GC1700 Hydrostatic Drive Cooling Fan Replacement

[Langanobob]

I’ve been clearing brush and in spite of a home made skid plate something got past it and took out the cooling fan. I was dismayed when I tried to remove the old fan. The fan binds in the narrow gap between the floor pan and a cross shaft for the midmount mower control.

I will never have a midmount mower so I considered removing the control shaft but the only way to remove it looks like taking the tractor frame apart or using a blue wrench and permanently removing it which I really only consider as a last resort.

Someone mentioned that they unbolted and raised the floor pan to get better access and barring any better ideas that’s my next step.

Does anyone have any tips or advice on getting the old fan out and a new one in?

Thank you, Bob

 

[Dmacleo]

Changing MMM Lift Shaft 2010 GC2400

this piece 1:first of all remove the long arm from frame to adjust link both sides, then remove adjust links. 2: remove the pin bolts on both ends of the lift shaft to allow pulling the lift link off. on Left side you will have to pull the 3pt lift arm I just pulled the 2 nuts on end (measured...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[WranglerX]

Kind of seems like arms and collars are pinned to shaft, have not looked real close but cursory glance they seem to be its only locked in by pins and collars(arms) ... To my dismay the shaft rides in two sleeves in frame with zerk fitting that there in no way to put grease gun on zerks (also no listed in lubrication guide) ,,, Was trying to do more than cursory glance to se if practical to partly disassemble shaft enough to put 45° zerk fitting in sleeves but then again I don't use mid mount mowers so wear on shaft is not is a issue for me...


Might try removing pins/collars/arms/hubs and sliding shaft over enough to get clearance to access fan...

Kind of seems to me if you can get hubs (5) off shaft (out of frame rail) you may get enough angle (motion) to remove lift shaft...

 

[Dmacleo]

limiter collar on shaft interferes with fan itself not giving you enough slide room unless its cut.
where your fan is broken you may be able to slide rod enough to work each side out of bushing hole and lower down and out.
or you drop all the bottom brackets, cross bracket, slide harness/fuel lines over out of way, pull front driveshaft off,etc.
real pita to do.
if you cannot gain the room and you never plan on putting deck on then cut it.

 

[Langanobob]

Dave and WranglerX, thank you for your input, it's been very helpful. The new fan and hub are ordered and should be here tomorrow but I won't be working on it until Monday - I will post how it turns out!

 

[Dmacleo]

keep in mind that shaft alone is prob 150$ + tax so if do cut MAKE SURE never needed again.

 

[Langanobob]

keep in mind that shaft alone is prob 150$ + tax so if do cut MAKE SURE never needed again.

Thanks Dave, I will never have a use for it but as a matter of principle I don’t like to destroy parts unless absolutely necessary.

 

[Langanobob]

Well, it's fixed and here's what I found. The fan itself was intact but the hub that it bolts to had come apart. You can see some tiny spot welds that failed. I suspect fatigue failure due to normal vibration. The fan and hub collar were spinning free on the shaft and the hub mounting bushing was still attached to the shaft via a roll pin. You can see in the second and third photos that the new hub had the same spot welds, but...it was reinforced with two tack welds on the front face. It looks like I wasn't the first to suffer this failure and they have improved the part.

Luckily there was no shaft damage. Getting the old parts off and the new parts installed was a project. All I can guess is that they assumed the fans would not have to be replaced.

 

[WranglerX]

Kudos on the fix and finding the real problem...

How did you deal with the cross shaft situation....

 

[Langanobob]

Kudos on the fix and finding the real problem...

How did you deal with the cross shaft situation....

I have a GC1720 with a backhoe and the ends of the cross shaft butts up against the backhoe subframe on either side, making it impossible to remove so I took the right side backhoe subframe off. It wasn't too bad, maybe 8 or 10 bolts. Once the subframe was off I still couldn't take the cross shaft all the way out but I was able to move it out far enough so it was out of the way of the fan work. I had to move some steel hydraulic lines an inch or so and then I was able to get things off and apart. The hardest part was the steel fan hub since, unlike the nylon fan, it does not flex at all. Glad this job is behind me and I have my tractor back!