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Tuff Torq 46

#1

B

bretonlion

Hello ..
I am sure this has been raised before .. my apologies for doing it again..
I have a couple of ride on mowers that have Hydro drive gearboxes.. Tuff Torq T46 types
They drive ok for awhile .. then refuse to go up slopes ..
I have renewed the drive belt and idler pulleys .. and shall replace the oil ..
Without taking the boxes to pieces .. which looking at UTube etc is way beyond my skills .. is there anything else I can do ..
Plus .. What oil do you recommend for me to use ..
Thanks ..
P.S .. As someone has said .. Sell them and buy a better one .. But ..As I do not have the resources to that .. I cannot .. Hence me asking ..


#2

M

mechanic mark

You bet, sell the two you have for a reasonable price & purchase a used lawn/garden tractor V-Twin with a beefier transaxle K57/K64 or higher & in good working order, $2500 or less.
just an example above


#3

B

bretonlion

mechanic mark said:
You bet, sell the two you have for a reasonable price & purchase a used lawn/garden tractor V-Twin with a beefier transaxle K57/K64 or higher & in good working order, $2500 or less.
just an example above
Click to expand...
Thanks for the comment .. if I had the money .. I might just do that .. but I have not ..


#4

G

gbrewer

bretonlion said:
Hello ..
I am sure this has been raised before .. my apologies for doing it again..
I have a couple of ride on mowers that have Hydro drive gearboxes.. Tuff Torq T46 types
They drive ok for awhile .. then refuse to go up slopes ..
I have renewed the drive belt and idler pulleys .. and shall replace the oil ..
Without taking the boxes to pieces .. which looking at UTube etc is way beyond my skills .. is there anything else I can do ..
Plus .. What oil do you recommend for me to use ..
Thanks ..
P.S .. As someone has said .. Sell them and buy a better one .. But ..As I do not have the resources to that .. I cannot .. Hence me asking ..
Click to expand...


#5

Hammermechanicman

Hammermechanicman

Get some straight 50 wt. Won't fix them but will help.


#6

G

gbrewer

Having the same trouble. All started with rear axle mounting flange breaking off. I made angle iron replacements, remounted, changed oil in K46, renewed ground drive belt.
I found out that you are supposed to renew oil in trans every 200 hours. Who knew? Renewed drive belt in April this year then again in July. I've still got the same problem.
Mower goes slow and will barely pull a small knoll. Maybe I've placed the repair flanges too low or too high. I cannot find structural diagram for height on frame.
I hope one of you will have a solution.
This is a 2009 Husqvarna YTH2348.
Thanks


#7

StarTech

StarTech

if you are referring this
1722096573471.png
Then a repair kit is available to repair the vertical draw bar.

5321437498
1722096669617.png


#8

G

gbrewer

StarTech said:
if you are referring this
View attachment 69329
Then a repair kit is available to repair the vertical draw bar.

5321437498
View attachment 69330
Click to expand...
Thanks. I've built new brackets with 3 in. angle iron. I think I've moved the new brackets too far forward creating too much slack in the drive belt causing the belt to slip and loosing
torque to the K46. I'll keep you posted on results. I'm going to a friends house and get some real detailed measurements this week. Thanks for the help.


#9

StarTech

StarTech

You can't move the transaxle forward if the anti-torque bracket is in place which real needs to be there so you don't the ears off again.


#10

kbowley

kbowley

Regarding the recommended oil, Use 20w50 synthetic.


#11

StarTech

StarTech

Tuff Torq uses 5W50 synthetic. PN 187Q0899000 3 Liter bottle.

SAE 20w50 Synthetic works, just a little heavy for winter time use.


#12

StarTech

StarTech

Also a couple optional M8-125 Flange screws can be added for drain plugs. Does require opening up the transaxle to drill out the two partially casted drain holes. Since they are optional Tuff Torq only cast their location; unless, the equipment OEM required them.

But opening does give you a chance to check the overall condition of the unit.


#13

JD X485SE

JD X485SE

bretonlion said:
Hello ..
I am sure this has been raised before .. my apologies for doing it again..
I have a couple of ride on mowers that have Hydro drive gearboxes.. Tuff Torq T46 types
They drive ok for awhile .. then refuse to go up slopes ..
I have renewed the drive belt and idler pulleys .. and shall replace the oil ..
Without taking the boxes to pieces .. which looking at UTube etc is way beyond my skills .. is there anything else I can do ..
Plus .. What oil do you recommend for me to use ..
Thanks ..
P.S .. As someone has said .. Sell them and buy a better one .. But ..As I do not have the resources to that .. I cannot .. Hence me asking ..
Click to expand...
The TT K46 was designed to be used in a small rear engine rider mowing flat ground. Period. No hills. No pulling/towing ANYTHING.


#14

StarTech

StarTech

JD X485SE said:
The TT K46 was designed to be used in a small rear engine rider mowing flat ground. Period. No hills. No pulling/towing ANYTHING.
Click to expand...
Funny most the riders I see with the K46 have the engine in the front.


#15

G

gbrewer

After much research, measuring my friends Craftsman of the same year, I found that I needed to move the K46 3/4 inch back toward the drawbar.
In the picture that was posted you will notice a hole in the side of the drawbar and above the transmission mounting "ears". This hole is directly above the rear
"ear" hole for the 5/16 inch mounting bolt. I used this hole as reference and redrilled the frame and moved the me-made brackets back 3/4 inch. The antitorque bracket
ended up where it was supposed to be. (The inside antitorque bracket had sheared one of the vertical body bolts to the K46 front; I drilled and tapped this hole and
renewed the body bolts.)
Job complete. Tested complete. Lesson learned: Mark and measure twice and fix it right the first time.
Thanks for all your input. It is all appreciated.


#16

kbowley

kbowley

The TT K46 is used in front engine riding mowers designed to mow grass. They are a fine transmission but not made for heavy towing nor using implements such as a plow. A snow Blower should be fine, but I wouldn't put a blower on a lawn tractor, they don't work well with the small tires and light chassis. It is rated for about 150 Lb. Ft. of wheel torque depending on the tire size. with the lower gearing for 20" tires, 170 Lb. Ft., 18" tires, 131 Lb. Ft. The specs can be found here.


#17

JD X485SE

JD X485SE

StarTech said:
Funny most the riders I see with the K46 have the engine in the front.
Click to expand...
Sad,actually. Any time you see a k46 on anything other than a RER, the manufacturer made the decision to cut corners. And almost all of them did that very thing.


#18

Tiger Small Engine

Tiger Small Engine

JD X485SE said:
Sad,actually. Any time you see a k46 on anything other than a RER, the manufacturer made the decision to cut corners. And almost all of them did that very thing.
Click to expand...
The Tuff Torq K46 is nothing to write home about, but in reality, see very few problems overall. They are not made to tow or for hills, this is where some people go wrong. Rarely, thy take a crap after say 20 plus years , and it is the end of the line.


#19

StarTech

StarTech

The way most users abuse their mowers I am surprised there isn't more failures.

As long people uses common sense and listen to us repair shops where see the end results of things like trying to pull automobiles and boats around these transaxle will usually hold fairly well. In the 15 yrs I have been servicing mowers professional I have only two failed K46s. One with the broken axle that the wheel fell off as I raised the rear and the other where they trying to use the mower as bush hog. Both were over 15 yrs old at the time.

Yes I heard stories of broken axles being common and other failure but I just haven't seen it here. I think the worst I have seen other than the one broken axle is water in the oil problem from pressure washing a couple unit that had baling twine wrap around the input shaft. What a mess to clean out.

Even GTI plastic cased transaxle are doing fairly well if maintained. I got that don't like to go into neutral but that is the result of lots used and a linkage is worn. Awaiting new ends for the last two months meanwhile the customer just keeps on going otherwise as he don't need to push it around except when bring it to shop for deck repairs.


#20

Hammermechanicman

Hammermechanicman

I've had a few customers want me to work on 100 series JD mowers with the "slows down on hills" death whine. I won't even take them in the shop. Local JD dealers quote ridiculous high price to replace trans because they don't want to mess with it.


#21

StarTech

StarTech

Hmmm K46AC AM131580 is $1095.15 at the brick and mortar JD stores but I can sale the same unit for $823.08 and it only costs me $560 dollars. So the transaxle and a couple hours labor is still less just the transaxle from JD. So I don't mind making $400 in a couple hours.

And if they have K46-AW it is a little less. But the real question is what condition is the mower in overall.


#22

Hammermechanicman

Hammermechanicman

But the real question is what condition is the mower in overall.

I don't get that kind of price and Most folks won't want to put over $1k into an older mower. By the time I replaced the trans and belt and idlers and whatever else is bad under the machine I am over $1k. Then throw in the annual service and a couple deck wheels and maybe some new blades. They give you that funny look when you tell them somewhere around $1300 - $1400 to fix up their 15 year old mower.


#23

StarTech

StarTech

But when they price a new mower that around $4K they tend think twice.

Even though I never think about repair costs until it happens. Sorta like going to sit down restaurant until bill comes. Four meals $140 then wonder why their suggested a fast food joint.

One customer last nearly had a heart attack when I handed him $2400 repair bill for a four month old JD S180 repair. His damage was covered by the warranty as warranties don't cover stupid. He had set the mower on fire by trying to mow leaves too deep and muffler set everything on fire including the operator. After he got fire out he realized he had a fire extinguisher that he should had used. Nearly all the plastics was melted.


#24

Tiger Small Engine

Tiger Small Engine

Hammermechanicman said:
But the real question is what condition is the mower in overall.

I don't get that kind of price and Most folks won't want to put over $1k into an older mower. By the time I replaced the trans and belt and idlers and whatever else is bad under the machine I am over $1k. Then throw in the annual service and a couple deck wheels and maybe some new blades. They give you that funny look when you tell them somewhere around $1300 - $1400 to fix up their 15 year old mower.
Click to expand...
Almost without exception, all shops only remove and replace hydro transaxles, no repairs. I have yet to see a customer that was willing to spend upwards of $1500 for the replacement parts and labor. At that point, spending $1500 on a mower worth less than half that, is ridiculous.


#25

StarTech

StarTech

Then I am an exception as repair about of the transaxles that have problems but most the require replacement don't get except on the higher end mowers.

And there is a point where repair costs out strip the equipment value. I do repairs when the repair cost more than 50% of the replacement cost; unless, the customer insists. Now I do a Z925A in the shop that is getting a new engine. Unit has over 4000 hrs on it yet it has been well maintained and is worth putting the money as it is used commercially. The same customer came by Saturday with his Z930M that JD wanted a $1000 to replace the wiring harness and it was only 4 F56 terminals that were bad at the PTO switch so got it out for under a $100. But now got to order some more F56 terminals as I am down to my last 20.

But the last transaxle I replaced was a over 2-1/2 years ago which was billed about $1100. And I currently have the rebuild parts for the unit but I just have gotten around to doing yet due to the current work load and hot steamy weather. The parts were about half the cost of a new unit but with labor is over 80% the cost of a new unit and the new unit came with a six month warranty from HG.
1722426583384.png
Can't record hours when the hour meter is broken.

Now that customer has since had to repair the Kohler engine short block. I did agree to only 50% of the chipping charge. And this was cause by him doing an oil change and leaving the most important part of an oil change. The oil.
1722427775119.png
And the replacement outstrips the repair costs when average this over the life of the mower.


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