How do you remove the right hand brake pedal on a 2002 JD4310 hydrostatic?

[Harry Grier]

I can't tell you just how much I hate JD engineers. I busted the power steering line at the cylinder on my tractor. There is a flexible hose that goes from the cylinder to the hard hydraulic line that is about 18 inches long. Removing it from the cylinder is easy. Removing it from the hard line is impossible because the connection is behind the chassis and for the life of me I can't get two wrenches in there to break them apart. If they had raised that connection by about 2 inches I could get to it. My plan is to loosen the hard line up near the steering column so I can get enough play in the hard line to allow me to break the flexible hose free. Well guess what? That connection is hidden by the brake pedals. If they had moved that connection forward by 2 inches I could get to it. Instead I'm forced to remove the brake pedals Did I say just how much I hate JD engineers? The left pedal came off easily enough. The right pedal is held on by 2 keys and a set screw according to the schematics on line. https://partscatalog.deere.com/jdrc/sidebyside/equipment/81708/referrer/navigation/pgId/240215632 I can't fine a set screw anywhere. I can't get the pedal to budge off the shaft. I've tried using a slide hammer to see if there is any movement. I don't want to get too aggressive with the banging. My gear puller is too short. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[beenthere]

Welcome to TBN.

Hating the engineers won't do any good at all. Good luck tho, getting the job done.

I've had frustrating times doing the mechanic work on my Deere equipment, and have yet to blame it on the engineers. We're not all perfect so wish you well.

 

[Harry Grier]

Update:

I finally got the right brake pedal off. There was a hole where the set screw was supposed to be. The hole had been filled in with dirt. Apparently the previous owner broke the set screw off and only about 1/4" of the screw was left in the hole. Just enough to fool me into thinking it wasn't there but enough to maintain friction on the shaft. I rejiggered my gear puller by replacing the arms with the longer arms from my slide hammer and was able to pull the pedal off the shaft.

After all that I'm still not able to get enough play in the hard hydraulic line because it is clamped together will all the other lines further down the chassis, right BEHIND the Front Hydraulic Suction Tube. In order to remove that I'd have to loosen the housing for the filter, which by the way is mounted with METRIC bolts for Pete's sake. By this time I'm drenched in sweat, I've pissed away most of the day and I'm faced with further dismantling of the tractor just to get to a hydraulic fitting buried at the front of the tractor. Have I mentioned just how much I hate JD engineers?

I finally got a wedge shaped block of wood and jammed it under the hard line which raised it up and forward just enough so I could get my hands and two wrenches in there to accomplish the mission. I just hope I didn't crimp or break the line. If I did, I'm selling this POS for scrap because it is a major pain in the ass to work on.

 

[beenthere]

You may also discover that Deere has been metric for many years. Just FYI

Glad to hear that you are conquering the problem.

 

[Harry Grier]

You may also discover that Deere has been metric for many years. Just FYI

Glad to hear that you are conquering the problem.

You may also discover that Deere has been metric for many years. Just FYI

Glad to hear that you are conquering the problem.

I can understand JD using metric, but why use both SAE and metric on the same tractor? When a fellow is crawling around underneath and is sweaty, tired, frustrated, and mad; why pour gas on the fire by forcing him to get up and get another set of tools from the workbench?

 

[beenthere]

Wonder what you found that was not metric underneath.?? My 4300 has all metric, and is the forerunner of the 4310 (fortunately as I don't have the computer and electronics mothering over me).

 

[Harry Grier]

Wonder what you found that was not metric underneath.?? My 4300 has all metric, and is the forerunner of the 4310 (fortunately as I don't have the computer and electronics mothering over me).

Wonder what you found that was not metric underneath.?? My 4300 has all metric, and is the forerunner of the 4310 (fortunately as I don't have the computer and electronics mothering over me).

The following are SAE that I had to disassemble to try to free the hard hydraulic line:
The actual hydraulic connection between the cylinder and the flexible line, 3/4 inch
the connection between the hard line and the flexible line at the front of the tractor, 3/4 inch and 7/8 inch
the connection between the hard line and the flexible line at the steering column, 3/4 inch and 7/8 inch
the brackets that hold the hard lines to the chassis, 1/2 inch
the set screw, which I though was broken off, was actually a 5/32 Allen wrench set screw.

JD engineers never have to work on the stuff they design, therefore they don't give a hoot about consistency, or ease of access. Like I said in my original post, had they made the connections between the hard lines and the flexible lines about 2-4 inches longer thereby exposing the flair nuts, I wouldn't be railing against them and their ineptitude.

 

[Runner]

Even worse, I seem to be running into a lot of bolts these days that appear to be neither SAE or Metric.

 

[beenthere]

Even worse, I seem to be running into a lot of bolts these days that appear to be neither SAE or Metric.

???

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Hopefully it didn't kink the line. Have you made any more progress?