Fixing PTO on a Massey 1215

[WilliamBos]

You could probably at least sign up over the phone.

The 1215 is a little smaller than the 1523. 18.5 hp with a 15 hp PTO. It's little.

Judging by the pics, it is built the same. Saw ours when it was apart at the dealership, looks identical. They cross threaded a bolt when the installed the deck, cracked the rear housing. We were not happy. Will not be dealing with the for a long time, if ever. Gonna use another dealer from now on. Kept going in to see the status of it, all fixed now.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I called the dealer this morning to order that gear. The single sliding gear for the PTO shaft was about $150. This other one that I need has five different sprocket sections on it, and I was sure it was going to be painfully expensive. It too is just about $150.

Not bad for an impromptu transmission rebuild. Now I just have to wait another week to get the parts so I can put this thing back together.

I'm still pretty skeptical about that PTO shaft size difference. I'm afraid that the new sliding gear is not going to fit the new shaft any better than the old gear did. Maybe I'll order a shaft too and only buy it if I have to. I think they have a 20% restocking fee on special order parts. That's about $50.

If I get the new gear and it doesn't fit on the new shaft, I'll be out at least another week. This could push into October before I get all the right parts to put this back together. I'm deliberating in my head if the time is worth the $50 restocking fee.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

...This other one that I need has five different sprocket sections on it, and I was sure it was going to be painfully expensive. It too is just about $150.

Just Kidding!!!

I actually paid a visit to the dealer to make sure we were talking about the right part. He was off by a number. The gear I was talking about is actually two pieces, a 2 gear piece and a 3 gear piece. I need the 3 gear piece, and he quoted me the 2 gear piece.

Actual price = $426. That's more in the realm of painfully expensive.

I also talked to the guy about the shaft. He's going to try and get some blueprints and compare the specs to the shaft I have. That way, if it's the wrong one, we can get the right one coming. That'll be another $250.

The cost of this project is really adding up fast. Including whatever I have to pay the machine shop for removing that 3 pt. hitch valve stem, I could be close to a thousand dollars. That doesn't even include the transmission fluid and filters that I bought a few months ago in anticipation of this project.

 

[johnnydel29]

The cost of this project is really adding up fast. Including whatever I have to pay the machine shop for removing that 3 pt. hitch valve stem, I could be close to a thousand dollars. That doesn't even include the transmission fluid and filters that I bought a few months ago in anticipation of this project.

I have been watching your project - I am impressed, definitely something I would not even think about trying to do.

I had the PTO rebuilt on my JD 2305 at 140 hours. Pretty pathetic, luckily it was covered completely under warrenty. The total cost was around 4k. Just to give you an idea, parts alone were about $1,200.00.

Just to give you an idea of what happened. The orginal gears were cast junk steel and they eventually blew apart. A the parts are now remanufactured forged steel (like they should be), but of course this how deere keeps cost down. I am still not very thrilled about the whole situation - even though it is fixed.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Today has been a good news day.

I got the call that my valve stem came in for the 3 pt. hitch draft control. As I was leaving work to go get it, I got another call that the machine shop was done with the other half of that part of the project. The total bill from the machine shop was $3.00. There are a lot of things from now on that I'm not even going to bother with if I can get them done for $3.00

I picked up the valve stem at the dealer, and while I was there the guy brought up the PTO shaft size problem again. He said that he's pretty sure we've got the right parts coming, but even if we don't, his shop guys can actually shave off a bit of the spline to make the gear fit. He assured me that one way or another, they'll make it work for me.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I put the valve back together tonight. See in the pictures that the valve will go to different positions now. If this was the only thing that got fixed throughout this process, It would almost be worth it. The few extra seconds I have to wait every time I lower the landscape rake (much lighter than the box scraper) really add up.

I hope the rest of it goes back together as easily as it did tonight. That has actually always been my strong point. If I can figure out how to get something apart, I can almost always get it back together easier.

The hardest part of tonight was getting the old gasket stuff off the surfaces so that the new stuff could bond right. I finally came in the house and got a plastic spoon. The flat parts of the handle worked pretty good to scrape off the old gasket without marring the metal surface. I used a very thin coat of red RTV for the new gasket.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I got my parts today!!!

True to my expectations, the new gear did not fit on the new shaft. The dealer took the shaft and basically machined it to fit. It took an hour and a half. If I'd known that it was going to take that long I'd have dropped it off and gone to a movie or something.

As it was I had a few great conversations with the desk help and various farmers who came in for parts. I did learn some valuable information, though. While I was waiting I had the guy at the desk look up the block heater for this tractor. He explained with enthusiasm that this particular tractor can't use a frost plug heater. It has to have a radiator hose heater. The cylinder wall is too close, and I'll damage it if I try to take out the frost plug.

The important thing is that the new gear and new shaft now fit together, and I can start the process of putting the transmission back together.

All said and done the parts cost $619 and change.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Have you ever played with one of those Chinese pizzle boxes where you have to hold all the pieces just rught in order to slip that final piece in that holds it all together?

Tonight reminded me so much of those puzzles. I had to get everything lined up outside of the tranny and then move each piece in one inch at a time so that everything went in together. It took me three tries to get it all right.

After the third try, I finally got everything together such that it all worked and everything moved smoothly. ...Then I noticed a spare snapring sitting on the bench in front of me.

I tore it all apart again and checked every single shaft section by section and gear by gear. I checked each groove of each shaft to make sure any possible place for a snapring had a snapring. I checked every parts diagram from every angle to make sure that every snapring in the diagrams was in the correct place.

I can't find where this extra snapring goes. The only thing I can think of is that when the dealer came back out with the old shaft after measuring it to machine the new shaft there was a snapring on it. I didn't remember having a snapring on it when I brought it in, but it wasn't vivid enough to be sure. At any rate, I'm convinced that the transmission has every part and piece that it is supposed to.

The fourth time putting the transmission back together went much smoother. And, everything moves and turns like it's supposed to according to which lever is pulled or pushed.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Anyone have any ideas what to do with a broken shaft or buggered up gears? It's some pretty hard steel. I find myself wondering if there's some use for these.

 

[Nasty135]

Anyone have any ideas what to do with a broken shaft or buggered up gears? It's some pretty hard steel. I find myself wondering if there's some use for these.

How about a nice lamp to set near your computer to give you a nice light while reading TBN...

I too have been reading about your plight, first your trusty old tractor and now this 1215 But on the bright side (if there is one) you are gaining a tremendous amount of knowledge on the wrench turning aspect of tractordom!

Good Luck!! with your progress