YM240D developed clunking at rear wheel

NWTACOMA · Mar 19, 2019

Okay guys... So here's the latest update after tackling what I could last night.
It's definitely not wheel or hub related. Lugs on both sides were impressively tight. With the rearend on stands, I can rotate the wheels around. The passenger side is definitely the culprit. I removed both wheels to have a closer look. Now, with or without the wheels I can spin things around until about the 359° mark and the passenger side COMPLETELY LOCKS UP. If you roll it back just a smidge, it will unlock and spin around another 359°. If you go past the "locked" position and spin it back around, it will again lock in the same position. Also to note... the passenger side shaft has MAJOR slop in that 360° mark. I can clunk it back and forth about 3/8" in either direction before affecting the other hub on drivers side.

So, assuming the basic setup is like any other live axle rear end, it should be a ring and pinion?

Ernie says, Pray it's not the ring & pinion.... I'm pretty certain without splitting her open, that it's going to be a missing tooth. I'll be honest here guys. I'm right in the middle of 2 major home projects (failed 51yr old septic replacement & also clearing a 2 acre overgrown pasture). As you can see both would be 100 times easier with the tractor, especially because I have a backhoe on mine. Without it, they'll be more expensive and way more labor intensive. I paid $4500 for this thing. Is it worth it to have her repaired (cost alone) and is this a do it yourself job? Are the parts even available? Hoye Tractor doesn't show any ring & pinions.

Opinions much appreciated! Thanks guys

winston1 · Mar 19, 2019

If I am understanding correctly it sounds like the slop is your outer axle bearing. #73 on drawing. If so, pto unit will have to be removed in order to remove bolt holding bull gear on axle so axle can slide back through it. Again, not saying this is your problem but if slack is at outer axle then it sure sounds like it.

NWTACOMA · Mar 19, 2019

winston1 said:
If I am understanding correctly it sounds like the slop is your outer axle bearing. #73 on this drawing. TRANSMISSION_INTERNAL: Yanmar Tractor Parts

No, that is incorrect. The "slop" I was referring to and trying best to describe is not in the bearing or hub. By rotating the axle shaft (#67) it will rotate clockwise & counter clockwise in either direction approx 3/8" - 1/2" in either rotational direction before starting to turn the opposing axle (driver side). There is zero lateral or horizontal slop in the hub or bearings. After doing endless research and watching YouTube videos, and without pulling the PTO out, my best guess is one of the spider gears inside the carrier (if they exist) or a reduction drive gear is what i'll call it. The slop is as if the axle gear is floating between two teeth (as if one's missing). I'll do my best at getting to it this evening but I have to fully remove the backhoe and having never done that myself and also doing it solo, that may be as far as I get this evening.
I will keep posting updates as I reveal more clues.
Thanks

winston1 · Mar 19, 2019

Ok, I am understanding better now, old and pretty slow sometimes. Pulling the pto unit is likely to be the best bet to observe what is going on in there.

NWTACOMA · Mar 19, 2019

Thanks winston! The video I saw on YouTube seemed really simple for pulling the PTO unit. Any tricks I need to know that might help me out?

NWTACOMA · Mar 19, 2019

Also, I tried pulling the passenger hub from the axle. It appears i'll need a puller of some sort? The splines appeared to be a little booger'd, but it's still hard to tell with all the rust. Almost looks as if the hub tried spinning on the splines in some parts.

California · Mar 19, 2019

NWTACOMA said:
...The video I saw on YouTube seemed really simple for pulling the PTO unit. Any tricks I need to know that might help me out?

NWTACOMA said:
... Almost looks as if the hub tried spinning on the splines in some parts.

Man that thing has had a hard life!

I've read - no personal experience - that the pto slides right out as a single unit but you have to be careful to detach the bolts that hold it in, NOT the other visible bolts that dis-assemble the pto unit. I would study the diagram, before starting.

clemsonfor · Mar 19, 2019

I am pretty sure Aaron from Hoye has a video on YouTube taking the PTO assembly out of a YM tractor. You can also find it linked on their site. Yes your going to have to pull the PTO. And I believe take the bolts out of the bull gear to pull it off and then the shaft can come out. And at first glance the hub looks fine on the shaft to me. I do agree the ends look boogered up but you have to think there is several inches of engagement in that hub with the splines. That could just be from a monkey with a big hammer trying to start the hub on the shaft and had it misaligned . You will need to get a big 3 or 4 jaw puller to grab that hub and pull it off the shaft most likely. Each side of mine I did I had to have a puller.