7" pieces then heated and bent them into a "Z" shape. They slide in on top of the frame just below the HST.

I like your version also. While mine is very easy on/off, yours is much more stout than mine

Volfandt

 

[HomeBrew2]

And now for something completely different:
What I want to know is if that stupid dinky fan makes any real difference. Yeh, I know all the arguments. Just curious ... maybe somebody's running one with fan blade stubs ...

 

[Dusty]

I haven't broken the fan blades on my Kubota yet, but I do know about hydro's with broken blades. Prior to purchasing a BX, I had a small collection of Bolens HT 18/20/23 tractors. I was able to purchase some of them for next to nothing, since the hydro's were trashed. One every machine that had a trashed hydro, I found that they were also missing the hydro cooling fan. The design of the Kubota is virtually identical to the design of the Bolens. Based on this experience, I have to believe that without the hydro cooling fan, you will trash your hydro. If you price out the cost of repairing a hydro, you will rapidly learn the reason to replace any broken fan because it isn't cost effective to ignore it.
Dusty

PS.... if anyone is interested, I still have a Bolens HT-20 that is a good working machine that needs a new home.