Glad to hear it went well. A condiment bottle? Well, hopefully it allowed you to....Ketchup on any lost time looking for a siphon pump and if I were you, I’d...relish in the creativity you used to make it work.

😂@@silentknightsaga2415

Well…have fun with that…it’s a process…can be fun if you like he feeling of frustration and solving problems. A couple important things to lower the chances of disappointment - imperative to keep any dirt, dust particles out of the unit as that’s what caused the failure of the trans in the first place. Some will likely fall in as you remove he old gasket rubber so use a vacuum to help keep particles out or whatever works for you. Also, make sure you use a generous amount of the liquid gasket when resealing. Mine sprung a leak a few months ago also I Potok the trans off again and put some liquid gasket on the outside seam. Not ideal but I had no interest in taking it apart again to redo the entire gasket.

@@silentknightsaga2415 I did it!!!! It was a stuck parking brake. YES!

Thanks for the comments.

Welcome. Think I’ll go have a Vegemite sandwich now. Men at Work, one of my favorite groups from the 80s.

Welcome. Glad you found it helpful.

Glad it helped!

Thanks. LOL, Neighbors? Certainly, As long as you don’t mind over the top Halloween and Christmas decorations like that of Clark W. Griswald from Christmas Vaction….along with the ensuing calamities such as stapling one’s clothes to the fascia of the house, getting locked in the attic, and setting a chair on fire and a cousin Eddie that helps take the burnt chair to the curb and then says, “That’s a high quality item, if you don’t mind me asking…how much it set ya back.”

Good luck. Just remember lots of patience and persistence. Walk away from time to time if you have to, do something that keeps you grounded, then back at it with a fresh approach.

Both? I bet that was all sorts of...fun. On my first rebuild, the seal leaked in one area and I apparently didn’t keep the inside of the casing clean enough because the center section got scratched again, so I had to redo. After being more careful with particle contamination and putting the sealant on a little thicker, it’s been going strong for over a year now.

How much were the parts?

@@djmcdonald5508 around $120 per side.

Dodge man here, !992 dakota, 328000 miles. Runs like a clock

Glad it helped.

Great, and hopefully you came out of it on the other end with a little more sanity than I. Mine is still going strong so, what, now 7 months later I guess. Hope yours does as well

Welcome. First time I tried the rebuild I left the bolts in and went down a bit of a frustrating road, ended up chipping the casing a bit around the rubber gasket and did some unnecessary things that cost quite a bit of time. Good luck with it. Sounds like you’re making a lot of progress. Most difficult thing after that is putting the pump with pistons back in with the center sections but if you do it as outlined in the video, it should go as smoothly as possible. Lining the hole of the pump up with the hole of the center section so the shaft fits back in can also be a bit tricky, but perseverance will win. Once it’s properly aligned, it will slide in without difficulty, no need to force it.

@@silentknightsaga2415 Awesome, thanks for those tips. I will be getting back to it in a day or two.

I stripped my torx screw trying to get it out (by hand). I had tried heat but maybe I didn’t do it long enough. Appreciate the info. I’ll try again with more heat

I tried replacing the oil and is still not working after HOT

Welcome, glad you found it helpful!

Yah, I didn’t want to press my luck with the axle. Glad you found the video helpful, and there’s always hair club for men....

Thanks, I too am “just a hack” who fixes…well more like attempts to fix just about anything…other than when it involves 120-240 volts.

@Leo Thiel let us know how that works for you. I once tried it without new parts and smoothing the aluminum center section by hand. It lasted 2 weeks. If you can do it then fine. I have not been able to make that work. Also, it seems like 90% of the time when they get weak, it’s the left side. I wish I could understand why. Does everyone favor using that side more when they run the mower? Seems unlikely to me.

@failranch9542 I have two of these mowers, (Massey Furguson version) got one cheap with failing hydro, bought a third "parts mower" and swapped them in. Same outcome, two out of the two I have that are slipping are right sides, but I'm down under, so maybe it has to do with hemispheres?

LOL, Yah, and I’m no mechanic or engineer. It was the first time I did anything to a lawnmower other than replace a deck belt or spindle. I was quite apprehensive about it too, but as long as you pay attention to the details, keep the inside casing free of any particles, and follow the steps, it should work out for you.

@@silentknightsaga2415 Just when I get fired up to do this I find out that they longer Cub Cadet, neither does Parts Tree have parts for my mower since it was built in 2005.. Anyway I was just wondering if you did this in 2019 and you're still mowing with it. Is everything still working now and have you noticed if the other side is acting up.. Oh one thing I think I missed in your video was you having to add more oil after you got all the air out of it. Anyway Thanks to putting out this video.. If I do mine I will have to video it just so I can remember how I took it apart. :)

@@garyhardin3619 so I actually had to do this repair twice, but to the same side. First time I did it, it worked well for a few months, then started having same issue. I’m positive the issue was getting particles from the old gasket in the unit as well as not covering the open unit as it sat in the garage over night. Second time, which is the one I video-ed, I was much more careful and diligent keeping particles out and covered it with a shirt over night. Yes, did this repair in 2019 and it is still working well with no noticeable power loss. No, there are no issues with the other side.

I got a cub cadet z-force mower I need to figure out the problem with it it tries to take off on the left side then does"nt kick on in and go the same side you fixed it acts like it bypasses I am thinking and it dies when I engage the deck any input on whats my problems and can I still get parts. For a z-force commercial mower?

Welcome, hope it all works out. We’re you able to order a center section and if so, from where? Another subscriber commented they were no longer available and I looked at several different parts sites and couldn’t find them.

@@silentknightsaga2415 Amazon got both parts the pumps rub against for $200ish new bolts and bypass key.

Was wondering if you could share any details about the size and placement of the drain plugs you installed in the casing of the transaxle you mentioned rebuilding in your comment here. We have a older EZT-2200 and thinking of putting a plug. Thanks in advance for any comment!

Thanks for the suggestions. I’m a bit of a novice on these things and wasn’t aware some of those products an techniques existed. I’m sure it will be helpful to others as well. Question for you since you mentioned things like adhesives. Do you know if there is a way and a product that you can use to seal a hole or defect in an adhesive gasket versus having to tear the whole thing apart, and remove and replace the old gasket?

Lol, “goofy individual.” When I was a wee lad and was called goofy, I took it as an insult. Over the years, I learned to embrace it as a compliment, maybe much like yourself. Nowadays, I define it as quirky. Hope you were able to successfully fix your mower. If you haven’t worked on it yet, just make sure you prevent any of the gasket particles from getting inside.

@@silentknightsaga2415 yup, I fixed it. Kids say it has plenty of go and I don't hear the transmissions whine hardly at all. Thanks again for the great video.

Any update Jason? I'm also a machinist and having exact symptoms. Wondering if it's thermal expansion of the cases that cause excessive bypass at half hour, or is the old oil thinning to much?

@lukemurphy9224 Well I tried changing the oil first. I used Valvoline 2050 VR 1. And wound up with the same problem. Not sure if it's because the oil is not for transaxles. I am gonna try amsoil transaxle oil before i rip it apart. I think the pump is just getting weak. The oil i originally changed out was shot shot. Almost water like. So im hoping that it is an oil issue. ...if not...well then i take a self taught class in rebuilding hydrostats....haha

@@jasonruch3529 Sorry, but I would be very surprised if you find any marked difference with specific hydrostatic fluids. My (and most Bobcat branded) skid steer loaders specify to use a multigrade 15W40 engine oil for the mixed use in hydraulic and hydrostatic drive systems. Looks like you may need to do the same as me and get internal :( I have 2 lots of transmissions to play with now as well, as I picked up a cheap 'spare unit' from parts mower and direct swapped only to find it seems to have the same issue. Both right hand sides. I was wondering if the angle of wrap of the belt being less on this side is a contributing factor or just the way people turn the machine with chute direction etc. I'm from down under.

Didn’t consider drilling a drain hole. I’d think it would introduce additional potential for something to fail/go wrong. Had considered drilling a hole in the frame of mower just above the fill plug to make it easier to fill. You could probably use a siphon to remove the oil. I do recall there being a plastic filter with some mesh-like material. I believe it is mounted near the axel area but don’t recall exactly. I’d like to think the company that designed and manufactures these units didn’t put a drain plug at the bottom of the casing for a reason other than to just make draining the oil more difficult for the customer.

Glad to hear it went well and that you came out of the process still coherent and human. I’d like to see your vid.

@@silentknightsaga2415 Here's a link. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/aLOHfKSdupmcaIU.html

@@mattc6044 Ah, I see your trans does look a little different. Was able to use a pneumatic wrench to take off my pulley. Love how people solve their own unique puzzles they come across during their rebuild. Don’t love how companies manufacture products that make it difficult to do common maintenance like refilling the trans oil. I’ve seen some videos where people actually drilled holes through their deck to access the fill hole.

Excellent idea!!

It wasn’t all the way to the top of the fill hole. It was probably around 3/4 to 4/5ths full. I’d assume if you filled it all the way up it may eventually drain down to the level of the drain hole. That said, it might be possible to create too much pressure inside the unit if it’s overfilled with oil which may harm your seals, etc. Yes, you can add the oil into the fill hole. I used a small hand pump siphon. However, you have to be diligent in ensuring you clean any dirt from on and above the hole, any dirt you may knock loose when putting oil into the unit once it’s been remounted, otherwise, you’ll ruin all your hard work.

I’m no lawnmower expert by any means, I just did a bunch of research on the transax repair and did the video. That being said, from time to time, my mower has the same issue you describe. If it’s not making the cranking sound when you try to start, then it’s unlikely an issue with the choke. Sometimes choke will stay in the open position, but it does make the cranking sound, so I just manually close the choke lever on the engine and it starts. This sounds like possibly one of three issues, all of which I experience from time to time, though your mower may not have the same functions as mine. Assuming the battery is good, either positive or negative terminal wire to battery could be a little loose though this is probably the least likely cause given that it continues to run once you have it started. 2. The sensor on your seat could be glitchy. Maybe try shifting your weight around a bit etc. 3. An issue somewhere with the parking break to the engine. Try engaging and disengaging the parking break a few times. Other than those three options, not sure what else it could be.

Not sure, seems like the right side would be more susceptible given most people cut the grass with the deck shoot facing outward which means the right side transax gets used more frequently than the left in terms of pushing forward. That said, maybe the type of use with the left side is the issue as that one gets pulled back more than pushed forward. Not sure. Just make sure you are diligent about keeping the case inside completely free of any particles as you’re working on it.

The only issue I’ve had is that the liquid gasket that seals the two halves of the casing together sprung a leak after about three years. It seems to come and go. Obviously, this can cause another failure, but I’m not interested in taking it a part, removing the old seal and replacing so I just added some liquid gasket to the outside of the casing which I know isn’t the proper way nor a very effective fix, and I check the fluid level from time to time.

@silentknightsaga2415 I would do rhe same. Thanks

It’s been awhile since I did the repair so I don’t recall how everything was connected. It MIGHT connect the wheel hub (that piece that with the 4? wheel mount screws) to the transaxle. I do recall coming across some info that there is a seal somewhere on that piece that sometimes needs replaced. The wheel hub removal wasn’t part of what I needed to do, so I’m not real familiar with it. Regarding the oily leak, that might be where it’s coming from. Is it oily on the inside of the tire closest to the mower frame, or the out side of the tire I.e. on the rim of the wheel? Either way, it sounds like your transaxle fluid is leaking and obviously it will likely get too low and cause eventual failure. Sounds like there is already some damage in the transaxle if you’re noticing that the left side isn’t as powerful. Could be due to that leak or could just be due to general wear and tear. My suggestion would be to enjoy all the... fun of researching that issue. There might be some pro mower repair vids that address it on KZfaq. Consider searcing for wheel hub leak, etc. You should be able to look up the parts on the Cub Cadet website.

So the pistons are spring loaded so to speak and while I can’t say 100% that resurfacing the center section would work, I can tell you that those pistons definitely lay very tight against the center section so one would think a .005 shave wouldn’t cause a problem. Just keep in mind, if it doesn’t work, you’ll have to do it all over again, so if you’re willing to risk that, then no big deal. Good luck with it. Remember to make sure the center section and motor/pump sections are completely free of any debris before reinstalling.

@@silentknightsaga2415 Thank you good work,

Thanks.FYI, prior to doing this rebuild, the only thing I ever did to the mower myself was change the deck belt…15 times and replace a few spindles on the cutting deck. All I did was watch a bunch of videos on how to do the trans rebuild, which left me with a lot of questions, especially as I got into the thick of tearing it apart, so I shot the video as a means to help those who would experience similar issues if they decided to dive into the rebuild. I Googled the tuff torque and while I don’t know what model you have, I saw there were some rebuild videos available and looks like they actually sell rebuild kits for tuff torque as opposed to having to search for and order all the parts individually like with the Hydrogear trans. So, I was a complete novice at it prior to doing the work, now I’m less of a novice at it.

You do though because you need to purge the air from the transaxle in order to get the rest of the oil in. Unless you’re gonna remove it again after purging, fill it the rest of the way, and then reinstall it on the mower, you have to use a pump. It’s just a lot easier

A couple things - FYI I went for several years without any blades on the pulley fan. Not sure if it’s a big deal or not. I replaced it during the rebuild simply because I knew I was pulling the transaxle anyway, so why not replace the fan, etc. Im pretty sure the fan is a separate piece on all these transmissions. If the unit has the hydro gear 2100 or 2200, the part number I got if off the CubCadet website in repair manuals section. This is what they have listed under left half transmission, though it’s probably no different than right half for the fan at least. It’s part 56 and # is HG-53050 says it replaces part 52365. I can’t say that’s definitely your answer. It’s the one I ordered for the RZT50 which has the hydrogear EZT 2200 transmission.

So I took a look on the CC website. I could only find rztsx46 Fab not sure if that’s the same as yours. The fan does LOOK different than the RZT50 and I see it looks like you can only order the fan as a kit that includes the pulley, etc. You could order the fan from the rzt50 part number I listed in the other reply, but not sure it will fit. You might be stuck ordering the whole fan/pulley kit.

@@silentknightsaga2415 hey thanks for the thoughtful reply. My model number is 17ARCBN010. I looked at the diagram for the drive system and it shows the cooling fans on both sides, but it appears that cub only offers that entire drive system which is 900+bucks for each side. No wonder why people junk mowers when they break down now. Parts are too damn expensive. Lol Anyway, the cub dealer near me can somehow just get the pulley/fan for around $40. I can only assume that there's a different mower in the lineup with the same setup in which you can purchase just the fans. I will report my findings back here for future reference of our fellow DIY brethren. These trannys seem to be finicky.

Ran it for about eight years at that point so it probably had about 500+ hours. I guess you could remove and replace the oil if you used a siphon, but no, there’s no drain plug. Consider that even with the oil in a contained unit, it’s still lots of metal parts moving at high speed and making contact and getting extremely hot so they tend to shed some metal particles over time. Also, the way this particular mower and probably many like it is designed, the fill cap is facing up toward the underside of the frame which gets very dirty. If you don’t make sure everything around and above the fill hole is perfectly particle free when you open the cap (and it’s a tight space between the cap and frame so your hand rubs on the dirty frame when loosening and removing the cap), you’ll get dirt in the transmission which then contaminates the oil.

@@silentknightsaga2415 ok I see what you mean. I just bought me a Hustler Fas trak 54 inch mower. I never owned a o turn before. Man what a difference in productivity. Thanks again for the information.

Well, that seems like an excellent way to social distance

Not sure if you’re talking about how long it took to do the repair or how long the repair lasted. The repair itself took about two days, in part because you have to let the liquid gasket dry for like 24+ hours before remounting the to the axle. With respect to how long the repair lasted, currently it has been over four years and still working. That said, two things to mention, 1) first time I did the repair, it lasted a couple months then failed because I apparently didn’t keep the inside of the unit completely particle-free/didn’t remove all particles before resealing. It’s critical to do so. When I opened it back up after it failed, there were scratches on the surface of the center section which is what causes it to fail in the first place and those scratches are caused by particles inside the unit. The liquid gasket also began to leak within those three months. Second thing, about three years after the second repair was successful, the liquid seal began to leak. The only way to truly fix that is to remove the unit, open it back up, remove the gasket, and reseal. I didn’t want to go through that, so I just put some more gasket liquid in he seam where it was leaking. Stopped the leak for a couple months, now it seems to leak a bit every now and then.

No business would ever design something not to last so they can squeeze additional cash out of customers………..

If you’re talking about the oil in the transaxle, sort of. Because it has to be emptied of the oil before working on it, it has to be filled with oil both before remounting it, as well as topped off after you purge the transaxle, all of which are included in the video.

That is correct

@@silentknightsaga2415 thanks! I think I might have missed something with the bypass valve when I reassembled. With it open or closed, I’m able to rotate that side freely.

Hmmm, unsure. Maybe if you turn it at the wheel hub, but given the nature of the pumps and pressure around the shaft, I’d think it would be quite difficult to turn the shaft by hand.

Well, I’m no professional lawnmower repair person, just a novice who repaired a transaxle successfully the second time I did it. That said, two suggestions for you. You’ll likely need a new half of the casing, or you might want to reach out to Hydrogear customer support to see what they recommend.

It’s possible you’re over filling and the fill hose may double as a purge/overflow hose. My purge hose isn’t part of the fill hole, it’s toward the bottom of one of the sides.

Probably around 800 hours, about 2.5 acres and one very long steep embankment that goes from 0 degrees to about 45 degrees in only 8ft from base to top…so kind of a hill.

@@silentknightsaga2415 okay thanks so much just trying to gauge longevity of the transaxle. Appreciate the quick response.

No, several months ago it sounded as if the pumps might not be sold anymore, however at that time I was still able to find them on partstree…though I haven’t looked for them recently so I’m not sure. Not sure if Hydrogear sells them, but here’s the number to call CUSTOMER SUPPORT 877.728.7410

Bypass plate small brass square piece that goes into the centre section

Are you talking about the Center Section? Taking a look....so the number I’m giving you is for a cub cadet RZT 50. That said, the important info in all this is that the center section part number is for a HydroGear 2100/2200 transmission so you’ll need to confirm that’s the trans you have. It’s typically on a label somewhere on he trans housing. Here’s how to find he Part number on the Cub Cadet website - go to Service and Parts tab, click on Find a part, enter your mower model number (typically found underneath the seat), click on Diagrams tab, then select your model number from the list, then click on the Transmission diagram (there should be one for the Left side trans “LH” and one for the right side trans “RH”), then look for the part called “Kit Center Section”. For the left side, the part number is HG-71529. For the right side it’s HG-71530. Current price on CC Website is $147.28. You might be able to find it cheaper on I.e. Parts Tree.com or Amazon. Those transmission diagrams on the CC website are a great reference for all the parts and part numbers you may need. Just be sure you’re looking at the correct diagrams for your mower’s model number and whether it’s for the Left Side or right side trans. Another viewer posted a comment about where they got their center section cheaper Lastly, use the HydroGear Website trans diagrams as a reference when disassembling and reassembling everything for the 2100 or 2200 EZT Trans. And, make sure you clean out the trans and keep it free of any particles while doing the work, otherwise you’ll experience great sadness....

I believe it was PartsTree. Cub Cadet had them available at the time, but more expensive. That said, based on some comments several months ago, it sounds as if there’s some difficulty finding these available in recent months.

And I used high quality oil, and new seals, new center piece, one new pump, sanded down the other one and cleaned the trans from debris. I’m very sad and really don’t want to have to buy a brand new trans😢

@@liamreynolds5820 blah…tough to say. Could be any number of things given all the moving parts. Potentially something as “simple” as the linkage arm or mech not engaging properly to something deeper such as the cylinder piston springs or yes, scratching of the center section. Seems like more than just a scratched center section and unlikely it got scratch so much to cause that issue in just three hours. That said, the first time I did the rebuild, it started loosing power after about, meh, three months. As much of a pain as it was to do the rebuild, I decided to bite the bullet and and disassemble it again. I discovered that the brand new center section was once again scratched so I obviously left contaminants in there. I did the rebuild over again which is when I actually shot the video and it’s worked great ever since. Is the complete power loss on one or both sides?

It’s just the left side, it is still drivable but doing a zero turn, a slight hill incline or just quick acceleration, it just barely or completely refuses to move. The right trans seems completely fine and picks up the slack of the left one for the most part.

So what fixed it ? Or was the problem ?

Hmmm, unsure. I think it depends on the make of the transmission. Not sure if all makes use oil or something else. If you know the make, then you should be able to find the correct lubricate to use I.e. on the manufacturer’s website. I’m only familiar with specs on the Hydro Gear 2100 and 2200.

@@silentknightsaga2415 thanks for the information But I got it running great. It was the drive belt was not wasn't engaging.

Do you got a part number for it?

@@kypyro5029 www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PZSDLS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Not familiar with that unit. It really depends on what make and model transmissions you have. If it’s a hydro gear ez 2100 or 2200, it should be exactly the same. You should be able to find the make and model somewhere on he trans casing.

Blah, 11 months ago I might have been able to speak more intelligently about it, so I’m just speculating. Is it a hydro gear transmission? Does the side that stopped make any noise when it’s engaged? Does it ever work or has it stopped completely? Was that side loosing power slowly or was it working fine and suddenly stopped? It could be something wrong with the COG brake assembly, maybe its stuck. Could be something wrong with the bypass arm or bypass rod. Could be something wrong with the control arm. Other potential might be something wrong with the internal gears, but I’d think it would make a grinding noise if so. If you were slowly loosing power over time, then it could be the pump block and center section and/or springs and pistons. Lastly, could be a leak in the gasket and you have no fluid in he trans, but I’d think you would have heard some grinding before it stopped working.

@@silentknightsaga2415 Thank you for responding. I think it is a hydro gear it did shake and jump under any kind of load towards the end of it working. when it died I pulled the hole thing out I wanted to drain the oil out to see if their was like any O-ring crap in it so I drained the fluid out of it and I got about 3/4 of a cup of tar looking oil out of it and it was so thick I could not even tell so I put in fresh 10w30. I put it back in and nothing no noise I had it jacked up with the tire off when I tried and it didn't even try to move I checked the bypass rod I moved it back and forth it kinda clicked but nothing all the linkages move normal it is a single unit meaning the pump and motor are together. but I really hope I can fix it and not half to buy a new unit.

@@gunnerstanwick6663 Well, sounds like the “joy” of cracking it open is in your future. I’d think it would be unlikely if it couldn’t be fixed, though obviously depends on what type of damage you might find. All parts are replaceable, so it’s a matter of trying to accurately diagnose what’s “broken”. There are lots of moving parts in those things, but not overly complicated. It could even be something as “simple” as a spring or tiny ring clamp that broke loose from the shaft inside. If you figure it out, no matter what you do, make sure you clean the inside well, especially given the tarry substance you found, and keep any particles out of the unit as you work through it all. That was the issue that caused my first rebuild to fail.

@@silentknightsaga2415 Well I am probably going to half to do that. I have a parts washer that might come in handy. but I will keep you posted on what I find

Never really thought about it, seems like that would work.

Lol, two hours to watch 60 Minutes. That’s funny…I can appreciate the humor, though it really only takes me about 40 minutes because I don’t have the patience to sit through commercials when a show is recorded. Yes, I believe the center sections are the same for each side. Regarding the damage, in my case I noticed it to slowly start to show signs of damage (power loss) not long after something I did on the mower. Grass was wet and in a moment of attempting to remember my youth, I began to do donuts in the wet grass, basically full speed in circles sliding the back end for probably five minutes. If I had to guess, I’d say the constant over-torquing and spinning the wheels for five minutes likely created some metal shavings from somewhere in the unit. That said, after completing the repair, I realized that a lot of oily dirt and grit coats the mower frame above the fill cap area and that has to be cleaned well before attempting to open the fill cap.

Did you check all the sites mentioned at he end of the video?

According to another subscriber, you can get the part on Amazon in case you’re still trying to source the parts

That’s probably a better way to help sand it more evenly.

I don’t know why that happens. When originally posted there were no volume issues. Right now, I’m not having any issue with the volume, but I and others have in the past. I’ll blame it on the Matrix.