General Transmission Element V Service Manual

[Gtarjohn]

Re: General Transmission Element V Service Manual (Rotating Cam) replacement.

Ok...I got it fixed. Took a while hunting for the part (rotating cam) at General Transmissions...had to talk to like 4 different people before I got hold of someone who I think is an applications engineer. Anyhow, he found the part and asked me to send him my address. He sent an email to me first...I responded with my address and he sent it to me for $13 COD...I didn't ask for the special tool that slips over the shaft pin...it was near impossible to break the nut free...ended up getting it with a very large vice grip and a 7/8 wrench...it was a bear though. If you need to replace the cam...make sure to ask for the special tool...I broke a screwdriver and a punch before trying the vice grip approach. I have the guy at GT's email if someone is in the same boat...could save you a few phone calls...just respond here that you need it and I'll email it to you. As for replacing the cam...I disconnected the battery, a couple of electrical plugs...the drive bar and the brake spring (a couple of cotter washers and pins had to removed. From there...there were six bolts that held the trans to the frame (all of them 1/2"). I took those out and jacked up the rear at the tow connector. The trannie rolled a little forward so I could disconnect the main belt. Next I just picked up the rear of the tractor and rolled it forward and out of the way. To get to the cam...I followed the video on the GT site...didn't even have to take out the second pulley off...just the one with the pin I mentioned before...once the black cover was off, it was super simple to replace. I put it all back the way I dissembled and fired it up...worked like a charm for a couple hours worth of my time and $13!!!

 

[jay202020]

Re: General Transmission Element V Service Manual (Rotating Cam) replacement.

Ok...I got it fixed. Took a while hunting for the part (rotating cam) at General Transmissions...had to talk to like 4 different people before I got hold of someone who I think is an applications engineer. Anyhow, he found the part and asked me to send him my address. He sent an email to me first...I responded with my address and he sent it to me for $13 COD...I didn't ask for the special tool that slips over the shaft pin...it was near impossible to break the nut free...ended up getting it with a very large vice grip and a 7/8 wrench...it was a bear though. If you need to replace the cam...make sure to ask for the special tool...I broke a screwdriver and a punch before trying the vice grip approach. I have the guy at GT's email if someone is in the same boat...could save you a few phone calls...just respond here that you need it and I'll email it to you. As for replacing the cam...I disconnected the battery, a couple of electrical plugs...the drive bar and the brake spring (a couple of cotter washers and pins had to removed. From there...there were six bolts that held the trans to the frame (all of them 1/2"). I took those out and jacked up the rear at the tow connector. The trannie rolled a little forward so I could disconnect the main belt. Next I just picked up the rear of the tractor and rolled it forward and out of the way. To get to the cam...I followed the video on the GT site...didn't even have to take out the second pulley off...just the one with the pin I mentioned before...once the black cover was off, it was super simple to replace. I put it all back the way I dissembled and fired it up...worked like a charm for a couple hours worth of my time and $13!!!

I had a plastic sleeve sheer off inside the "driven kit". What a pain it has been to order parts. Would you still have that point of contact at General Transmissions. I would like further assistence on finding parts, and give them a few "heads up" on their "virtualy maintanence free" and "tough as a tank" design. Thanks

 

[GT RS 800 Nightmare]

Re: General Transmission Element V Service Manual (Rotating Cam) replacement.

I had a plastic sleeve sheer off inside the "driven kit". What a pain it has been to order parts. Would you still have that point of contact at General Transmissions. I would like further assistence on finding parts, and give them a few "heads up" on their "virtualy maintanence free" and "tough as a tank" design. Thanks

I would also like that contact info at General Transmission. I have an Ariens 42", 19hp mower with the RS 800. The mower is a little over 2 years old with exactly 70 hours on it and is on its 4th transmission. Of course it is now out of warranty and is failing again. This last transmission was put in 3 months ago and only has 10 hours on it. I cut less than a half acre once a week with no slopes over 10 to 12 degrees. I don't pull any loads with the mower. It's the same old problem. Gets to where it won't go into reverse without futching around with the brake and forward/reverse pedal for 30 seconds or so. Sometimes the same thing happens trying to get into forward. I just try to avoid using reverse and do a lot of circular turns at the corners. The repair facility that replaced my transmissions says that they have replaced hundreds of them. It is obviously the biggest POS transmission ever thrown in a lawn tractor. I would love to sell this POS and buy something with a decent tranny but my conscience won't let me put this off on some unsuspecting fool. I'm through with Home Depot and Ariens too. I appealed to them both about refunding or replacing this POS lemon while it was under warranty (and only on its 3rd transmission) but neither one would help. I learned an important lesson though. I will never buy another lawn tractor without buying the longest extended warranty they offer. If everyone that bought one of these POS from Home Depot had done just that, by now Home Depot would be going broke repairing them all and I would have a big smile on my face.

 

[itguy08]

Blast from the past on this thread. Going into year 3 with this transmission and it's been quite good.

I did have an issue like the previous poster where forward and reverse was hard to get into at the end of last year. The fix is simple - drop the transmission and blow it off. I blow ours off after every mow but there was still a huge amount of debris in the entire top of the transmission clogging up the linkages. About an our of time to blow it all off and put it back together and it's back to great operation.