Cub Cadet Tiller Input Shaft Seized

[Go-Rebels]

I parked my small mid-1970’s 3hp International Cub Cadet tiller two years ago running fine. Yesterday I started it up to till a small area and found the chain drive transmission locked. I disassembled the transmissions and found the input pulley shaft seized within its bearing. I’ve applied some liquid wrench penetrating oil to the external side of the bearing but the elastomer seal appears to be preventing much from entering the bearing.

Do I continue to apply oil over the next week or ??? Advice appreciated.

 

[Go-Rebels]

 

[Go-Rebels]

 

[sgkent]

do you have any needles and syringes? Maybe lead hammer time?

 

[Go-Rebels]

I hit the end of the pulley shaft with a steel hammer thinking I could release it but it’s stuck. I didn’t hit it too hard instead hoping the penetrating oil might work over days. I don’t have needles/syringes. The external seal is so narrow that I don’t believe I can pierce it (1-2mm thick radially.)

Is there a needle bearing in there?

Odd fact is that I parked the tiller in dry storage under my house working fine. It did not seize while running.

 

[Rivets]

If you brought me that cover I would clamp the shaft in the vise and soak that bushing with a rust breaker like PB Blaster multiple times. The oil in your picture will not breakdown rust. After sitting a day or two, while still clamped tight in the vise, I would grab the housing and slowly work it back and forth. Should break it free.

 

[Scrubcadet10]

Rivets has a good plan.
What i would do is clean up the entire piece, and soak the bearing/shaft area in a 5 gallon bucket with either Evapo Rust or Diesel.

 

[sgkent]

actually Liquid Wrench converts red rust to black rust to make the molecules smaller. I had exhaust manifold studs that were so tight on a sports car that they would not loosen double nutted without risking snapping them. A good machinist friend advised me to specifically use that product overnight. I did and the studs screwed out with my fingers, literally. PB Blaster is good too. One guy I know likes to put parts like that in a bucket of water after he has cleaned the oil off, add some baking soda or washing soda, and hook a 12V battery charger to the part and a anode in the water. Amazing what it can do.

 

[Go-Rebels]

Thanks folks. I’m going to try a hybrid plan… first a good cleaning then I’ll soak the drive end in a bucket of diesel. Then I’ll try the vice method with a heavy dose of liquid wrench applied under the sprocket. I’ll update in a week.

 

[Go-Rebels]

Another question... how is this input shaft fixed to the bearing tube welded to the sheet metal housing? Should it just slide out or is there a spring clip somewhere? Is there a needle bearing or does the shaft just ride on a bushing?