Modifying the Cub Cadet Transaxle for Heavy Duty Use and/or Competition Pulling

Where Science and Common Sense Come Together for Better Performance
Please visit these other Brian Miller's websites: A-1 Miller's Performance Enterprises - Parts & Services Online Catalog | Hot Rod Garden Tractor and Mini-Truck Pullers Association

Click Here To Visit My Other Web Sites... Home Page Introduction to the Sport of Garden Tractor Pulling Balancing the Crankshaft to the Piston/Connecting Rod Assembly for a Single Cylinder Engine Putting the Brakes on a Cub Cadet Information about the Kohler Carburetor, Various Fuels and Fuel Systems Improving the Drive Clutch Assembly in a Cub Cadet Information about the Cylinder Head on Single Cylinder Kohler Engines Vital Information about Engine Rebuilding, Buildups and Modifications Important Information About Small Engine Flywheels Useful Formulas, Conversion Charts, etc. Using an Adjustable Pulling Hitch on a Garden Pulling Tractor Hot Links to Various Garden Tractor Pulling Clubs and Associations Electrical Solutions for Small Engines and Garden Pulling Tractors Ignition Solutions for Garden Pulling Tractors and Older Small Engines Important Information About the Cub Cadet Oil Pan Improving and Modifying the Steering on an IH Cub Cadet Modifying the IH & Early MTD Cub Cadet Transaxles for Heavy Duty Use and/or Pulling Applications Information about the Valves, Seats, Porting, Camshaft and Header Pipe Various Garden Pulling Tractor Engine Builders, Parts Suppliers and Service Providers How to Weight a Garden Pulling Tractor (so it will pull better) The Importance and Safety of Having Wheelie Bars on a Pulling Tractor Information about Tractor Pulling Tires and How to Widen Steel Wheels Miscellaneous Garden Tractor Pulling Tips and Tricks

• General information in this website updated 5/9/18. Click Refresh to see any changes or updates. To search for a word or phrase in any of my websites, press CTRL and F to open the Find dialog box in your web browser. This website is optimized for 1024 x 768 screen resolution.
• What type of oil should be used in Cub Cadet and other makes and models of transmissions and transaxles?
• Information about the Cub Cadet "Creeper Drive Unit"
• Gearing a Cub Cadet Pulling Tractor. (Updated 11/25/15)
• Using a "Beefier" Differential Carrier and Axles in a Cub Cadet for Heavy Duty Use or Competition Pulling. (Click link, scroll further down or click here: updated 7/21/15)
• Adapting a Motorcycle Engine in a Garden Tractor for Pulling (added 8/3/16
• Click here to see an IH Cub Cadet "Original" with a 9-Speed Transmission!

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What type of oil should be used in the Cub Cadet and other makes and models of transmissions and transaxles? (Updated 3/27/16)

For the IH- and MTD-built Cub Cadet hydrostatic- and gear-drive transaxles, the official Cub Cadet repair manual says the recommended oil to use is Hy-Tran B-6, Hy-Tran PLUS (MS-1207), Hy-Tran ULTRA or equivalent. "Equivalent" means that it's safe to use any high quality, name-brand hydraulic oil that meets or exceeds CASE IH requirements. These oils can be used in both the hydrostatic and gear drive transaxles. Most Farm and Home retail stores should have Hy-Tran oil in stock. When or if you do find Hy-Tran, look on the back label of the CASE IH hydraulic oil containers. It should mention something about Hy-Tran. And to prevent the wear of gears in hydraulic pumps and motors, ALWAYS use hydraulic oil in a hydraulic drive system because it's formulated to flow more easily and freer past the moving parts. By the way - IH Cub Cadet and CASE IH (and perhaps other tractor manufacturers) made a deal with the makers of Hy-Tran, and this is why they highly recommend to use their oil. It's all about more money for the big business. They figure what the public don't know makes them more money.

But if Hy-Tran isn't available locally, then it's safe to use virtually any type of hydraulic oil, power steering fluid, hydraulic jack oil (which are nothing but ordinary hydraulic oil), Dexron^® III Mercon^® automotive automatic transmission fluid (ATF) or a high quality universal heavy duty hydraulic fluid (oil) in a Cub Cadet or other makes and models of the gear drive, hydrostatic drive transaxles and hydraulic systems. Dexron^® III Mercon^® is a very durable and high quality hydraulic oil with a red dye and scent added to determine it from other oils when it leaks from equipment. It also has a rust inhibitor and helps keep the inside of a transaxle clean. It's available at most auto parts stores and in the automotive isle at most major department stores.

For competition pulling only, the lightweight hydraulic oil, automatic transmission fluid or Hy-Tran should be used in the gear drive transaxles. These lightweight oils provides adequate lubrication for all moving parts, with no problems. And there's no need to worry about the gears, bearings and other internal parts wearing prematurely because of the low viscosity (light-weight or thin) oil. The parts are made of extremely hardened material. Synthetic oils will allow the internal moving parts to operate much cooler. And being gear drive transaxles don't have a hydraulic pump like the hydrostatic units do, the oil will never get hot. The above È mentioned oils protect automatic transmission parts, don't they? And auto transmissions work a lot harder and operate for longer periods of time than any garden tractor transaxle ever will. Personally, we've always used Dexron® III Mercon in our gear drive transaxles since we've started pulling, and we've never had any problems.

Note: Use caution whenever motor oil is used in a garden tractor transmission or transaxle. Some motor oils doesn't have rust inhibitors and the internal parts in the transaxle will rust just above the oil line when stored in a cool, damp environment. The parts will rust so bad, they will look like they've been sitting out in the rain.

When filling the Cub Cadet internal brake transaxle with oil, don't use heavy, thick gear oil, such as SAE 90 weight. If heavy gear oil is used, the tractor with an internal brake will not stop as well. Instead, use 0W20 full synthetic, SAE 30 or 10W30 motor oils, power steering fluid, lightweight (SAE 10 weight) hydraulic oil, automatic transmission fluid or Hy-Tran fluid. These type of oils are much thinner than conventional gear oil, which will allow the brake to grip better and they allow the gears to spin faster, freeing up horsepower in a high-speed pulling tractor. And don't worry about the internal parts wearing because of the lightweight oil. They're made of extremely hardened material.

For competition pulling, when filling the Cub Cadet, Peerless, Wheel Horse or any other gear drive transaxle, don't use high viscosity (such as SAE 90 weight) gear oil. This also applies to automotive manual transmissions and rear ends used only in mini-rod pulling vehicles. Use the lightweight oils that's mentioned above È. Because gear oil is thick and heavy and when used with competition pulling, it will slow down the gears slightly and rob the engine of valuable horsepower. By the way - the only place that sells gears for a Peerless transaxle is a Tecumseh Engine dealer. And there are no special pulling gears made for any Peerless transaxle. The only alternative is to change the diameter of the pulleys (and length of belt) on the engine and mid-shaft or transaxle to increase or decrease the ground speed of the tractor.

Oil for the IH Cub Cadet "Original" transaxle is installed through the oil fill hole on top of the transaxle, just behind the shift lever. And the oil level check hole is located on the lower right side of the transaxle, towards the front. Fill with oil until it runs out of the hole on the side. Oil for all other models of Cub Cadet transaxles, including the gear drive and hydrostatic drive, is installed and added through the oil fill/level hole (with a 1/2" drive NPT tapered-thread plug) that's on the rear cover of the transaxle. An automotive automatic transmission funnel with a long, flexible tube may need to be used to put the oil in. Fill the transaxle until the oil starts to run out of the hole. On a transaxle that's just been rebuilt or modified, it's a lot easier and less effort to install the oil through the shift lever opening, before installing the shift lever housing, then check the level at the hole in the rear cover. Make sure the transaxle is positioned level too, for accuracy.

It takes 3-1/2 quarts of oil to fill a Cub Cadet gear drive transaxle. For competition pulling, less oil can be used in the transaxle. To do this, don't fill the transaxle full of oil (to the full level hole). Instead, tap another fill hole 2" (on the rear cover) below the original one and fill it to there. The lower driven gears and ring gear will still pick up plenty of oil and sling it on the upper moving gears and bearings, keeping them well lubricated. A grease fitting may need to be tapped into each axle housing end to help keep the axles lubricated as well.

What makes most hydrostatic drive and driven parts (gears) to wear prematurely isn't because the wrong type of oil was used, it's extreme heat. Whenever petroleum oil gets hot, it loses it's "thickness" or viscosity and turns thin. The hotter it gets, the thinner it gets. This is called viscosity thermal breakdown. Oil is supposed to keep all moving parts separated. But when oil gets hot, it gets thin, and this will cause the moving parts (gears and such) to make contact with each other (metal to metal contact) causing them to wear excessively. Extremely hot oil will cause the rubber seals to harden and crack, too. No petroleum oil, even Hy-Tran, is immune from thermal viscosity breakdown. Only full synthetic oil is 100% immune from thermal viscosity breakdown. So remember, it's very important to change the oil, keep the cooling fins that's on the hydrostatic pump/motor clean, make sure the fan that blows air over the hydrostatic pump/motor is in good condition, and do routine maintenance at least once a year before using the tractor, and the hydrostatic unit will probably last forever. By the way - it takes approximately 7 quarts to fill the hydrostatic drive transaxle and filter.

A non-synthetic oil will provide superior lubrication as long as you keep the cooling fins and hydrostatic drive areas clean and free of grass and debris. Make sure the fan on the driveshaft is in good condition, too. Clean the fins and hydrostatic drive areas the beginning of every year and the hydrostatic drive system should last a lifetime. Return to top of page. È

Use a Powerful Magnet to Clean the Lubricating Oil Inside an Engine or Gearbox - Advertisement: (posted 5/7/16)

If you would like to purchase any of the parts or services listed in this website, please contact A-1 Miller's Performance Enterprises | 1501 W. Old Plank Rd. | Columbia, MO (Missouri) 65203-9136 USA | Phone: 1-573-256-0313 (shop) | 1-573-881-7229 (cell). Please call Monday-Friday, except holidays, 9am to 5pm, Central time zone. If no answer, please try again later. (When speaking with Brian, please be patient because I stutter.) A-1 Miller's shop is open to the public from 9am to 5pm, including weekends, except holidays. Please call before coming so I'll be here waiting for your arrival. E-mail: pullingtractor@aol.com. Directions to our shop | 1501 West Old Plank Road, Columbia, MO - Google Maps or Map of 1501 West Old Plank Road, Columbia, MO by MapQuest. If you're the kind of person who don't trust delivery/shipping companies (mis)handling your high-dollar and fragile merchandise, you can make the long drive to A-1 Miller's shop to personally drop off and/or pick up your carburetor, clutch assembly, engine, transaxle, tractor, etc. "The road to a friend's house (or shop) is never long." (We're planning to relocate to other property with a bigger and better shop so we can provide many more parts and services.) Please click here to place an order.

Magnetic Tapered Thread Oil Drain Plugs with Square Head. A-1 Miller oil drain plugs have a super strong rare earth/neodymium magnet! Five times stronger than competitor's ceramic (ferrite) magnet and resists demagnetization. Plugs listed below can be used on various other makes and models of transmissions, transaxles, gearboxes and small engines. Tapered threads requires no sealing gasket or sealant, and threads will not strip out when tightened. To avoid cracking oil pan, do not over-tighten! If in doubt, to insure proper sealing and to prevent a possible oil leak, use Teflon®/plumber's thread seal tape on the threads. Universal application. Magnet attracts and removes ferrous metallic wear fragments from the motor oil to reduce engine wear. Sometimes some of the ferrous wear fragments settle to the bottom of the oil pan or engine block and do not drain out with the oil when performing an oil change, even when the oil is hot. The engine will last much longer due to cleaner oil. Magnetic drain plugs are suitable for engines with splash oil lubrication (no oil pump/filter). 1/4" NPT Size. Fits K90/K91 Kohler engines and IH Cub Cadet creeper gearbox. A-1 Miller part. $3.00 each, plus shipping & handling. 3/8" NPT Size. High quality aftermarket. Fits the bottom of narrow base oil pans on 10-16hp Kohler engines. A-1 Miller part. $3.00 each, plus shipping & handling. 3/8" NPT Size. OEM Kohler part # X-305-4-S. $15.15 each, plus shipping & handling. 1/2" NPT Size. Fits the side of the oil pan on 7hp and 8hp Kohler engines, and oil drain on Cub Cadet transaxles. A-1 Miller part. $5.00 each, plus shipping & handling. 3/4" NPT Size. Fits the side of wide base oil pan on 10-16hp Kohler engines. A-1 Miller part. $6.00 each, plus shipping & handling. Super Strong Rare Earth/Neodymium Magnets for Engines, Transmissions, Transaxles and Gearboxes. Attracts and removes ferrous metallic wear fragments from the lubricating oil inside an engine that does not have an oil pump with an oil filter, or inside a transmission, transaxle or gearbox to lessen wear and noise to gears and bearings. Sometimes some of the ferrous wear fragments settle to the bottom of the transaxle case and do not drain out with the oil when performing an oil change, even when the oil is hot. Engine or gears/bearings will last longer due to cleaner oil. Install magnet in bottom of oil pan away from the oil dipper and any moving parts, or in bottom of a transmission, transaxle or gearbox away from rotating gears and any moving parts. Use Krazy Glue, Super Glue, Gorilla Glue, or any industrial strength adhesive to secure magnet in place. These rare earth/neodymium magnets are EXTREMELY strong! Use caution when handling! Can be difficult to remove from a steel or cast iron surface, are very brittle and can break easily if mishandled. An innovative and ingenious concept by Brian Miller because nobody else advertise this trick. Please accept no other advertised copycat products of this kind. Rectangular Magnet. Dimensions: 20mm x 10mm x 2mm. Use in confined spaces, such as the deep sump oil pan for Cub Cadet garden tractor engines. $1.00 each, plus shipping & handling. Round Magnet. Dimensions: 25mm x 2mm. Use in wide, open spaces or flat bottom oil pans. $1.00 each, plus shipping & handling.

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The Cub Cadet "Creeper Drive Unit" - Top of page

The Cub Cadet "creeper drive unit" is a 2-speed selective high/low gearbox. It's a small gearbox that mounts on the front of the Cub Cadet transaxle. When the lever is placed in LOW position (reduction speed; 2:1 ratio), all the gears in the transaxle are reduced by half, which means the tractor will move half its speed, in forward and reverse. When the lever is placed in HIGH position (1:1 ratio), the gears in the transaxle turn their normal speeds. Creeper drives are required when mowing heavy grass, plowing a garden, pushing snow or hauling heavy loads up a steep hill, doing all this especially with a small engine and for safety.

The creeper drive unit was optional equipment that was offered by Cub Cadet. The same cast iron case creeper drive unit fits all models of clutch drive IH and MTD Cub Cadets, except the IH Cub Cadet "Original". This unit will fit models 70, 71, 72, 73, 86, 100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 122, 124, 126, 128, 582, 800, 1000, 1050, 1200, 1535, 1604, 1606 and 1806. A shorter driveshaft is required with a creeper drive unit.

If your tractor didn't come with a creeper drive unit and you wish to install one, here's how to do it: (This is much easier to do on a platform work table.)

1. Remove the driveshaft/clutch assembly and rear driveshaft coupler from the tractor.
2. Remove the two upper bolts from front of the transaxle.
3. Install the splined coupler on the input shaft of the transaxle with a 3/4" long spiral pin.
4. Instead of a using a high-dollar gasket that's prone to leaking oil, apply a thin bead of clear RTV silicone adhesive sealant, then fasten the creeper drive unit gearbox to the transaxle. By the way - I've always preferred to use clear RTV silicone adhesive sealant for three reasons: Due to metal warpage (which is unavoidable in most cases), gaskets don't always seal the irregularities and imperfections between mating surfaces, especially thin metal covers; being it's an adhesive, it bonds parts together, forming a leak-proof seal; and being it's clear, a thin bead of silicone makes for a clean and professional-looking repair job. When applied sparingly, it can't be easily seen or noticed between the parts.
5. Shorten the original driveshaft where the machined groove is, or if there's no groove, cut exactly 4-3/4" off the rear of the driveshaft.
6. Reinstall the rear coupler on the driveshaft and reinstall the driveshaft/clutch assembly in the tractor.
7. Remove the square plug from the side of the creeper drive unit and top breather cap, fill unit with (preferably) SAE 90 weight gear oil through the top breather tube opening until the oil runs out the side hole. Replace the side plug and breather cap. NOTE: The official IH Cub Cadet repair/maintenance manual says to use SAE 30 weight motor oil, but being the unit has gears that operate under extreme pressure, it's best to use SAE 90 weight gear oil for less wear of the moving parts.
8. Go here to learn more: http://cubfaq.com/creeper.html.
9. NOTE: Due to it's age, some parts are Discontinued from Cub Cadet for this unit.

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The official Cub Cadet (MTD) repair manual says upon reassembly of the MTD-built creeper drive unit, to pack it with 14 oz. of grease. But grease gets slung away from fast spinning parts, leaving the moving parts with very little lubrication for the life of the unit. Being this unit has an oil seal, rubber O-ring and gaskets, for smoother operation of the gears that operate under extreme pressure and for less wear of the moving parts, drill and tap an 1/8" NPT [oil level/check] hole for an 1/8" NPT tapered plug on side of housing opposite of shift lever just below the level of the oil seal, after installing the unit on the transaxle, fill the unit with SAE 90 weight gear oil through the breather tube opening until it runs out the oil level/check side hole. Replace the side plug and breather cap. Also, the MTD-built creeper drive unit will fit and bolt right up to the older IH-built Cub Cadet transaxles (except the IH Cub Cadet "Original"), but the upper part of the tractor frame on models 70, 71, 72, 73 and 100 will need to be modified to accommodate the taller MTD-built creeper drive unit housing and the driveshaft will need to be shortened by 4-3/4".

And as with all transmissions, transaxles, creeper drives and gear boxes, before shifting from one gear into another, ALWAYS bring the tractor or vehicle to a full complete stop with the clutch pedal fully depressed or the engaging lever fully disengaged to allow the gears to stop spinning and to avoid "grinding the gears," which could break or wear the gear teeth or engaging splines.

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If you would like to purchase any of the parts or services listed in this website, please contact A-1 Miller's Performance Enterprises | 1501 W. Old Plank Rd. | Columbia, MO (Missouri) 65203-9136 USA | Phone: 1-573-256-0313 (shop) | 1-573-881-7229 (cell). Please call Monday-Friday, except holidays, 9am to 5pm, Central time zone. If no answer, please try again later. (When speaking with Brian, please be patient because I stutter.) A-1 Miller's shop is open to the public from 9am to 5pm, including weekends, except holidays. Please call before coming so I'll be here waiting for your arrival. E-mail: pullingtractor@aol.com. Directions to our shop | 1501 West Old Plank Road, Columbia, MO - Google Maps or Map of 1501 West Old Plank Road, Columbia, MO by MapQuest. If you're the kind of person who don't trust delivery/shipping companies (mis)handling your high-dollar and fragile merchandise, you can make the long drive to A-1 Miller's shop to personally drop off and/or pick up your carburetor, clutch assembly, engine, transaxle, tractor, etc. "The road to a friend's house (or shop) is never long." (We're planning to relocate to other property with a bigger and better shop so we can provide many more parts and services.) Please click here to place an order.

IH-Built Cub Cadet Creeper Drive Unit Overhaul/Rebuild Parts - Oil Seal for all IH-built Cub Cadet Cast Iron Housing Creeper Drive Unit and IH-built Cub Cadet Hydrostatic Drive Pump. Fits hydrostatic drive models 105, 107, 109, 123, 125, 127, 129, 147, 149, 680, 682, 782, 784, 882, 982, 984, 986, 1210, 1250, 1282, 1340, 1450, 1512, 1650, 1810, 1811, 1812, 1860, 1862, 1882, 2082, 2182 and 2284. Dimensions: .625" i.d. x 1.1275" o.d. x .250" height. IMPORTANT: Apply clean motor oil, gear oil or lubricating grease in lip of seal before installing to keep seal lubricated and cool until internal oil can reach it. With no prior lubrication, the dry rubber will get hot from friction and burn away, causing an oil leak. The oil seals listed below Ê are the same size. Just different part numbers and prices. High quality aftermarket. $10.00 each, plus shipping & handling. OEM Cub Cadet part # 921-3011 (listed for creeper). $11.10 each, plus shipping & handling. OEM Cub Cadet part # 921-3032 (listed for hydro pump). $13.70 each, plus shipping & handling. Oil Seal for all MTD-built Cub Cadet Aluminum Case Reduction Housing Input Pinion Shaft/Gear and MTD-built Cub Cadet Aluminum Housing Creeper Drive Unit. Dimensions: 5/8" i.d. x 1.574" o.d. x 5/16" height. IMPORTANT: Apply clean motor oil, gear oil or lubricating grease in lip of seal before installing to keep seal lubricated and cool until internal oil can reach it. With no prior lubrication, the dry rubber will get hot from friction and burn away, causing an oil leak. Discontinued from Cub Cadet. Replaces Cub Cadet part # 721-0193. $16.00 each, plus shipping & handling. Precision, high-speed radial ball bearing for all IH-built Cub Cadet cast iron housing and MTD-built Cub Cadet aluminum housing creeper drives. Dimensions: .625" i.d. x 1.375" o.d. x 7/16" height. (NOTE: All ball bearings have always been made to the metric dimensions. Where applicable, the US and import manufacturers try to make them close to the inch dimensions as possible.) High quality aftermarket. $10.00 each, plus shipping & handling. OEM Cub Cadet part # 741-0145. $27.00 each, plus shipping & handling. Neoprene or Silicone Rubber O-Ring for Front of IH-built Cub Cadet Cast Iron Case Creeper Drive Gear Box. Goes in input shaft bearing cage. Dimensions: 2-7/16" i.d. x 2-5/8" o.d. x 3/32" thick. IMPORTANT: Apply clean motor oil, gear oil or lubricating grease on O-ring for easier installation. Discontinued from Cub Cadet. Replaces Cub Cadet part # 721-3010. .50¢ each, plus shipping & handling. Neoprene or Silicone Rubber O-Ring for Inner Shift Lever on IH-built and MTD-built Creeper Drives. Dimensions: 1/4" i.d. x 3/8" o.d. x 1/16" thick. IMPORTANT: Apply clean motor oil, gear oil or lubricating grease on O-ring or on shaft before installing to keep O-ring lubricated and cool until internal oil can reach it. With no prior lubrication, the dry rubber will wear from friction, causing an oil leak. High quality aftermarket. $1.00 each, plus shipping & handling. OEM Cub Cadet part # 721-3012. $2.40 each, plus shipping & handling. Neoprene or Silicone Rubber O-Ring for Outer Shift Lever on IH-built Cast Iron Case Creeper Drive. Dimensions: 3/8" i.d. x 1/2" o.d. x 1/16" thick. IMPORTANT: Apply clean motor oil, gear oil or lubricating grease on O-ring or on shaft before installing to keep O-ring lubricated and cool until internal oil can reach it. With no prior lubrication, the dry rubber will wear from friction, causing an oil leak. High quality aftermarket. $1.00 each, plus shipping & handling. OEM Cub Cadet part # 721-3008. $6.10 each, plus shipping & handling. Mounting Gasket for IH-built Cub Cadet Creeper Drive. OEM Cub Cadet part # 721-3009. $6.40 each, plus shipping & handling. Mounting and Cover Gasket for MTD-built Cub Cadet Creeper Drive. OEM Cub Cadet part # 721-3019A. $5.93 each, plus shipping & handling. IH-built Cub Cadet Creeper Overhaul/Rebuild Kits. Includes all necessary IH parts listed above. (Oil seal, ball bearing, rubber O-ring for front of creeper drive housing, two rubber O-rings for shift levers, and mounting gasket.) Kit with high quality aftermarket parts. $28.90 per kit, plus shipping & handling. Kit with OEM Cub Cadet parts. $52.70 per kit, plus shipping & handling.

Overhaul/Rebuild IH Cub Cadet Creeper Drive Unit. $75.00 labor, plus return shipping & handling. Installation of new parts (shown above) are extra charge.

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Gearing a Cub Cadet Pulling Tractor - Top of page

In tractor pulling, understanding the concept of having the correct gearing to achieve adequate ground speed so the engine will have enough power to spin the tires on any given track conditions can be a challenge. Overdrive and underdrive gears either speed up or slow down the transmission gears in the transaxle. And by changing the transmission gears, this will give the puller a choice of slower or faster gears according to track conditions.

Having very slow ground speed or very high ground speed can sometimes hurt how well a tractor can pull. With a healthy engine, at the end of the track, if the engine is still revving like there's no load on it, then this means the gearing is too low. But if the engine bogs down and die, this means the gearing is too high. In other words, the gearing needs to be "balanced" to the strength of the engine so when the sled's weight is on the tractor (entire weight of tractor transferred over the rear tires), the tires will still spin some, but the engine will bog down slightly.

The reason to use the right gearing in a pulling tractor is to match an engine's ability to give the tractor momentum so it can pull the sled a little further down the track without sacrificing horsepower or increasing/decreasing torque at the rear wheels. In other words, if one pulls in a particular gear that is too fast, they increase the ground speed, but run out of horsepower in the end. If they pull in a gear that's too slow, they have plenty of power, but don't have the needed ground speed, meaning they may run out of traction at the end. The point here is to obtain a correct "balance" between an engines' power output and torque at its rear tires, which should result in a good pull every time.

The teeth count of the upper and lower forward gears in a Cub Cadet transaxle must total 52 (example: 19t upper gear + 33t lower gear = 52 teeth total). Otherwise, if they don't total up to 52, one gear will be too big and the other too small, and the teeth won't mesh (engage) correctly. When referring to which gears are in a tractor, all pullers refer to the teeth count on the upper gears only. To count the teeth on the upper gear only, remove the shifter lever cover from the transaxle, and place a paint mark on one tooth (as reference for the starting point), then rotate the gear and count the rest of the teeth.

To find the gear ratio, always divide the number of teeth on the lower gear by the number of teeth on the upper gear. Place a mark on one tooth, then count the other teeth until you get back to the mark. The mating upper and lower gears together have a total of 52 teeth. There are no exceptions. For example: 2^nd speed has 19 teeth on the upper gear and 33 teeth on the lower gear to equal 52 teeth total (19 + 33 = 52). And 3^rd speed have two 26 tooth gears, resulting in a total of 52 teeth (26 + 26 = 52). And so forth. Factory stock OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) gear ratios are as follows:

• OEM 1^st gear ratio is 3:1 (lower gear has 39 teeth, upper gear has 13 teeth... 39 ÷ 13 = 3:1)
• OEM 2^nd gear ratios can have either of the following:
  • 2.25:1 for a 16 tooth (lower gear has 36 teeth, upper gear has 16 teeth... 36 ÷ 16 = 2.25)
  • 2.06:1 for a 17 tooth (lower gear has 35 teeth, upper gear has 17 teeth... 35 ÷ 17 = 2.06)
  • 1.74:1 for a 19 tooth (lower gear has 33 teeth, upper gear has 19 teeth... 33 ÷ 19 = 1.74)
• OEM 3^rd gear ratio is always 1:1 (upper and lower gears both have 26 teeth... 26 ÷ 26 = 1)
• The OEM gear ratio in the reduction housing of the DIRECT DRIVE MODELS is 7:1 (lower gear has 84 teeth, top gear has 12 teeth... 84 ÷ 12 = 7)
• The OEM ring and pinion gears in all IH- and MTD-built Cub Cadets have a 4.6:1 ratio (ring gear has 46 teeth, pinion has 10 teeth... 46 ÷ 10 = 4.6)

The factory-installed gears that originally came in IH Cub Cadet transaxles (a "transaxle" is the union of a transmission and rear axle in one case) are 13 tooth 1^st gear, 16, 17 or 19 tooth 2^nd gear and 26 tooth 3^rd gear. The "tooth" count are the number of teeth on each upper gear. The 16 tooth 2^nd came out in the early 1960's, while the 17 and 19 tooth replaced it in later years.

The OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) Cub Cadet 2nd and 3rd upper sliding gears are made together, next to each other. This is why they're called cluster gears. They have the 2nd/3rd speed shift fork between them. The 2nd and 3rd bottom gears are separate, fixed in place, and is spaced apart with a spacer. And 1st sliding gear is used for forward and reverse. The 1st/Reverse shift fork fits over 1st gear. Cub Cadet garden tractors originally came with 16, 17 and 19 tooth second gears. (This is the upper sliding cluster 2nd speed gear; upper 3rd speed gear is 26 tooth in all models.)

• 16T - Models IH Cub Cadet "Original", Cub Cadet models 70 and 100. Cub Cadet part # IH-364520-R1.
• 17T - Models 86, 108, 128, 580, 582, 800, 1000, 1050, 1200, 1535, 1604, 1606 and 1806. Cub Cadet part # 917-3077.
• 19T - Models 71, 72, 73, 102, 104, 106, 122, 124 and 126. Cub Cadet part # IH-388597-R1.

The number of factors to take into consideration when choosing the right gearing for a garden pulling tractor are:

Strength of engine. If it has limited RPM or runs at wide open throttle, stock condition, mild build-up, modified or fully modified. Engine specifications. Tire size, diameter/circumference, tread width, cut/uncut tread, tread compound (hard or soft rubber), condition of tread and if turf or lug tread. Wheel width. Hitch height. Weight of tractor with driver.

What your particular club's sanctioning rules permit. If the tractor is burning gas or methanol fuel. Track material (asphalt, top soil, clay, sod/sand mixture, etc.), condition of track and length of track. Total weight and design of the weight transfer sled. Click here for complete list of various Cub Cadet gear ratios.

If a pulling club's rules require that 23-10.50x12 [Carlisle Super Lug or Vogel] tires to be used, then these tires can be mounted on 12" wide wheels. I've seen this done many times on pulling tractors with great results. The wider wheels will allow the tire tread to lay flatter for better traction, but it'll also shorten the overall tire height slightly which will reduce the tractor's ground speed. Therefore, to regain the ground speed, if it's a Cub Cadet, perhaps installing 10% overdrive gears should do the trick. Also, 23-10.50x12 inner tubes may need to be installed to get the tire(s) to take air due to the wider wheels and narrow tires.

Rule of thumb in choosing the right gear ratios are as follows: NOTE: The following statements are meant only as a reference. The right gearing depends mainly on the strength and/or size of the engine and track conditions. And when it comes to competition pulling, nothing is really certain. Weights shown is with driver.

• For a 1050 lb. tractor with 26x12.00-12 cut tread lug tires, a 4,000 RPM factory stock 8hp engine and a 13" hitch height, one could pull in just 1^st gear all the time. But if the same tractor has 23x10.50-12 cut tread lug tires and a 10" hitch height, one could pull a stock 16 tooth 2^nd gear. But could probably pull with a slightly faster gear with narrower cut tread lug tires.
• For a 1050 lb. tractor with 26x12.00-12 cut tread lug tires, a 4,000 RPM factory stock 10hp engine and a 13" hitch height, one can pull all the time in 1^st gear. If the same tractor has 23x10.50-12 cut tread lug tires and a 10" hitch height, one could pull a stock 19 tooth 2^nd gear.
• For a 900 lb. tractor with 26x12.00-12 cut tread lug tires, a 4,000 RPM factory stock 10hp engine and a 13" hitch height could pull a stock 13 tooth 1st gear and 14/15 tooth 2^nd/3^rd gear set. If the engine is built to the max @ 4,000 RPM, it could pull a stock 13 tooth 1st gear with a 13 tooth (10%) overdrive pinion, and 14/15 tooth 2^nd/3^rd gear set. This combination of 3 forward pulling gears will be an equivalent to a 14 tooth 1st, 15 tooth 2nd and 16 tooth 3rd. If the same tractor weighs 1050 lbs., remove the 10% overdrive pinion.
• For a 1050 lb. tractor with 26x12.00-12 cut tread lug tires, a 4,000 RPM factory stock 12hp engine and a 13" hitch height, one could pull all the time with a stock 16 tooth 2^nd gear, or a 15/16 tooth 2^nd/3^rd gear set could work, too. As for 23x10.50-12 tires and a 10" hitch height, one could pull a 17/19 tooth 2^nd/3^rd gear set.
• For a 1050 lb. tractor with 26x12.00-12 cut tread lug tires, a 4,000 RPM factory stock 16hp engine and a 13" hitch height, a 19 tooth 2nd gear would probably do just fine. Or, installing an 18/20 tooth 2^nd/3^rd gear set could work also. If it has a set of 23x10.50-12 tires and a 10" hitch, it could pull a 22/24 tooth 2^nd/3^rd gear set.
• For a 1050 lb. tractor with 26x12.00-12 cut tread lug tires, a Stock-Altered 16hp engine and a 13" hitch height, a 19 tooth 2nd gear with a 10% overdrive pinion would probably do just fine. Or, installing an 20/21 tooth 2^nd/3^rd gear set could work also.
• The 950 lb. NQS 30 c.i. tractor could pull a 18/19 (replaces 1^st and reverse gears) and 20/21 tooth 2^nd/3^rd gears, combination 4 speed gear set.
• The 1050 lb. 16hp (37 c.i.) Missouri Super-Stock tractor could pull a 20/21 (replaces 1^st and reverse gears) and 22/23 tooth 2^nd/3^rd gears, combination 4 speed gear set.
• The 1050 lb. 50.5 c.i. NQS Super-Stock (Missouri Modified) tractor could pull a 23/24 (replaces 1^st and reverse gears) and 25/26 tooth 2^nd/3^rd gears, combination 4 speed gear set.
• Use this Cub Cadet Gear Ratio Chart or the chart below Ê to determine which gears your tractor needs. (Open the linked file with Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice Calc and use Google Chrome web browser for a faster download of websites with large files.)

There's about a 600 RPM difference (reduction or increase) in gearing between one set of gears with a particular number of teeth and another set of gears with one tooth more or one tooth less.

The reason for a combination 2^nd and 3^rd speed gear set is to slow down the tires in 2^nd gear when pulling on a biting track (moistened, sticky surface), which will provide more traction and reserve engine power, because the tires probably wouldn't be able to spin as easily. With a slightly faster 3^rd gear, (faster than 2^nd gear, but slower than factory-stock 3^rd gear), would perform better on a hard, dry or loose track (which will allow the tires to spin more easily), will provide more ground speed without sacrificing engine power. So having a double gear set is better than pulling in just one gear all the time, which is either too slow or too fast. Click the photo to the right for a larger view.

OR, the stock OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) 12 tooth pinion drive gear can be swapped out with an aftermarket 13 tooth pinion drive gear and the 84 tooth OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) lower driven gear can still be used. This will increase the drive gears about 1 tooth. If you want your tractor to go even faster, then both upper and lower gears must be changed. See picture è

To replace the input shaft/pinion drive gear, first remove the cover from the reduction gear housing, and use a medium size hammer and deepwell socket that fits inside the needle bearing housing on the back-side of the reduction gear housing, and drive out the input shaft/pinion gear from the rear of the housing. The oil seal, shaft/gear and needle bearing will all come out as one unit. After the new shaft is installed, apply a thin bead of clear RTV silicone adhesive sealant to seal the bearing in the rear of the housing. By the way - I've always preferred to use clear RTV silicone adhesive sealant for three reasons: Due to metal warpage (which is unavoidable in most cases), gaskets don't always seal the irregularities and imperfections between mating surfaces, especially thin metal covers; being it's an adhesive, it bonds parts together, forming a leak-proof seal; and being it's clear, a thin bead of silicone makes for a clean and professional-looking repair job. When applied sparingly, it can't be easily seen or noticed between the parts.

Or, to remove a pinion and not destroy any parts (seal, etc.) use a "slide hammer" and put an angle or channel steel to use as a lever. Using this method, you do not damage even the most stubborn pinion. You can reuse everything and don't have to worry about any leaks.

No machine work is required when installing overdrive gears. But some grinding inside the housing may be required when installing a large pinion drive gear. Otherwise, just remove the pinion drive gear and the lower driven gear and install the aftermarket gears in the reverse order of removal.

And when reassembling a Cub Cadet gear drive transaxle, there's no need to install any high-dollar gaskets that are prone to leaking oil. Instead, apply a thin bead of clear RTV silicone adhesive sealant to reassemble the entire transaxle case. Silicone rubber is what I've always used on my transaxles since 1989 and to this day, they haven't leaked a drop of oil. And by eliminating gaskets, the use of silicone "strengthens" the transaxle housings by securely "bonding" them together or having them make positive metal-to-metal contact, which keeps the bolts securely tight, plus the silicone fills in any imperfections between the two metals, eliminating oil leaks. By the way - I've always preferred to use clear RTV silicone adhesive sealant for three reasons: Due to metal warpage (which is unavoidable in most cases), gaskets don't always seal the irregularities and imperfections between mating surfaces, especially thin metal covers; being it's an adhesive, it bonds parts together, forming a leak-proof seal; and being it's clear, a thin bead of silicone makes for a clean and professional-looking repair job. When applied sparingly, it can't be easily seen or noticed between the parts.

FYI - If oil leaks from an engine, transmission/transaxle or steering box, causing an oily mess on a concrete floor, mineral spirits (paint thinner) can be used to dry out the oil. Just pour some thinner on the oil, use an old broom to thoroughly mix the thinner with the oil, and eventually the oil will dry with no signs of it ever being on the floor. Because of its low volatile flammability, paint thinner also works great as a cleaning solvent, which is used to clean oily or greasy mechanical parts.

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Fabricate a Simple, yet Functional Shift Lever Lock (to prevent the tractor from "jumping out of gear" when pulling) -

If you're using either old or new gears, due to severe stress that pulling places on the gears, it's always a good idea to install a sturdy shifter lock on the tractor frame to hold the lever in gear when pulling. If pulling in just 2^nd gear only, an adjustable yoke end can be used, or a short U-shape shifter lock can be made of minimum 1/8" thickness x 1" wide aluminum or steel. But when pulling in only 2^nd and 3^rd gears, or with in 4 forward gear setup with no reverse, make the U-shape shifter lock taller and tilted back so it'll be at a 90º angle with the shift lever for positive locking (causing no movement) of the lever. Use two 1/4" bolts to fasten the U-shape shifter lock to the tractor frame. The shift lever will need to be in place on the tractor to properly align the pins in the shifter lock and fasten the shifter lock bracket to the tractor frame in the right spot. To insure that the mating top and bottom gears are perfectly aligned and fully engaged, and to prevent misalignment of the gears when they are locked in position, accurately measure (twice), cut (once) and drill the holes (once) before fabricating, welding and permanently installing the U-shape shifter lock!

When pulling competitively, it's best to lock the shift lever in gear despite the best gears/shafts/bearing retainers installed and if the gears are properly aligned. Because sometimes they'll still jump out of gear under hard pulling pressure. I believe there's no bigger disappointment and embarrassment than having your tractor jump out of gear on the track, especially when you knew there was a chance that it would jump out of jump.

When building a Cub Cadet tractor from scratch (parts from other Cub Cadet tractors), remember - there's differences between the shift levers on IH-built Cub Cadets. Models IH Cub Cadet "Original", Cub Cadet models 70, 71, 72 and 100 use the same shift lever (part # IH-376214-R12). Models 73, 106 and 126 use the same shift lever (part # IH-528881-R1). Models 102, 104, 122 and 124 use the same shift lever (part # IH-392628-R11). And models 86, 108, 128, 582 (IH), 800, 1000 and 1200 use the same shift lever (part # IH-544135-R1).

Sometimes while the tractor is connected to a heavy trailer, or still hooked to the sled just after a pull, the clutch(es) on a Cub Cadet will refuse to release (with the clutch pedal fully depressed, of course) and at the same time the puller/operator tries to force the shift lever into the neutral position, this may cause the transmission gears to become locked up.

If this has happens, to fix this, first, the entire transaxle will need to be removed from the tractor's frame (this is much easier to do on a platform work table), or just move it back enough so the shift lever cover can be removed. After that, use a large flat screwdriver to shift the gears into the neutral position. (That's when the slots in the shift forks [where the shift lever ball end fits into] are aligned.) Then, you'll notice that the shifter forks are flared out. Use a hammer to bring them back together so the shift lever ball will fit snugly into them. Due to worn gears and pulling force, these slots will sometimes flare out on their own.

Shifter forks get broken, too. I've welded many of them back together with success. And if they don't break, they get bent from someone trying to jam or force the shift lever into gear when the tractor is sitting still with two gear teeth aligned and not offset with each other. This is when the operator needs to lightly engage the clutch or physically roll the tractor back and forth to get the gear teeth offset so the shift lever will go into gear. The same thing needs to be done with a car, truck or anything that has a manual shift transmission or transaxle to prevent damage.

To replace a broken shifter fork, first, remove the rod it attaches to. To do so, remove the transaxle from the tractor (this is much easier to do when using a platform work table), remove the front gear reduction housing, remove the rear end cover, then use a long drift (3/8" bendable steel rod) to drive the shifter rod forward from the transaxle case. Be sure to place a finger over the hole so the small steel ball and spring won't pop out and possibly get lost. Reassembly is in reverse order of removal.

To prevent the gears from locking up again, first, make sure that the slots are properly aligned and they're not flared out. Then place a bead of weld on each side of the shift forks as shown in the picture to the right so they won't spread out again. The weld will prevent the slots from spreading again and also keep the clamp bolts from loosening.

And in high-torque engine tractors, the mainshaft (upper shaft) could become twisted, resulting in total lock up of all the gears. Contact A-1 Miller's Performance Enterprises for quality hardened gears, shafts, ring gears and other Cub Cadet transaxle components.

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The Cause for Reverse to "Jump Out" of Gear -

If the transaxle jumps out of reverse, especially when backing up a slight grade (hill), this means either the shift forks are bent and need straightening and welding. Or the gear teeth on the reverse idler are worn and the gear itself needs to be replaced. The gear teeth on the 1st/reverse sliding gear suffers the same abuse, so it should be replaced, too. What cause this is when the operator don't come to a full stop before shifting into reverse. Instead, they grind the transmission into reverse, which wears off the gear teeth. The gear teeth loses their "squareness," and cannot stay engaged correctly. The same thing happens with the reverse idler gear in automotive transmissions. To replace the reverse idler and 1st/reverse gears, the entire transmission or transaxle must be completely disassembled. There is no other way to fix this.

By the way - all IH gear drive transaxles use the same shifter forks from the IH Cub Cadet "Original" until MTD made the 3 piece aluminum case. And you use caution if using an aluminum case transaxle for competitive pulling. Aluminum don't have the strength that the cast iron ones does. When pressure is applied to the case (the gears pushing against each other under stress; the case is what holds the gears together), the aluminum case will sometimes crack or break.

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OEM IH Cub Cadet One Piece Input Shaft and Integrated 12 Tooth Pinion Drive Gear with Unworn Spiral Pin Hole. (Old-style; long gear teeth; stronger for bigger competitive pulling engines.) Originally installed in all IH-built clutch drive Cub Cadets, except models 1250, 1450 and 1650 with a hydrostatic disconnect attachment. Discontinued from Cub Cadet. Replaced with Cub Cadet part # 717-3073. Used and in excellent condition. $50.00 each, plus shipping & handling. (When available.) OEM MTD Cub Cadet One Piece Input Shafts and Integrated 12 Tooth Pinion Drive Gear with Unworn Spiral Pin Hole. (New-style; short gear teeth; suitable for stock competitive pulling engines or general lawn and garden use.) Originally installed in all MTD-built clutch drive Cub Cadets. OEM Cub Cadet part # 717-3073. Used and in excellent condition. $50.00 each, plus shipping & handling. (When available.) New part. $205.00 each, plus shipping & handling. One Piece Input Shaft and Integrated 13 Tooth/5% Overdrive Pinion Drive Gear for IH/MTD Cub Cadet Transaxles. Speeds up all transmission gears about one tooth for about 5% more ground speed. 1.241" diameter gear; use only with OEM Cub Cadet 84 tooth lower driven gear. Intended for competition pulling, but can be used for general lawn and garden use to slightly speed up tractor. Uses OEM .667" / 17mm ball bearing. Made by True Gear & Spline. This is NOT the same 13 tooth pinion gear that's used with the 10% and 26% overdrive gears below. They have a different diameter. Made by True Gear & Spline. $75.00 each, plus shipping & handling. Replacement One Piece Input Shaft with an Integrated Pinion Drive Gear for the 10%, 16%, 23% Overdrive Gear Sets and 10% and 20% Underdrive Gear Sets. Made by True Gear & Spline. $75.00 each, plus shipping & handling. Replacement Splined Input Shaft for the 26%, 33%, 38%, 43% and 47% Overdrive 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 Tooth Slide-On Pinion Drive Gears. Newly redesigned for 2017! Now uses same bearing, oil seal and retaining ring as OEM input shaft. Replace worn or damaged input shaft to match an overdrive and underdrive lower gears listed below Ê. Made by True Gear & Spline. $75.00 each, plus shipping & handling.
Constant Mesh Overdrive and Underdrive Reduction Drive Gear Sets for IH/MTD Cub Cadet Transaxles. Precision CNC-ground, heat-treated and hardened gears. Smooth operation with no rattle or gear teeth clatter. The OEM input pinion gear can be replaced with a 13 tooth/5% pinion gear. But for faster speeds, the OEM input pinion and reduction gears can be replaced with either 10%, 16%, 23%, 26%, 33%, 38%, 43% or 47% aftermarket overdrive pinion and reduction gears, or 10% and 20% underdrive pinion and reduction gears. The percentage is the amount the tractor speed is increased or decreased. Intended for competition pulling, but can be used for general lawn and garden use to speed up or slow down tractor. Made by True Gear & Spline. Use this Cub Cadet Gear Ratio Chart to determine which gears your tractor needs. (Open with Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice Calc and use Google Chrome web browser for a faster download of websites with large files.) Overdrive Gear Sets. Increase gear ratio for more ground speed. 10% increase; speeds up all transmission gears by 1-1/4 turns. Has 13 tooth upper pinion drive gear (1.318" diameter gear), and 83 tooth lower driven gear. (Two piece gear set - has one piece input shaft and integrated pinion gear. Input shaft uses OEM .667" / 17mm ball bearing.) $120.00 per set, plus shipping & handling. 16% increase; speeds up all transmission gears by 2-1/2 turns. Has 14 tooth upper pinion drive gear, and 82 tooth lower driven gear. (Two piece gear set - has one piece input shaft and integrated pinion gear. Input shaft uses OEM .667" / 17mm ball bearing.) $120.00 per set, plus shipping & handling. 23% increase; speeds up all transmission gears by 3-1/2 turns. Has 15 tooth upper pinion drive gear, and 81 tooth lower driven gear. (Two piece gear set - has one piece input shaft and integrated pinion gear. Input shaft uses OEM .667" / 17mm ball bearing.) $120.00 per set, plus shipping & handling. 26% increase; speeds up all transmission gears by 4 turns. Has 13 tooth upper pinion drive gear (1.500 diameter gear), and 67 tooth lower driven gear. (Three piece gear set - has two-piece splined input shaft and slide-on pinion gear. $120.00 per set, plus shipping & handling. 33% increase; speeds up all transmission gears by 5 turns. Has 14 tooth upper pinion drive gear, and 66 tooth lower driven gear. (Three piece gear set - has two-piece splined input shaft and slide-on pinion gear. $120.00 per set, plus shipping & handling. 38% increase; speeds up all transmission gears by 6-1/2 turns. Has 15 tooth upper pinion drive gear, and 65 tooth lower driven gear.) (Three piece gear set - has two-piece splined input shaft and slide-on pinion gear. $120.00 per set, plus shipping & handling. 43% increase; speeds up all transmission gears by 7 turns. Has 16 tooth upper pinion drive gear, and 64 tooth lower driven gear. (Three piece gear set - has two-piece splined input shaft and slide-on pinion gear. $120.00 per set, plus shipping & handling. 47% increase; speeds up all transmission gears by 8 turns. Has 17 tooth upper pinion drive gear, and 63 tooth lower driven gear. (Three piece gear set - has two-piece splined input shaft and slide-on pinion gear. $120.00 per set, plus shipping & handling. Underdrive Gear Sets. Decrease gear ratio for less ground speed. 10% decrease; slows all transmission gears by 1-1/4 turns. Has 11 tooth upper pinion drive gear, and 85 tooth lower driven gear. (Two piece gear set - has one piece input shaft and integrated pinion gear. Input shaft uses OEM .667" / 17mm ball bearing.) $120.00 per set, plus shipping & handling. 20% decrease; slows all transmission gears by 2 turns. Has 10 tooth upper pinion drive gear, and 86 tooth lower driven gear. (Two piece gear set - has one piece input shaft and integrated pinion gear. Input shaft uses OEM .667" / 17mm ball bearing.) $120.00 per set, plus shipping & handling.
13 Tooth 1st and Reverse Sliding Gear for all clutch-drive IH- and MTD-built Cub Cadet garden tractors. Replace gear with worn teeth to prevent tractor from jumping out of gear when backing up on a hill. High quality aftermarket. $60.00 each, plus shipping & handling. OEM Cub Cadet part # 917-3078. $121.25 each, plus shipping & handling.	22 Tooth Reverse Idler Gear w/Bronze Bushing for all clutch-drive IH- and MTD-built Cub Cadet garden tractors. Replace gear with worn teeth to prevent tractor from jumping out of gear when backing up on a hill. OEM Cub Cadet part # 917-3188. $153.50 each, plus shipping & handling.
16/26 Tooth 2nd and 3rd Sliding Cluster Gear for all clutch-drive IH- and MTD-built Cub Cadet garden tractors. High quality aftermarket. Made of heat-treated, hardened steel. Not made by True Gear & Spline. $97.00. each, plus shipping & handling. OEM Cub Cadet part # IH-364520-R1. $325.90 each, plus shipping & handling.	19/26 Tooth 2nd and 3rd Sliding Cluster Gear for all clutch-drive IH- and MTD-built Cub Cadet garden tractors. Discontinued from Cub Cadet. Replaces Cub Cadet part # IH-388597-R1. High quality aftermarket. Made of heat-treated, hardened steel. Not made by True Gear & Spline. $110.00 each, plus shipping & handling.
Custom Two Upper Cluster Slider Gears and Two Lower Stationary Gears for IH/MTD Cub Cadet transaxles. Precision CNC-ground, heat-treated and hardened gears. Smooth engagement with no rattle or gear teeth clatter. Gear sets includes one upper cluster gears and two lower gears. Intended for competition pulling, but can be used for general lawn and garden use to speed up or slow down tractor. Made by True Gear & Spline. NOTE: Tooth count on upper cluster gear and matching bottom gear must add up to 52. Listed are the most popular sets: 1st and reverse gears (The 1st and reverse gears can have all the tooth counts for what ratio you would like; 13 teeth over 14 teeth up to 29 teeth), 14/15, 14/16, 15/16, 15/17 , 16/17, 16/18, 17/18, 17/19, 18/19, 18/20, 19/20, 19/21, 20/21, 20/22, 21/22, 21/23, 22/23, 22/24, 23/24, 23/25, 24/25, 24/26, 25/26, 25/27, 26/27. Other gear sets are also available; from 13 teeth to 28 teeth in any combination you desire, as long as the gear teeth on both matching upper and lower gears add up to 52. Exception: for the upper 13 tooth cluster gear, reuse the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) Cub Cadet 39 tooth lower (1st speed) gear. Use this Cub Cadet Gear Ratio Chart to determine which gears your tractor needs. If you wish to use a faster gear than the 28 tooth, then an overdrive gear set (above È) will also need to be used. (Open with Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice Calc and use Google Chrome web browser for a faster download of websites with large files.) Above È gears, any combination. $120.00 per set, plus shipping & handling. Custom Gears Installation Information: On the custom 2nd and 3rd gear set, the bottom gears are wider than the Cub Cadet OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) bottom gears. Therefore, the cone-shaped spacer at the front of the lower pinion shaft will need to be narrowed about .050" so the pinion drive gear will mesh correctly with the lower driven gear. Exception: for the 13 tooth cluster gear, reuse the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) Cub Cadet 39 tooth bottom gear. And if the upper gears are larger in diameter than the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) gears, the shifter fork may need grinding for clearance. Or if the gears are really big, a billet shifter fork will need to be installed. Otherwise, 1st and reverse gears and everything else should remain the same in the transaxle.
Custom Four Forward, 4-Speed Pulling Gear Conversion Kit. Includes: Two sets of True Gear cluster/bottom gears, two billet shift forks and spacer kit. Please indicate teeth count on gears. $440.00 each kit, plus shipping & handling.
Install custom upper and lower transmission gears in your IH Cub Cadet transaxle, or perform complete IH Cub Cadet transaxle repairs, gear changes and modifications. A super strong rare earth/neodymium magnet will also be placed inside the bottom of the transaxle case to attract any wear fragments so gears and bearings will last longer. Sometimes some of the ferrous wear fragments settle to the bottom of the transaxle case and do not drain out with the oil when performing an oil change, even when the oil is hot. $300.00 and up labor, plus return shipping & handling. Parts are extra charge.
Top Shafts for IH-built cast iron housing Cub Cadet transaxles. OEM Cub Cadet top shaft, Used and in excellent condition. $40.00 each, plus shipping & handling. (When available.) New heat treated, heavy duty top shaft. Won't twist like OEM top shaft. Made by True Gear & Spline. $75.00 each, plus shipping & handling.
Cub Cadet Shift Rail Steel Poppet Ball and Detent Spring. Each fits all gear-drive Cub Cadet garden tractor models 70, 71, 72, 73, 86, 100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 122, 124, 126, 128, 580, 582, 800, 1000, 1050, 1200, 1220, 1320, 1330, 1420, 1535, 1604, 1606, 1720, 1730 and 1806. Ball also replaces the pressure release check valve (ball) in the hydrostatic pump in Cub Cadet models 1220, 1320, 1330, 1420, 1720 and 1730. Poppet Ball. Reinstall lost or misplaced ball when changing gears so shifter will remain engaged in gear. 3/8" diameter. Made of chrome steel. Discontinued from Cub Cadet. Replaces Cub Cadet part # 741-0359. $1.50 each, plus shipping & handling. Detent Spring for Poppet Ball. Replace broken or weak spring so shifter will remain engaged in gear. 3/8" outside diameter x 1-1/4" uncompressed length x .060" wire diameter. OEM Cub Cadet part # 732-0424. $5.45 each, plus shipping & handling.
High-speed precision radial ball bearings for IH- and MTD-built Cub Cadet cast iron and aluminum gear reduction housings with OEM and aftermarket overdrive and underdrive input pinion shaft with the integrated pinion gear and slide-on pinion gear. Dimensions: .667"/17mm i.d. x 1.575"/40mm o.d. x .470"/12mm height. FYI - All ball bearings have always been made to the metric dimensions. Where applicable, the US and import manufacturers try to make them close to the inch dimensions as possible. High quality aftermarket. $10.00 each, plus shipping & handling. OEM Cub Cadet part # 941-0361. $31.35 each, plus shipping & handling.
External Bearing Retainer Snap Ring. Fits OEM Cub Cadet and aftermarket .667" / 17mm diameter input pinion shaft with an integrated 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 or 15 tooth drive gear. Made of high strength carbon steel. Discontinued from Cub Cadet. Replaces Cub Cadet part #'s IH-384709-R1 and 716-0143. .50¢ each, plus shipping & handling. External Bearing Retainer Snap Ring. Fits aftermarket 5/8" diameter splined input pinion shaft with a slide-on 16 or 17 tooth drive gear. Made of high strength carbon steel. .50¢ each, plus shipping & handling.
Closed-End Needle Bearing for Input Shaft/Pinion Gear. Cub Cadet part # 941-0362. Aftermarket. Dimensions: 3/4" i.d. x 1" o.d. x 3/4" length. (1/4" longer than OEM bearing; allow 1/4" of bearing to protrude out of reduction housing upon installation.) $20.00 each, plus shipping & handling. OEM Cub Cadet bearing. Dimensions: 3/4" i.d. x 1" o.d. x 1/2" length. $63.00 each, plus shipping & handling.
Oil Seal for IH-built Cub Cadet Cast Iron Case Reduction Housing Input Pinion Shaft/Gear (above È). Dimensions: 5/8" i.d. x 1.625" o.d. x 5/16" height. IMPORTANT: Apply clean motor oil, gear oil or lubricating grease in lip of seal before installing to keep seal lubricated and cool until internal oil can reach it. With no prior lubrication, the dry rubber will get hot from friction and burn away, causing an oil leak. High quality aftermarket. $16.00 each, plus shipping & handling. OEM Cub Cadet part # IH-385076-R92. $20.00 each, plus shipping & handling.
Oil Seal for MTD-built Cub Cadet Aluminum Case Reduction Housing Input Pinion Shaft/Gear above È. Dimensions: 5/8" i.d. x 1.574" o.d. x 5/16" height. IMPORTANT: Apply clean motor oil, gear oil or lubricating grease in lip of seal before installing to keep seal lubricated and cool until internal oil can reach it. With no prior lubrication, the dry rubber will get hot from friction and burn away, causing an oil leak. Discontinued from Cub Cadet. Replaces Cub Cadet part # 721-0193. $16.00 each, plus shipping & handling.
Oil Seal for IH Cub Cadet "Original" Input Shaft. Dimensions: 3/4" i.d. x 1.756" o.d. x 3/8" height. IMPORTANT: Apply clean motor oil, gear oil or lubricating grease in lip of seal before installing to keep seal lubricated and cool until internal oil can reach it. With no prior lubrication, the dry rubber will get hot from friction and burn away, causing an oil leak. Discontinued from Cub Cadet. Replaces Cub Cadet part # IH-377959-R91. $16.00 each, plus shipping & handling.
Ring and Pinion Gear Sets for IH-Built Cub Cadet Garden Tractors - NOTE: The ring and pinion gears in all IH-built Cub Cadets have a 4.6:1 ratio. These ring and pinion gears will not fit the MTD-built Cub Cadet garden tractors. The OEM IH Cub Cadet ring or pinion gears will not properly engage with True Gear's ring or pinion gears. Neither can be used with True Gear ring and pinions because True Gear ring and pinions have additional metal in the teeth area to hold up to the added stress of pulling. OEM IH Cub Cadet Ring Gear ONLY. OEM Cub Cadet part # IH-350787-R1. Used and in excellent condition. $50.00 each, plus shipping & handling. (When available.) OEM IH Cub Cadet Ring and Pinion Gear Sets. Used and in excellent condition. Can be used with internal brake or external/axle brakes. $100.00 per set, plus shipping & handling. (When available.) Used and in excellent condition. Use only with internal brake. $150.00 per set, plus shipping & handling. (When available.) New True Gear Heavy Duty Hardened Ring and Pinion Gear Sets. Either can be used with internal brake or external/axle brakes. Inside diameter of the ring gear is 4-1/2", same as the OEM Cub Cadet ring gear. The centering ring is required to install it on the Chrysler carrier. Forward Cut Ring and Pinion Gear Set. For use with Kohler engines. $355.00 per set, plus shipping & handling. Reverse Cut Ring and Pinion Gear Set. For use with a Diesel or reverse rotation engine in a Cub Cadet. No need to flip carrier. $550.00 per set, plus shipping & handling.
Light duty, one-piece "thin casting" cast iron IH-built Cub Cadet differential case (carrier) assembly with coarse spline spider gears (for coarse spline axles). Suitable for a Cub Cadet with a 10hp or smaller engine, general lawn and garden use, light towing or for a competition pulling tractor with a 10" drawbar height and 23-10.50x12 cut-tread lug tires. Definitely not recommended for a competition pulling tractor with a 13" drawbar height and 26-12.00x12 cut- or professional-tread pulling tires. Used and in excellent condition. Discontinued from Cub Cadet. OEM Cub Cadet part # IH-350785-R92 (thin casting). Without ring gear.* $20.00 each, plus shipping & handling. (When available.) With ring gear. $50.00 each, plus shipping & handling. (When available.) Heavy duty, one piece, "thick casting" cast iron IH-built Cub Cadet differential case (carrier) assembly with coarse spline spider gears (for coarse spline axles). Suitable for a Cub Cadet with a 12hp or bigger engine, heavy lawn and garden use, heavy towing or for a competition pulling tractor with a 13" drawbar height and 23-10.50x12 cut-tread lug tires. Not recommended for a competition pulling tractor with a 13" drawbar height and 26-12.00x12 cut- or professional-tread pulling tires. Used and in excellent condition. Discontinued from Cub Cadet. OEM Cub Cadet part # IH-223472-C91 (thick casting). Without ring gear.* $30.00 each, plus shipping & handling. (When available.) With ring gear. $60.00 each, plus shipping & handling. (When available.) MTD Cub Cadet Two-Piece Fine Spline Differential Case (Carrier) Assembly. Less ring gear. Discontinued from Cub Cadet. OEM Cub Cadet part # 717-3217. $150.00 each, plus shipping & handling. (When Available.) * NOTE: To remove the ring gear from any of these carriers, drill the rivets with a 1/4" drill bit halfway through, then punch them out with a 1/4" roll pin punch. Then install 5/16" fine thread grade 8 bolts with grade 8 nuts and split lockwashers. Torque each nut to 35 ft. lbs. to secure the ring gear to the carrier.
Differential Tapered Bearing. This bearing goes in the flange below Ê. Replace a worn or damaged bearing. Fits IH Cub Cadet "Original"and all IH- and MTD-built clutch- and hydrostatic-drive Cub Cadets, except belt drive models 482, 580, 582 Special and 1100. Discontinued from Cub Cadet. OEM Cub Cadet 741-0369. Used and in excellent condition. $5.00 each, plus shipping & handling. (When available.)
Cub Cadet Differential Flanges. Replace a broken flange. Fits IH Cub Cadet "Original" and all IH- and MTD-built clutch- and hydrostatic-drive Cub Cadets, except belt drive models 482, 580, 582 Special and 1100. The flange with the rubber O-ring groove (part # IH-376158-R91) is Discontinued from Cub Cadet. OEM Cub Cadet part #'s IH-376158-R91, 717-3203, 759-3803. Used and in excellent condition. $5.00 each, plus shipping & handling. (When available.) (Cub Cadet dealer: $96.00± retail each!)
Coarse spline axle shaft with wheel flange. Fits IH-built Cub Cadet models 70, 72, 73, 100, 102, 104, 105, 106, 107, 122, 124, 125, 582, 682, 782, 784 (prior to serial # 720000), and certain 800, 1000 and 1200's. In excellent condition, not twisted, bent or damaged. Being each axle is the same length, can be used in either side of transaxle. Discontinued from Cub Cadet. OEM Cub Cadet part # IH-531179-R1. Used and in excellent condition. $35.00 each, plus shipping & handling. (When available.)
Cub Cadet Coarse Spline Axle with disc brake and wheel flange. Fits IH-built Cub Cadet models 86, 106, 107, 108, 109, 126, 127, 128, 129, 147, 149, 169, 784, 1250, 1450, 1650, and certain 800, 1000 and 1200's. In excellent condition, not twisted, bent or damaged. Being each axle is the same length, can be used in either side of transaxle. Used and in excellent condition. $100.00 each, plus shipping & handling. [When available.] OEM Cub Cadet part # IH-531180-R2. $701.00 each, plus shipping & handling.
IH and MTD Cub Cadet 1" Fine Spline Axles. Each discontinued from Cub Cadet. Axle without brake disc; for Cub Cadets w/internal brake. OEM Cub Cadet part # IH-223524-C1. $60.00 each, plus shipping & handling. (When available.) Axle with brake disc; for Cub Cadets w/external brakes. OEM Cub Cadet part # 703-0907. $50.00 each, plus shipping & handling. (When available.)
MTD Cub Cadet 30mm Fine Spline Axle. Discontinued from Cub Cadet. OEM Cub Cadet part # 703-1499. $50.00 each, plus shipping & handling. (When available.)
Brake Disc for Cub Cadets with External Brakes.
Wheel Stud Kits for IH-built Cub Cadets with an internal (wet) brake. 7/16-20 UNF x 1-1/2" long (thread length). For use with no wheel spacers. These are grade 8 bolts that act as studs when installed from the backside in the flanges. Along with lug nuts (below Ê), these make for much easier mounting of wheels on a garden tractor. NOTE: Not for tractors with external brake disc welded to axle. An original, ingenious and innovative concept by Brian Miller. $10.00 per set of 10, plus shipping & handling.
Wheel Stud Kits for IH-built Cub Cadets with an internal (wet) brake or external axle/disc brakes, but will work on other makes and models of garden tractors as well. Along with wheel spacers, these are required when wheels will not clear the fenders and/or brake calipers. With lug nuts (below Ê) installed, these make for easier mounting of wheels with or without spacers on a garden tractor. Along with lug nuts (below Ê), these make for easier mounting of wheels with or without spacers on a garden tractor. Made of 125,000 PSI hardened 7/16-20 UNF studs and secured from the backside in the wheel flanges with jam nuts. Each set includes 10 studs and 10 jam nuts. Replaces Cub Cadet part # 710-3027. An original, ingenious and innovative concept by Brian Miller. Please accept no copycat parts. 1-5/8" length for use with no wheel spacers. $20.00 per set, plus shipping & handling. 2" length for use with 5/16" wheel spacers. $22.50 per set, plus shipping & handling. 3-5/8" length for use with 1" wheel spacers. $25.00 per set, plus shipping & handling. Custom lengths available. Please specify length when ordering. $25.00 per set, plus shipping & handling.
Automotive Wheel Lug Studs for MTD-built Cub Cadet 30mm Fine Spline Axles. Convert OEM Cub Cadet 7/16-14 NC coarse thread studs to automotive 7/16-20 UNF fine thread studs so nice looking chrome acorn lug nuts below Ê can be used. OEM brake discs can be reused with these studs. Made of extremely hardened steel. Install with a 1/2" impact wrench with grade 8 nut and flat washer/spacer. Replaces Cub Cadet part # 710-0852. An innovative concept by Brian Miller because nobody else advertise this part for a garden tractor. $20.00 per set of 10, plus shipping & handling.
Lug Nuts for Factory Steel Wheels and Aluminum Wheels. 7/16-20 UNF (fine thread) thread size. Along with studs (above È), these make for easier mounting of wheels on a garden tractor. Torque each to 50 ft. lbs. NOTE: The mounting holes in factory steel garden tractor wheels will need to be drilled (enlarged) to 21/32" to allow for the taper on the lug nuts to tighten properly and keep the wheel centered with the axle. Plain, Zinc-Plated Tapered Seat Lug Nuts for Factory Steel Wheels. $15.00 per set of 10, plus shipping & handling. Chrome Acorn Closed-End Tapered Seat Lug Nuts for Factory Steel Wheels. $25.00 per set of 10, plus shipping & handling. Chrome Acorn Closed-End Lug Nuts for Flat Surface Aluminum Wheels. Includes flat washer to prevent marring of the wheel. $32.00 per set of 10, plus shipping & handling.
Bronze Bushings for IH Cub Cadet Rear Axle Housings with 1" Axle Shafts. Fits IH Cub Cadet "Original" (hole for grease fitting will need to be drilled through bushing), and IH Cub Cadet models 70, 71, 72, 73, 100, 102 and 122. All other models have needle bearings. Dimensions: 1" i.d. x 1.125" o.d. x 1" length. Direct OEM replacement with no machining required. IMPORTANT: Before reinstalling axles, apply clean motor oil, gear oil or lubricating grease inside bushings or on axles for lubrication and prevent premature wear of the bushings. Discontinued from Cub Cadet. Replaces Cub Cadet part # IH-384664-R2. An innovative concept by Brian Miller because nobody else advertise this part for a garden tractor. $9.00/pair, plus shipping & handling. Oversize Bushings for Worn IH Cub Cadet "Original" Rear Axle Housings. Hole for grease fitting will need to be drilled through bushing. Dimensions: 1" i.d. x 1.250" o.d. x 1" length. Axle housings MUST be precision machined to accept these bushings. IMPORTANT: Before reinstalling axles, apply clean motor oil, gear oil or lubricating grease inside bushings or on axles for lubrication and prevent premature wear of the bushings. An innovative concept by Brian Miller because nobody else advertise this part for a garden tractor. $9.00/pair, plus shipping & handling.
Needle-Roller Bearings to convert IH Cub Cadet axle housings with 1" OEM bronze axle bushings, except the IH Cub Cadet "Original". Reduce friction and free up some horsepower in a high-speed pulling tractor! Made of high quality heat-treated steel. NOTE: Axle housings with a bronze bushing will need to be bored precisely to 1.250" to accept these bearings. Not a direct replacement for the OEM IH Cub Cadet needle bearings because these have a smaller outside diameter. IMPORTANT: Before reinstalling axles, apply clean motor oil, gear oil or lubricating grease inside bearings or on axles for lubrication and to prevent premature wear of the bearings. An innovative concept by Brian Miller because nobody else advertise this part for a garden tractor. Needle-Roller Bearings to convert IH Cub Cadet axle housings with 1" OEM bronze axle bushings, except the IH Cub Cadet "Original". Dimensions: 1" i.d. x 1.250" o.d. x 3/4" length. $15.00/pair, plus shipping & handling. Needle-Roller Bearings to replace damaged or worn 1" OEM needle axle bearings in IH Cub Cadet axle housings. Fits Cub Cadet models 86, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 123, 125, 128, 129, 147, 149, 169, 800, 1000, 1200, 1250, 1450 and 1650. Dimensions: 1" i.d. x 1.3125" (1-5/16") o.d. x 1" length. High quality aftermarket. $8.00 each, plus shipping & handling. OEM Cub Cadet part # 941-0363. $16.25 each, plus shipping & handling.
Oil seals for IH Cub Cadet 1" diameter rear axle shafts except the IH Cub Cadet "Original". Direct replacement with no machining required. Also fits various other makes and models of garden tractor transaxles and garden tiller gearboxes. Dimensions: 1" i.d x 1-1/2" o.d. x 1/4" thickness. IMPORTANT: Apply clean motor oil, gear oil or lubricating grease in lip of seal before installing to keep seal lubricated and cool until internal oil can reach it. With no prior lubrication, the dry rubber will get hot from friction and burn away, causing an oil leak. An innovative concept by Brian Miller because nobody else advertise this part for a garden tractor. High quality aftermarket. Our part # 27897-29131. $2.50 each, plus shipping & handling. OEM Cub Cadet part # 921-0187. $8.75 each, plus shipping & handling.
Neoprene or Silicone Rubber O-Ring for IH Cub Cadet "Original" Rear Axle 3-bolt Flange Bearing Retainer. Dimensions: 3-1/8" i.d. x 3-3/8" o.d. x 1/8" thick. IMPORTANT: Apply clean motor oil, gear oil or lubricating grease on O-ring for easier installation. Discontinued from Cub Cadet. Replaces Cub Cadet part # IH-285723-R1. $2.50 each, plus shipping & handling.
Oil seal for IH Cub Cadet "Original" rear axle 3-bolt flange bearing retainer. Dimensions: 1" i.d x 1.831" o.d. x .296" thickness. NOTE: Apply clean motor oil, gear oil or lubricating grease in lip of seal before installing to keep seal lubricated and cool until internal oil can reach it. With no prior lubrication, the dry rubber will get hot from friction and burn away, causing an oil leak. Replaces Cub Cadet part # IH-610465-C92. $15.00 each, plus shipping & handling.
Oil seal for Peerless model 2300 4-speed transaxle with 1" diameter rear axle shafts. Fits Cub Cadet belt drive models 482, 580, 582 Special, 1100, and other makes and models of garden tractors with the Peerless 2300 transaxle. Direct replacement with no machining required. Dimensions: 1" i.d x 1-3/8" o.d. x 1/4" thickness. IMPORTANT: Apply clean motor oil, gear oil or lubricating grease in lip of seal before installing to keep seal lubricated and cool until internal oil can reach it. With no prior lubrication, the dry rubber will get hot from friction and burn away, causing an oil leak. Replaces Tecumseh/Peerless part # 788008. Our part # 252277. $10.00 each, plus shipping & handling.
Axle Bushing / Bearing and Oil Seal Kits to install MTD Cub Cadet 30mm fine spline axles in IH Cub Cadet 1" aluminum or cast iron axle housings. Bushings are suitable for low-speed tractors, and needle bearings are suitable for high-speed tractors. Axle housings will need to be precision machined to accept these bushings or bearings and seals. Bushing/Bearing dimensions: 1-3/16" i.d. x 1-1/2" o.d. x 1" length. Oil seal dimensions: 1-3/16" i.d. x 1-11/16" o.d. x 1/4" thickness. No Cub Cadet garden tractor originally came with these size axle bushings or bearings. NOTE: Apply motor oil or grease in bushings/bearings and seal lip and on axles before installing to prevent premature wear to bushings and seals. An innovative concept by Brian Miller, because nobody else advertise the use of this part. Oil Seals only. $8.00/two, plus shipping & handling. Bronze Bushings only. $20.00/two, plus shipping & handling. Bronze Bushing and Oil Seal Kit. $28.00 per kit, plus shipping & handling. Needle/Roller Bearing and Oil Seal Kit. $38.00 per kit, plus shipping & handling.
Axle Bushing / Bearing, Oil Seal and Locking Shaft Collar Kit for Retaining Ford Pinto Axles in IH Cub Cadet 1" aluminum or cast iron axle housings. Bushings are suitable for low-speed tractors, and needle bearings are suitable for high-speed tractors. Axle housings will need to be precision machined to accept these bushings or bearings and seals. Bushing/Bearing dimensions: 1-3/16" i.d. x 1-1/2" o.d. x 1" length. Oil seal dimensions: 1-3/16" i.d. x 1-11/16" o.d. x 1/4" thickness. No Cub Cadet garden tractor originally came with these size axle bushings or bearings. NOTE: Apply motor oil or grease in bushings/bearings and seal lip and on axles before installing to prevent premature wear to bushings and seals. An innovative concept by Brian Miller, because nobody else advertise the use of this part. Locking Collars only. $10.00/two, plus shipping & handling. Oil Seals only. $8.00/two, plus shipping & handling. Bronze Bushings only. $20.00/two, plus shipping & handling. Needle/Roller Bearings only. $30.00/two, plus shipping & handling. Bronze Bushing, Oil Seal and Locking Collar Kit. $38.00 per kit, plus shipping & handling. Needle/Roller Bearing, Oil Seal and Locking Collar Kit. $48.00 per kit, plus shipping & handling.
Axle Retaining E-Clip Snap Ring for IH-built Cub Cadets with 1" coarse spline axles. 5/8" size. Fits tractors with serial number 719999 and below. Discontinued from Cub Cadet. High quality aftermarket. Replaces IH Cub Cadet part # IH-378066-R1. $1.00 each, plus shipping & handling. Axle Retaining E-Clip Snap Ring for IH- and MTD-built Cub Cadets with 1" or 30mm fine spline axles. 17mm size. Fits tractors with serial number 720000 and above. High quality aftermarket. $1.50 each, plus shipping & handling. OEM IH Cub Cadet part # 716-0136. $6.20 each, plus shipping & handling.
External Snap Ring for IH Cub Cadet "Original" Axles. 1" size. Retains axle shaft in axle housing. High quality aftermarket. $2.00 each, plus shipping & handling. OEM Cub Cadet part # 916-0102. $3.60 each, plus shipping & handling.
Individual Gaskets and Complete Gasket Sets for IH Cub Cadet "Original" Transaxle. Shift lever cover gasket. OEM Cub Cadet part # IH-351546-R2. $7.10 each, plus shipping & handling. Gear reduction housing gasket. OEM Cub Cadet part # IH-376216-R2. $14.50 each, plus shipping & handling. Axle housing gaskets. OEM Cub Cadet part # 721-3014. $16.80 for two, plus shipping & handling. Rear cover gasket. OEM Cub Cadet part # IH-350837-R3. $19.05 each, plus shipping & handling. OEM Cub Cadet complete gasket set (includes all individual gaskets above). $57.00 per set, plus shipping & handling. Individual Gaskets and Complete Gasket Sets for all IH Cub Cadet Gear-Drive Transaxles. Gear reduction housing cover gasket. OEM Cub Cadet part # IH-384725-R2. $7.60 each, plus shipping & handling. Gear reduction housing gasket. OEM Cub Cadet part # IH-376216-R2. $14.50 each, plus shipping & handling. Shift lever cover gasket. OEM Cub Cadet part # IH-351546-R2. $7.10 each, plus shipping & handling. Axle housing gaskets. OEM Cub Cadet part # 721-3014. $16.80 for two, plus shipping & handling. Rear cover gasket. OEM Cub Cadet part # IH-350837-R3. $19.05 each, plus shipping & handling. High quality aftermarket complete gasket set (includes all individual gaskets above). $50.00 per set, plus shipping & handling. OEM Cub Cadet complete gasket set (includes all individual gaskets above). $65.00 per set, plus shipping & handling. Individual Gaskets and Complete Gasket Set for all IH Cub Cadet Hydrostatic-Drive Transaxles. NOTE: Top cover gasket is no longer available - use RTV silicone sealant instead. By the way - I've always preferred to use clear RTV silicone adhesive sealant for three reasons: Due to metal warpage (which is unavoidable in most cases), gaskets don't always seal the irregularities and imperfections between mating metals, especially thin metal covers; being it's an adhesive, it bonds parts together, forming a leak-proof seal; and being it's clear, a thin bead of silicone makes for a clean and professional-looking repair job. It can't be easily seen or noticed between the parts. Pump gasket. OEM Cub Cadet part # 921-3004. $6.90 each, plus shipping & handling. Axle housing gaskets. OEM Cub Cadet part # 721-3014. $16.80 for two, plus shipping & handling. Rear cover gasket. OEM Cub Cadet part # IH-350837-R3. $19.05 each, plus shipping & handling. OEM Cub Cadet complete gasket set (includes all individual gaskets above). $42.00 per set, plus shipping & handling. NOTE: If preferred, a thin bead of clear RTV silicone adhesive sealant can be used instead of gaskets, for a more rigid and leak-proof transaxle. By the way - Instead using of gaskets, I applied clear RTV silicone adhesive sealant on my own personal pulling tractor Cub Cadet transaxles in 1989, and to this day, they haven't leaked a drop of oil. I've always preferred to use clear RTV silicone adhesive sealant for three reasons: Due to metal warpage (which is unavoidable in most cases), gaskets don't always seal the irregularities and imperfections between mating surfaces, especially thin metal covers; being it's an adhesive, it bonds parts together, forming a leak-proof seal; and being it's clear, a thin bead of silicone makes for a clean and professional-looking repair job. When applied sparingly, it can't be easily seen or noticed between the parts.
2-1/8" Diameter Steel Expansion Welch Plug. Fits front of Cub Cadet hydrostatic drive transmission/differential case. Fits certain Cub Cadet models 123, 125, 127, 129, 147, 149, 169, 680, 682, 782, 782D, 784, 882, 982, 984, 986, 1210, 1211, 1250, 1282, 1340, 1440, 1450, 1512, 1541, 1572, 1641, 1650, 1710, 1711, 1712, 1772, 1782, 1810, 1811, 1812, 1860, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1872, 1882, 1912, 1914, 2072, 2082, 2084, 2086, 2182 and 2284. Concaved/dish-shaped, not cup-shaped. Expands and flattens out with hammer when installed in counterbore hole. High quality aftermarket. $2.00 each, plus shipping & handling. OEM Cub Cadet part # 726-0216. $4.30 each, plus shipping & handling.
Neoprene or Silicone Rubber O-Ring for all IH-built and MTD-built Cub Cadet Internal Brake Transaxle Brake Pad Retainer. Dimensions: 1-3/16" i.d. x 1-3/8" o.d. x 3/32" thick. IMPORTANT: Apply clean motor oil, gear oil or lubricating grease on O-ring for easier installation and to keep O-ring lubricated for longer wear. Replaces Cub Cadet part # IH-378031-R1. $2.50 each, plus shipping & handling.
Hydrostatic Drive Transmission Oil Filters. Replaces: Cub Cadet 923-3014. Fits Cub Cadet models 105, 107, 109, 129, 123, 125, 127, 147, 149, 680, 682, 782, 784, 882, 982, 984, 986, 1210, 1250, 1282, 1340, 1450, 1512, 1650, 1810, 1811, 1812, 1860, 1862, 1882, 2082, 2182 and 2284. Also replaces Ariens 31928; Bobcat 48045B; Bolens 1726450; Gravely 39306; John Deere AM39653; MTD 727-0162; Onan 122-0185; Simplicity 171439, 1650954; Toro/Wheel Horse 795270, 108335; Troy Bilt 1719859, 1726450, 1863211, 1870167, 1872167, 1876209, GW-1726450, GW-B1726450. Specifications: Thread Size: 3/4-16 UNF; Micron: 16. Has anti-drainback valve; 8-11 PSI pressure relief. High quality aftermarket. 95% efficiency rating. 3-3/4" diameter for wider space. $10.00 each, plus shipping & handling. OEM Cub Cadet part # 923-3014. $17.40 each, plus shipping & handling. Hydrostatic Drive Transmission Oil Filters. Replaces: Gravely 039306; Jacobsen 130555; John Deere AM-39653; MTD 927-0162; Simplicity/Allis Chalmers 1650954, 171439; Toro 104-5169, 23-2300; Troy-Bilt 171-9859, 172-6450, 3" fits Husqvarna Zero-Turn Mowers. Specifications: Thread Size: 3/4-16 UNF; Micron: 28. Has anti-drainback valve; 8-11 PSI pressure relief. High quality aftermarket. 3" diameter for limited space. Our part # 30-1017. $10.00 each, plus shipping & handling. High quality aftermarket. 3" diameter for limited space and general use. $10.00 each, plus shipping & handling. High quality aftermarket. 3-3/4" diameter for wider space and extended use. $10.00 each, plus shipping & handling.
Machine Shop Services - Repair "sloppy" or broken IH- or MTD-built Cub Cadet, or International Harvester Cub Lo-Boy shifter assemblies. If interested, I will need entire shifter assembly, including the cover plate and the H-pattern shift guide, which is part of the MTD shifter. (See drawings to the right.) $35.00 labor, plus return shipping & handling. Machine and install bronze bushings or needle bearings and oil seals in IH Cub Cadet 1" axle housings for installation of 30mm MTD Cub Cadet fine spline axles. $125.00 labor, plus return shipping & handling. Install custom upper and lower 2nd and 3rd speed transmission gears in your IH Cub Cadet transaxle. A super strong rare earth/neodymium magnet will also be placed in the bottom of the transaxle case to attract any wear fragments so gears and bearings will last longer. Sometimes some of the ferrous wear fragments settle to the bottom of the transaxle case and do not drain out with the oil when performing an oil change, even when the oil is hot. $200.00 - $250.00 labor (depending on size of gears), plus return shipping & handling. Rebuild IH Cub Cadet creeper drive unit. $75.00 labor, plus return shipping & handling. Installation of new parts are extra charge. I can also professionally rebuild riding mower and garden tractor transmissions and transaxles virtually of any kind, as long as replacement parts are available. We can also accurately fabricate wheel hubs, axle flanges, drill Chevy wheel bolt pattern in Ford axle flanges, etc. Please contact us if you have any questions. If you're the kind of person who don't trust delivery/shipping companies (mis)handling your high-dollar and fragile merchandise, you can make the long drive to A-1 Miller's shop to personally drop off and/or pick up your engine, transaxle, tractor, etc. "The road to a friend's house (or shop) is never long."

How to Replace a Broken Shifter Fork in an IH Cub Cadet Transaxle -

1. Drain the oil from the transaxle.
2. Remove the transaxle from the tractor (this is much easier to do on a platform work table) and place it on a sturdy work bench or table.
3. Remove the rear cover.
4. Remove the large gear that's in the front gear reduction housing and remove the gear reduction housing itself.
5. Remove the shift lever/top cover assembly.
6. Remove the shifter fork retaining bolt.
7. Rotate the shifter rail with pliers to unseat the poppet ball.
8. Using a bendable 3/8" steel rod, drive the shifter rod out of the transaxle housing forward and out of the housing. Be sure to hold your finger over the hole for the poppet bore to prevent the ball from flying out when the rail are being removed!
9. The shifter fork can then be lifted out.
10. Installation is in reverse order of removal. Except use a 1/4" roll pin punch to depress the poppet ball so the shifter rod can be inserted.

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How to Replace a Leaking Rear Axle Oil Seal in a Cub Cadet Garden Tractor (except the IH Cub Cadet "Original") - (This is much easier to do on a platform work table.)

1. Drain the oil from the transaxle unit. Remove the square head tapered thread oil drain plug located on the bottom of the transaxle. If there's no drain plug present, then raise the front of the tractor and remove the rear cover to drain the oil. Personally, I have never seen one without a drain plug, but I've been told that some don't have one.
2. Remove the rear cover (on models with a drain plug).
3. Remove the E-clip snap ring from the axle that has the leaking oil seal. Actually, it's best to replace the oil seals for both axles to prevent from having to do this again for the other axle in the near future.
4. Pull the axle out of the housing.
5. Remove the leaking oil seal. Use an oil seal puller tool, which works like a pry bar.
6. Clean the counterbore and install the new oil seal. IMPORTANT: Apply clean motor oil, gear oil or lubricating grease in lip of seal before installing axle to keep seal lubricated until internal oil can reach it. With no prior lubrication, the dry rubber will wear from friction, possibly causing a leak.
7. Reassembly is in reverse order of disassembly.

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How to Change the Gears in an IH Cub Cadet Transaxle -

To replace 2^nd and 3^rd speed gears, the entire transaxle must be removed from the tractor (this is much easier to do on a platform work table) and completely disassembled. But first, when you get the replacement gears, stack them on top of each other, arrange them in the order they go in the transmission, to see if the centers match up. Align them perfectly, too. If in fact they do match up, mark each one to avoid confusion during the installation process. After doing this, you can drain the oil from the transaxle, then remove the transaxle from the tractor. (This is much easier to do on a platform work table.) By the way - the transaxle, completely assembled, weighs 150 lb. So if you have trouble lifting it by yourself, ask someone to help. With the housing on a sturdy work bench, support it with wood blocks. Now, remove the reduction drive unit, then remove the rear cover. The rear differential unit (carrier assembly) must be removed first in order to replace the gears.

The procedure to remove the carrier assembly is as follows:

1. Drain the oil from the transaxle.
2. Remove the rear cover
3. Use a large flat screwdriver and hammer or two large flat screwdrivers to remove the E-clip snap rings from the inner ends of the axles, then pull the axles out of the housings.
4. Remove the axle housings
5. Remove the bearing flanges.
6. The carrier assembly can now be removed from the transaxle housing.

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If the shift lever "rotates around" or feels sloppy with no direct engagement into any of the gears, then this means that due to years of metal fatigue and use, the metal have broken loose next to the factory weld where the shift lever is connected to the alignment cup. Sometimes the alignment pin that's riveted inside the shift lever cover can break off too, but this is rare. If the alignment cup broke loose on the lever, to fix this, the entire shift lever assembly will need to be completely disassembled, and the alignment cup realigned with the shift lever, then securely re-welded. But if the alignment pin broke off, to fix this, a short, hardened 1/4" diameter pin of some kind will need to be installed and bead-welded from outside of the shift cover. The welding bead may need to be ground down so it won't interfere with the movement of the gear shift lever shield. I can perform this repair for you for $35.00 labor, plus return shipping & handling. If interested, I will need entire shift lever assembly, including the housing assembly (cover plate).

To remove (and install) the differential carrier, first remove both axles, then the axle housings and then the 3-bolt bearing flanges from the transaxle housing. NOTE - Identify the number and thickness of shims removed from the each flange for aid in reassembly. It may be necessary remove the side bearing from the differential carrier opposite the ring gear for ease of removal (and installation). Now the differential carrier can be removed from the transaxle housing.

Now, remove the shift lever/top cover assembly. Remove the shift fork retaining bolts. Rotate the shifter rails with pliers to unseat the poppet balls. Using a long drift (or rod) from the differential end, drive out the shifter rails forward and out of the housing. CAUTION! Hold your fingers over the holes or insert a 1/4" roll pin punch into the poppet bores to prevent the balls from flying out while the rails are being removed!

Remove the bolts from the main shaft bearing retainer and bump the main shaft and bearing forward and out of the housing. The upper 1^st and 2^nd/3^rd sliding gears can be removed as the shaft is removed from the housing. Inspect the reverse idler gear for excessive wear or damage and replace it if necessary. Otherwise, the reverse idler gear doesn't need to be removed.

Remove the countershaft nut and bump the shaft rearward out of the housing. The lower gears and spacers can now be removed. Note the sequence of the spacers and gears for correct reassembly!

Correct Orientation of Gears and Spacers on Cub Cadet Countershaft (Bevel Pinion)

Inspect all parts for wear, clean the housing and install the parts in reverse order of above È.

NOTE - When installing a set of special-made 2^nd and 3^rd speed gear set (especially a 21 tooth and higher second speed gear), the shift fork and sometimes the lower (inside) front portion of the transaxle housing may need grinding for gear clearance and for the bottom 3^rd gear clearance, because the aftermarket lower 3^rd gear is wider than the stock one. After tightening the nut on the pinion shaft, rotate the shaft/gears by hand to check for noise, adequate clearance and smooth rotation before permanently installing! Also, before installing the shift lever cover, shift all the gears by hand and check for correct bottom and top gear tooth alignment. Being the center part between the 2^nd and 3^rd aftermarket upper gears are larger in diameter, you'll probably need to grind out the center "U" shape of the shifter fork. Or if you wish, instead of grinding the original shift forks for clearance, special-made shift forks that will clear the 21 tooth and higher gears are available from Midwest Super Cub.

The bottom 2^nd and 3^rd speed aftermarket pulling gears are wider than the OEM gears. Therefore, the tapered spacer needs to be narrowed about .060"±. But measure the thicknesses of the OEM gears and aftermarket gears, then subtract the difference from the tapered spacer. None of the other spacers will need to be narrowed. Remove metal from the wide end of the tapered spacer. This way, it'll still allow plenty of room for the tapered end not the interfere with the front bearing. When using aftermarket gears, reducing the length of the front spacer will properly align the bottom gears with the top gears, and it'll prevent pushing the pinion gear too far back, which will throw off the backlash in the ring and pinion gears. (The correct backlash of the ring and pinion gears is .003" to .005".) For accuracy and trouble-free service, remove the metal from the spacer by chucking it in a small metal lathe (with a self-centering 3-jaw chuck). IMPORTANT: If you don't feel comfortable using a metal lathe, please consult a professional and experienced machinist with a lathe. But do not grind on the lower gear itself! And because the lower 3^rd gear is larger in diameter than the stock one, slight grinding of inside the transmission case may be needed.

After completion, rotate the gears by hand using the input shaft with the shift forks in the neutral position, the gears should turn freely and there should be no strange sounds. Shift all the gears into position and look at the gear teeth mesh. They should be perfectly aligned. If one or two isn't aligned, then a couple of spacers are in the wrong place. And if there is a noise, the only two things that could be causing it is the shift fork(s) wasn't ground enough to clear the gears or the lower inside portion of the transmission housing to clear the lower 3^rd speed gear wasn't ground away enough.

And if you were wondering, ALL Cub Cadet transaxles are offset to the right when standing behind the tractor. They did this so the driveshaft will clear the steering box and so the driveshaft will be inline with the engine crankshaft centerline on the single cylinder Kohler engines.

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How To Install Three (3) Forward Pulling Gears (with working reverse) -
The two paragraphs below Ê was written by Dan Floyd of Springfield, Missouri. His email address is: jeep30dhf@yahoo.com.

Installing 3 forward pulling gears is exactly the same as the 4 gear setup (below Ê) with the exception of the reverse idler gear. Simply machine the opposite end from the spacer end of the reverse idler gear back approximately 1/4" and turn down the spacer end diameter a bit (to clear the gears). The reason for this is the gear will be moving back towards the case of the transmission a bit. It is really very simple, especially if using the forks and spacers from Midwest Super Cub.

If you want to use your factory shift forks, you will only have to modify one. To do so, cut the forks off of the rail assembly and weld on new ones. I used a large, flat heat-treated washer with a side cut out to make one of mine after doing the first. Just place the gears in position with the rails in what gear it should be aligned the new fork. Tack weld it in place, then you can weld it on the bench to finish it. It isn't any big trick, no remachining the rails, no fancy gear grinding and no headaches. I did use an aftermarket spacer kit for the first transaxle I repaired. I kept the dimensions and made our own for the other installments. Their spacers let you use the original detents on the rails. Plain aluminum round stock can be used.

How To Install Four (4) Forward Pulling Gears (with no reverse) -

The two forward gears that replaces the original 1^st and reverse gears installs pretty much the same way a custom set of 2^nd and 3^rd gears are installed. Except they install and operate in reverse of 2^nd and 3^rd gears. To install a set of four (4) forward gears, you'll need a set of special-made 4-speed shift forks and a 4-speed gear spacer kit (see pictures above È or to the right) from an aftermarket manufacturer.

To install the gears, the transaxle must be completely disassembled. Then you'll need to remove the reverse idler gear, shaft and boss. Take a torch and carefully cut the boss off, then use a die grinder to grind it smooth. Also grind the casting flash (ragged edges). You also may have to grind the case for gear clearance depending on the ratios that you choose. After all the grinding is done and the case has been cleaned, repaint the bare metal and let dry before reassembly. (Paint prevents oil from seeping through the cast iron case and making a mess on the outside.) Make sure that the oil holes that feed the bearings are clear. You could replace the shift detent springs with the stiffer YELLOW springs. They're about 3 times stronger than stock springs. Available from Vogel Manufacturing.

Listed below Ê are the dimensions for making the spacers on a 3- or 4-speed Cub Cadet transaxle. Spacers listed in order going from the pinion bevel gear (lower shaft) towards nut: (Reverse gear - third or first - fourth gear, depending on gear selection.)

1st = spacer .350" thickness 2nd = first or reverse gear (depending on 3 or 4 speed) 3rd = spacer 1.220" thickness 4th = first/second gear (depending on 3 or 4 speed) 5th = spacer .073" thickness

6th = second/third gear (depending on 3 or 4 speed) 7th = spacer 1.220" thickness 8th = third/fourth gear (depending on 3 or 4 speed) 9th = original cone-shaped spacer 10th = bearing, retainer and nut.

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Cross Sectional View of IH Cub Cadet Transmission

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Exploded View of Cub Cadet Transmission Gears and Components

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If your tractor sometimes "skips a gear tooth" in the transaxle when pulling, this is caused by the flimsy OEM stamped steel front pinion bearing retainers. They'll flex when placed under a load. What happens is the lower stationary gears on the pinion gear/shaft are being pushed forward from the pressure of the ring gear, causing the bottom gears to become misaligned with the top gears, which allows them to skip a tooth. This could also cause the ring and pinion gears to skip, chipping a tooth on the ring gear, or breaking the ring gear.

To prevent "gear skipping" and possibly breaking a tooth off a gear or ruining the ring and pinion gears, you'll need to install a set of billet steel pinion bearing retainers on the bearing where the lower pinion shaft protrudes through the front of the transaxle case. You can get a new set of billet steel pinion bearing retainers from Midwest Super Cub (http://www.midwestsupercub.net/).

By the way - the reason the pinion gear is offset or positioned lower than the centerline of the ring gear (spiral bevel or hypoid gear design; like the IH-built Cub Cadet ring and pinion gear teeth) is so both gear teeth can have contact 1-1/2 tooth at a time, making the gear teeth stronger and less prone to breaking in competition pulling than straight-cut or spur-cut gear teeth design (like the MTD-built Cub Cadet ring and pinion gear teeth), which makes contact 1 tooth contact at a time. This is also why the cast iron gear teeth on Kohler's crankshafts and camshafts have angled teeth.

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The "original" (belt to disc clutch drive) Cub Cadet had the rear end differential carrier installed with the spider gears on the right of the ring gear (viewed with the operator sitting in the seat). The transmission gears turns in the same direction as the engine.

On the later model (direct disc clutch drive) Cub Cadets, which utilize a gear reduction housing, IH installed the carrier in reverse. The spider gears are on the left of the ring gear. This made the transmission gears turn in the opposite direction as the engine. The early and later carriers, ring and pinion gears are identical and are made to do this.

You must "flip the carrier" if you want to use an engine when the crankshaft PTO end turns counterclockwise when it faces the transaxle. Otherwise, it'll have 3 reverse gears and 1 forward gear.

So if you want to install an engine that turns in the opposite direction on a Cub Cadet, it's safe to flip a carrier to make your tractor go forward in the forward gears. And the ring and pinion gears will still mesh with no problem.

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Using a "Beefier" Differential Carrier and Axles in a Cub Cadet for Heavy Duty Use or Competition Pulling | Top of page

This section explains which OEM Cub Cadet differential carriers and axles are best to use for pulling, and how to machine two different automotive differential carriers and axles for installation into a Cub Cadet transaxle.

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Depending on the class your tractor is going to pull in and engine size/modifications, there are many variations in which clutch/driveshaft design and carrier/axles to use. Listed are the weakest to the strongest:

• For the driveshaft material, there's mild steel, stress proof steel, chrome-moly steel and stainless steel.
• As for the clutch, there's the single OEM Cub Cadet fiber clutch disc with a stiffer pressure spring, a single aluminum clutch disc, also with a stiffer pressure spring, double OEM Cub Cadet clutch discs with a stiffer pressure spring, the metallic clutch disc with a stiffer pressure spring, multiple clutch discs (Vogel) with a stiffer pressure spring, Volkswagen clutch/pressure plate/flywheel, etc.
• And as for the carrier and axles, there's the OEM Cub Cadet heavy duty one-piece carrier with either coarse or fine spline axles, OEM Cub Cadet's (MTD) two-piece fine spline carrier and axles, Ford Pinto carrier and axles, Chrysler's 7-1/4" carrier and axles, and Ford's 8" carrier and axles.

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Rather if it's a clutch/gear drive or hydrostatic drive, the OEM one-piece differential carrier and coarse spline axles are the most fragile or vulnerable parts in the IH-built Cub Cadet transaxle. The stock Cub Cadet differential carrier (the part that the ring gear is fastened onto) is made from inferior or weak cast iron material. When used for general lawn and garden use or competition pulling with the 23-10.50x12 lug tires and a 10" hitch height, the one-piece differential carrier and coarse spline axles should hold up just fine. But when used for garden tilling, snow removal (especially with tire chains), or competition pulling with 26-12.00x12 lug tires and a 13" hitch height when hooked to a very heavy sled on a biting track, they are likely to break.

What happens is this: when a tractor is pulling, and when the weight of the sled comes up on the tractor, force on the spider gears (side gears and differential pinion gears, the four angled gears that's inside the carrier) places extreme outward pressure on the differential carrier, causing it to explode without warning. To reduce the chances of this happening, read below Ê. Also, if you're running a lightweight pulling tractor (900 lb. w/driver) with a hitch height that's below the center line of the rear axle (10" hitch height), and small diameter rear tires (23x10.50-12), you don't have to worry about a stock carrier or axles breaking. The transfer weight of the tractor won't be placing that much strain on them.

What is the maximum horsepower recommended with a stock Cub Cadet carrier?

I don't think that question has just one answer. Because it's not necessarily horsepower that breaks a stock IH Cub Cadet coarse spline carrier and axles. The combination of engine size and torque, gearing of the tractor, weight of the tractor, tire size, if the tires have cut tread or not, hitch height, weight of the sled and track conditions all play a part in rather if a stock carrier and axles will break or not. To put it plain and simple, a heavy tractor with 26-12.00x12 cut tread tires and a 13" hitch height that pulls in 1^st gear on a biting track is murder on a stock carrier and axles.

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Use a Heavy Duty, Thick-Casting One Piece IH Differential Carrier for Competitive Pulling -

IH Cub Cadet tractors originally came with a thin casting, then later, a thick casting cast iron carrier. Both of these carriers have been known to break under pulling strain, even when "strapped." The thin casting carrier is suitable for light lawn and garden use, or for a competitive pulling tractor with a 10" drawbar height and 23-10.50x12 cut-tread lug tires. Definitely not recommended for a competitive pulling tractor with a 13" drawbar height and 26-12.00x12 cut- or professional-tread pulling tires. And the thick casting carrier is more suitable for heavy lawn and garden use, or for a competitive pulling tractor with a 13" drawbar height and 23-10.50x12 cut-tread lug tires. Definitely not recommended for a competitive pulling tractor with a 13" drawbar height and 26-12.00x12 cut- or professional-tread pulling tires. The early thick casting carrier has coarse spline side gears for the coarse spline axles. And the later thick casting carrier has fine spline side gears for the fine spline axles. The thick casting carrier is the 4th strongest carrier available, but not as strong as the two-piece MTD-built Cub Cadet fine spline, Chrysler or Pinto carriers and axles.

Weld the Spider Gears Together to Strengthen the Stock Cub Cadet Differential Carrier -

A sure way to prevent a stock carrier from breaking is to weld the spider (side and pinion) gears together. I don't have a picture, but the spider gears are welded together where they make contact with each other. A welded or "locked" rear end will definitely provide superior pulling traction. But on the other hand, the tractor won't be as maneuverable as one with a free-spinning rear end. This means it would require a large area just to turn it around. Also, some extra weight (approximately 10 lb.) may be required on the front of the tractor to control it while going down the track. If one does decide to weld the spider gears, the carrier won't need a strap. Because under pulling stress, the spider gears wants to push outward, causing the differential carrier to break. But if the gears are welded, they can't push outward and break the carrier. Just weld the teeth together so they won't rotate on each other. And there's no need to remove the carrier out of the rear-end to weld the spider gears. You can reach in through the rear of the housing and weld side, then rotate the carrier and weld the other side. It's that simple. Use mild steel welding wire or rod to securely weld the spider gears together. Use some kind of metal shield to keep the welding splatter off the ring gear teeth. NOTE - welding of these gears is permanent! It cannot be undone!

A word of caution before welding the spider gears: if there's inadequate weight on the front of the tractor, a welded rear end could cause a high-speed pulling tractor to wander from side to side on the track. Therefore, that's why most pullers prefer an open (free spinning spider gears) rear end.

KEEP THIS IN MIND: If running you're a 13" hitch height and 26x12.00-12 tires, isn't a "100% guarantee" that stock [coarse spline] axles won't break. The above È methods only lessens the chances of them breaking. If you have a high horsepower engine, it's best to install a re-machined automotive carrier and axles. Scroll down to find out what it takes to machine an automotive carrier and axles yourself. And as far I know, there's no posi-trac clutch packs for any carrier that can fit in the Cub Cadet transaxle. Therefore, the only way to make both axles pull at the same time in a Cub Cadet is weld the spider gears together.

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Using Coarse Spline IH Cub Cadet Axles -

Anything with coarse splines will twist or break a lot easier than anything with fine splines. That's why the stock Cub Cadet axles twist or break easily, and that's also why late-model automobiles use only fine splines throughout the entire driveline, including the axles. Factory-hardened Cub Cadet coarse spline axles will ALWAYS twist at the splines whenever too much torque is applied to them. So when using coarse spline axles, try to use a set that's heat-treated to the center. To check for this, drill into the center of the splined in. If the drill bit cannot bore into the axle, then the center is heat-treated. But if it bores into the axles, then the center is not heat-treated and the axle may break easily.

"Gun drilling" axles or making them hollow lengthways with the splines are is not a "100% guarantee" that they will not twist or break in competition pulling. Gun drilling a set of stock axles for pulling do not work! I tried this on my personal stock pulling tractor with stock axles, and the axles broke at the splines. The best thing to do is install an MTD Cub Cadet fine spline axles and carrier, or a Dodge or Ford Pinto carrier and axles. In my personal experience as a puller, gun drilling axles don't help to strengthen stock axles whatsoever. In theory, you would think that this would work, but in reality, it doesn't. But on a stock pulling tractor that has 23x10.50x12 lug tires and a 10" hitch height, factory coarse spline axles and the thin casting factory carrier shouldn't break.

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Install a Fine Spline Differential Carrier and Axles For Additional Strength -

The IH-built Cub Cadet one-piece carrier with the fine spline side gears and 1" diameter fine spline axles came in some of the later models 682, 782, 1282 and maybe a few others have them. The later one-piece carrier have thicker metal for increased strength. This carrier is about 75% stronger than the earlier one-piece coarse spline carriers. These carriers and axles can be used in a stock pulling tractor. Only certain carriers and axles in the red color Cub Cadets are fine spline. You can't tell from the outside. The rear cover must be removed and an axle pulled to see if it has fine spline axles. As far as I know, the early model IH 582's and all of the model IH 1282's came with these particular carrier and axles. These came in IH Cub Cadet models below serial number 720,000 (models 582, 682, 782 and 1282).

At 720,000 they kept the 1" fine spline axles and upgraded the carrier to the 2 pc. These models go from the late red 82 series and continue with all the models with that same body style (1811, 1806, 1210 etc). These models had the all aluminum transaxle case but still had the hex shaped axle housings. This setup will drop right in an older Cast iron rear without any machine work to the axle tubes. The ring gear needs swapped over to the new carrier.

Beginning at serial # 800,000 (for the 1990 model year) they changed the styling by changing the hood and grille to plastic. These models are often referred to as the "cyclops" series because they have a single headlight lens that covers the two bulbs. These models kept the same 2pc carrier but the outer end of the axle had its diameter increased to 30mm. These models have the larger round axle housings and use ball bearings at the outer end of the axle instead of the needle bearings. To use these axles and carrier in an older cast rear, the axle housings need bored out and larger bearings and seals put in.

The two-piece/bolt-together fine spline carrier and 30 millimeter (1-3/16") fine spline axles were manufactured by MTD (Modern Tool & Die) and not International Harvester. This carrier and axles will fit in the early [coarse spline] IH Cub Cadet transaxles, except the IH Cub Cadet "Original", with no modifications, with the exception of swapping out the ring gear, carrier bearings and enlarging the axle housing ends for larger bearings and oil seals for the bigger 30 mm axles. The carrier itself will fit in the IH Cub Cadet "Original" (with the ring gear swapped), but the fine spline axles won't work because the IH Cub Cadet "Original" use snap rings midway of the axles to retain them in the housings, one axle has a Woodruff key slot for the brake drum, and both axles have an oil seal in the 3-bolt flanges.

These fine spline units were used in the heavier [spread frame] garden tractors (mostly with a twin cylinder engine), and found in all Cub Cadets manufactured by MTD after serial number xxxxxxxx720000 (1983 and later). The serial number will probably have a long row of numbers, but if the last six numbers are higher than 720000, the tractor should have the fine spline carrier and axles. This includes all late model yellow and white gear- and hydrostatic-drive Cub Cadets with an aluminum transaxle case, except the model 582 Special, which have a Peerless 2300 series transaxle. (The 2300 series are very tough transaxles.) An easy way to identify the MTD fine spline axles is they have pressed-in automotive-style wheel studs w/lug nuts and not the screw-in lug bolts to fasten the wheels to the axle flange. The center of the flanges have that "automotive look" because the flanges are cast onto the axles and not welded. These may be quite as strong as the automotive carriers and axles. (See further down.)

The MTD-built Cub Cadet bolt-together fine spline carrier & 30mm axles came in all tractors an aluminum transaxle housing. Available from 1982 to 1994. Including models: 580 (disc clutch drive), 582 (disc clutch drive), 680 (hydrostatic drive), 682 (hydrostatic drive), 782 (hydrostatic drive), 784 (hydrostatic drive), 982 (Onan; hydrostatic drive), 984 (hydrostatic drive), 986 (hydrostatic drive), 1050 (disc clutch drive), 1204, 1210, 1211, 1282 (hydrostatic drive), 1340, 1440, 1512, 1535 (disc clutch drive), 1540, 1541, 1572, 1604 (disc clutch drive), 1606 (disc clutch drive), 1641, 1710, 1711, 1712, 1772 (Diesel), 1782, 1806 (disc clutch drive), 1810, 1811, 1812, 1860, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1872, 1882, 1912, 1914, 2072, 2082, 2182 and 2284. Any Cub Cadet that originally came with a cast iron transaxle housing, rather if it's a hydrostatic- or clutch-drive, doesn't have the bolt-together fine spline carrier and 30mm axles.

The new style bolt-together MTD fine spline carrier is much stronger than the older cast iron carrier and the ends of the fine spline axles are much stronger than the old coarse spline axles. There's no need to center-drill through the coarse spline axle splines to strengthen the splines. The spline will still twist and break under pulling force. In most cases, the ring gear may need to be swapped with an older IH angle-cut gear teeth ring gear because the ring gear teeth on the hydrostatic drive models of MTD Cub Cadet tractors are straight-cut. The old style IH ring gears will bolt directly to the fine spline carrier with no modifications, and the MTD side bearing caps (flanges) will also interchange with the IH housing. They're a direct fit.

Although the IH- and MTD-made 10-tooth pinion shafts will interchange between the IH- and MTD-built transaxles, it's best to install a ring gear with angled teeth from an IH carrier onto the two-piece MTD-made carrier. The reason being is angled gear teeth makes 1-1/2 teeth contact with each other, which is stronger, and the MTD straight-cut gears only makes contact with 1 tooth at a time, which is weaker. The more tooth contact is less prone to ring gear breakage. If the straight-cut tooth ring gear breaks under pulling strain, it's likely to break the flange on the carrier, too.

The splines on the fine spline IH and MTD axles are the same. The only difference is the IH axles are 1" in diameter the whole length of the axle, and the MTD axles are 30 mm (1.181" or close to 1-3/16") at the wheel flange. This means when using MTD axles with IH axle housings, the ends of the housings would need to be bored to accept 30mm i.d. or 1-3/16" bushings or needle bearings in order for them to work. The needle-roller bearings from the MTD housings can be reused and installed in the IH housings. But the oil seals should be purchased new. Also, either of the axle housings on the MTD transaxle won't work on an IH Cub Cadet transaxle narrow side because the mounting flange is too wide for it to fit inside the tractor frame.

NOTE: When installing the MTD fine spline, Chrysler, Pinto axles in an IH transaxle, and if the IH Cub Cadet has external axle [disc] brakes, the MTD or automotive axles won't work because the MTD brake discs are too big in diameter, and the automotive axles have no brake discs. Therefore, Midwest Super Cub offers aftermarket disc brake add-ons. Otherwise, an IH internal brake transaxle would need to be installed in the tractor.

The coarse spline (IH-built) and fine spline (early IH-built and all MTD-built) Cub Cadet differential carriers use the same [tapered] bearings and races, and the carriers are exactly the same width.

The splines on the 7-¼" Chrysler axles are much coarse (but still considered as "fine spline") and stronger than any fine spline Cub Cadet axle. Therefore, when used in a highly modified garden pulling tractor, sometimes the splines in the [Cub Cadet] side (axle) gears will strip out. The side gears from a 7-¼" Chrysler carrier can be installed in a bolt-together fine spline MTD Cub Cadet carrier. The side gears and axles from a 7-¼" Chrysler rear end will fit in a bolt-together fine spline carrier, and the Chrysler axles can be used, but the cavities in the carrier where the side gears rest will need to be machined (enlarged) to 1.501" so the side gears from the Chrysler will fit.

I believe that ALL fine spline axle/carrier tractors have external brakes. To install this type of carrier and axles in an internal brake transaxle, just knock out the wheel studs from the axles, remove the brake discs and reinstall the studs. You may need to swap out the ring gear, too.

A Dana 30 carrier and axles out of John Deere models 140 above serial number 63,905, and all JD models 300, 312, 314, 316 and 317 will work in a Cub Cadet transaxle. Contact tuffy_puller@yahoo.com. He can tell you all about how to get a Dana 30 carrier and axles to fit in a Cub Cadet transaxle.

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Information about Using a Chrysler, Dodge or Plymouth Differential Carrier and Axles in a Cub Cadet Transaxle - Top of page

The heavy duty carrier and axles that most pullers prefer to use are out of a Chrysler-family vehicle with a 7-1/4" Dana 25 rear end. The 7-¼" Chrysler carrier and axles are extremely strong! I think there's no way they will break in a Cub Cadet pulling tractor, even with a 50+ c.i. Modified, highly modified V-twin or a 3-cylinder turbo-charged Diesel engine.

This type of rear end was introduced in 1960. It has a 7-¼" ring gear. It has 9 bolts on the cover and a filler plug. It was a low performance differential unit that came in all cars with a slant 6 and some cars with a 318 cid engine. Casting numbers are # 2070051, 3507881 and 3723675. It came in any Chrysler, Dodge or Plymouth car from 1960 to the mid 70's such as the Aspen, Dart, Diplomat, Duster, LeBaron, Mirada, Valiant and Volare. They were also used in the mid 80's in the down-sized Chrysler Cordoba, New Yorker, 5th Avenue and the Dodge Dakota trucks with a 4-cylinder engine. 1980-1981 Chrysler Cordoba, 1981 Chrysler Imperial, 1977-1981 Chrysler Lebaron, 1977-1981 Chrysler New Yorker, 1977-1981 Chrysler Newport, 1977-1981 Chrysler Town & Country, 1976-1980 Dodge Aspen, 1970-1971 Dodge Challenger, 1966-1971 Dodge Charger, 1966-1971 Dodge Coronet, 1966-1976 Dodge Dart, 1977-1981 Dodge Diplomat, 1980-1981 Dodge Mirada, 1966-1971 Dodge Monaco, 1967-1971 Dodge Polara, 1979-1981 Dodge St. Regis, 1964-1971 Plymouth Barracuda, 1966-1971 Plymouth Belvedere, 1966-1967 Plymouth Belvedere II, 1978-1981 Plymouth Caravelle, 1970-1971 Plymouth Cuda, 1970-1976 Plymouth Duster, 1966-1978 Plymouth Fury, 1977-1981 Plymouth Gran Fury, 1967-1971 Plymouth GTX, 1968-1975 Plymouth Roadrunner, 1966-1971 Plymouth Satellite, 1971-1976 Plymouth Scamp, 1970 Plymouth Superbird, 1960-1976 Plymouth Valiant and 1976-1980 Plymouth Volare. They're still manufactured today.

The newer (1978+/- and newer) have changed the casting. Some are quite a bit wider and won't fit into the Cub Cadet housing. Some have the side gears offset from the centerline and the bearing cups are odd looking. If installed in a Cub Cadet transaxle, one axle will be longer than the other. One axle will need to be shorter than the other so they'll project out of the axle housings the same length. The late '60's Dart, Valiants and early '70's Demons works best. They're the ones with no ribs. The ones with the tall ribs, the knocked off ribs are the junkers.

The rear end that's needed for use in a Cub Cadet transaxle are ones with a 2.7:1 or lower ring and pinion gear ratio (2.76, 2.93, 3.23 and 3.55). Ones with a 2.22:1 or 2.4:1 ratio won't work because of ring gear flange offset location. The ratio can be found stamped into a small metal tag that's attached to one of the rear cover bolts. After founding the right rear end, the only the parts you'll need are the carrier with all spider gears intact and in good condition, the Timken roller bearings and races, and at least 15" of each axle (when measured from the spline end). The ring and pinion gears aren't needed.

How to Machine and Install the Chrysler Carrier and Axles in a Cub Cadet Transaxle -

The process to install a Chrysler-made automotive differential unit in a Cub Cadet transaxle housing is fairly simple. It can become time consuming fitting all the parts and getting everything shimmed and clearances set. And as always, for trouble-free service, take your time when machining any rear end for use in a Cub Cadet. Measure the parts/clearances with extreme accuracy before final installation.

Machine the Differential Carrier for Proper Fit: (Updated 12/23/08)

1. The only parts that's needed out of the Chrysler rear end assembly is the carrier, both axles (with the flanges), side bearings and races. Discard everything else.
2. Remove the Cub Cadet carrier and axles. Save the ring gear off the carrier because it'll need to be installed on the automotive carrier. The stock Cub ring gear is removed by drilling out the rivets. To remove the rivets, grind the end off each rivet, then use a 1/4" roll pin punch and medium size hammer to drive out the rivets, or drill the remaining rivets out with a 5/16" drill bit. Removing the ring gear from the automotive carrier is the same process.
3. The Cub ring gear can then be bolted to the automotive carrier with 5/16" diameter fine thread grade 8 steel bolts with grade 8 nuts and split lock washers. Loctite® Threadlocker Blue 242® is optional. Use bolts that's long enough where the shank (unthreaded part) makes full contact with the ring gear and carrier. There should be no problem of lining up the ring gear on the carrier, meaning the carrier shouldn't need to be machined. Just clean the parts, install the bolts and torque the nuts to 35 ft. lb. The inside diameter of the Cub Cadet ring gear is larger than the shoulder on the Chrysler carrier. Therefore, when installing the gear, a precision-machined centering ring/spacer is required for the gear to be perfectly centered on the carrier. The centering ring/spacer needs to be heated with an acetylene torch so it fits snug on the carrier and becomes a permanent part of the carrier. A precision-machined centering ring/spacer is available from Midwest Super Cub. The aftermarket heavy duty ring gear fits snug on the Cub Cadet carrier. But the centering ring is required to install it on the Chrysler carrier.
4. Save the bearings from the automotive carrier and races from the rear end housing. The inside of the [3 bolt] Cub Cadet bearing retainers will need to be machined to accept the larger automotive bearing races. Also, the Chrysler carrier is .100" wider than the Cub Cadet one. So either bore .050" deeper into each retainer so the width of the carrier will have proper fit, or narrow the Chrysler carrier .050" on each side. This is performed in a metal lathe (with a self-centering 3-jaw chuck). IMPORTANT: If you don't feel comfortable using a metal lathe, please consult a professional and experienced machinist with a lathe. Or just order a set of CNC machined steel bearing cups (retainers) from Lakota Racing or Midwest Super Cub, because the OEM cast iron bearing retainers may break if not reinforced with a steel cap. And when using the stock Cub Cadet shims, the carrier can be moved side to side to reach the desired lash between the ring and pinion gears. It's best to set the lash between .006" to .008".

By the way - back in the day when Cub Cadet machined their cast iron case transaxles, shafts and gears, quality control wasn't as strict as it is today with the precision of CNC machines. The same is true with the Kohler cast iron case engine blocks, camshafts and crankshafts. That's why the ring and pinion gear teeth require [steel] shims to set the clearance and back-lash, and the tapered bearings need to be shimmed to set the preload. And the camshaft and crankshaft require shimming (steel shims or various thicknesses of gaskets) to set the end-play clearances of either. Nowadays, thanks to the precision of CNC (Computer Numeric Control) machining, virtually all makes and models of transaxles, transmissions and engine blocks don't require shims... for anything! As a matter of fact, many of them don't even use or require gaskets. They use silicone sealant instead (except for the head gasket(s) on the engines). By the way - I've always preferred to use clear RTV silicone adhesive sealant for three reasons: Due to metal warpage (which is unavoidable in most cases), gaskets don't always seal the irregularities and imperfections between mating surfaces, especially thin metal covers; being it's an adhesive, it bonds parts together, forming a leak-proof seal; and being it's clear, a thin bead of silicone makes for a clean and professional-looking repair job. When applied sparingly, it can't be easily seen or noticed between the parts.

Machine the Axles for Proper Fit:

1. Set the Cub axles aside. Nothing is to be used off of them.
2. On the automotive axles, measure from the splined end out approximately 14" and cut each axle off. Cut the wheel hub flange from each axle also. (The automotive flanges have the same bolt pattern as the Cub Cadet axle flanges.)
3. With the splined end of the axle in the chuck of a metal lathe (with a self-centering 3-jaw chuck) (IMPORTANT: If you don't feel comfortable using a metal lathe, please consult a professional and experienced machinist with a lathe.), turn the entire diameter down to 1.000" and use the original bronze bushings or needle bearings in the Cub axle housings. Unless they're worn or damaged, there's no need to do anything to the OEM bushings or bearings in the housings. But do install new oil seals. The oil seal size is 1" i.d. x 1-1/2" o.d. x 3/8" thick. The oil seals are part # CR 9878 and National # 4712224. They're the same size seal that most garden tiller tine shafts use and the 5hp V50, 6hp V60 and 7hp V70 Tecumseh vertical shaft engines use on the PTO end of the crankshaft. But if you choose to machine the axles down to 1.125" (1-1/8") in diameter instead, then install either a 1.128" i.d. x 1" length bronze bushing or a Torrington roller bearing # B-1816 or equivalent (for a 1-1/8" shaft) and the oil seal is a National # CR11734 or equivalent (for a 1-1/8" shaft) in the axle housings. It doesn't matter which brand of bushings, bearings or oil seals are used, just as long as they're of high quality and the correct size. NOTE: The bronze bushings will need to be removed and axle housings will need to be bored to accept the over-sized needle bearings. To do this, you'll need to first measure the outside diameter of the needle bearing housing, then bore the axle housings .003" smaller for a press fit.
4. The Chrysler axles can have either the E-clip snap rings or [1" or 1.125" i.d.] set screw collars (like for the Pinto axles further down in this web page) to retain them in the carrier. If the E-clip snap rings is used, in the lathe (IMPORTANT: If you don't feel comfortable using a metal lathe, please consult a professional and experienced machinist with a lathe.), flip the axle end for end, and cut a .025" wide snap ring groove in the splined area .250" from the end. If a set screw collar is used, be sure to install a heat-treated washer between the collar and housing to prevent the collar from wearing against the rough casting inside the housing.
5. Before welding the axles to the flanges, the axles will need to be pressed in the flanges. In the lathe (IMPORTANT: If you don't feel comfortable using a metal lathe, please consult a professional and experienced machinist with a lathe.), machine the ends of the axles (opposite the splines) .003" larger than the hole in the flanges, or bore a .003" smaller hole in the flanges. However it's done, just make sure it'll be a press-fit. Fabricate two new flanges from scratch. For precision, the five holes in the flanges (and wheel spacers) or the boring process for the center of the automotive flanges should be performed in an indexing fixture, super spacer or rotary table with a self-centering 3-jaw chuck that's fastened on the table of a vertical milling machine.
6. Using a hydraulic press, press the axles into the flanges.
7. In the lathe, true up the flange(s) with a dial indicator for zero run-out. Weld the flange(s) thoroughly on each side for strength. FYI - Use a wire feed welder with mild steel wire to weld the flanges to the axles. (IMPORTANT: If you don't feel comfortable using a metal lathe, please consult a professional and experienced machinist with a lathe.)
8. Allow the axles to slowly air-cool. Cooling them too quickly could cause the weld area to crystallize and become brittle.
9. Clean and sand smooth the area where the bearing and oil seal will make contact on the axle to ensure a smooth bearing surface and leak-proof seal.

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Information about Using a 6-3/4" Ford Pinto Carrier and Axles in a Cub Cadet Transaxle -

This particular carrier and axles are actually easier to install than the Chrysler unit because less machining is required, and they're just as strong. When machined and installed correctly, they should hold up with no problems when used in a Cub Cadet pulling tractor with a 50+ c.i. Modified, highly modified V-twin or a 3-cylinder turbo-charged Diesel engine.

The carrier and axles from certain models of a 1968-70 Ford Falcon, 1968-70 Ford LTD, 1977-79 Ford LTD II, 1970 Ford Maverick, 1968-70 Ford Mustang, 1974-78 Ford Mustang II, 1971-78 Ford Pinto, 1968-70 Ford Ranchero, 1968-70 Ford Torino, 1975-78 Mercury Bobcat, 1960-68 Mercury Comet, 1968-70 Mercury Cougar, 1968-76 Mercury Montego and 1978 Mercury Zephyr, all with a 4 cylinder (L4) engine will work, as long as it's of the integral differential type rear axle, splines are smaller in diameter than the length of the entire axles, 6-3/4" ring gear design, 8 bolts on the cover and the car originally came with a 6 or 4 cylinder engine. And it's not the later model full size "Mustang," but rather the smaller "Mustang II." Also, some Mustang II's came out with an 8" ring gear rear end with a removable differential carrier and welded-on cover, which would be more difficult to install because both the carrier and axles are bigger. An 8" or even a 9" Ford carrier and axles will also fit in a Cub Cadet transaxle, but a lot of machining is required. Ask Chuck or Kevin Vogel for details.

The below Ê was written on 01/19/02 by Jim Williams (jrwilliams@go-concepts.com (Jim Williams)) This is his experience with a Ford Pinto rear end:

Hi folks. As for the year of the Pinto rear end, it was already out of the car and they thought it was a '76? The axles were 1-1/8 inch at the splines. To install the ring gear I had to machine the long end of the carrier for the ring gear to fit. The Pinto ring gear faced the other direction on the short end of the carrier. I had to do some clean up machining on the ring gear on the mating surface's to get a machine fit, the bolt holes matched and I used grade 8 cap bolts, I choose to use Allen head bolts and self locking nuts. I had to put the carrier and ring gear in unbolted as the carrier is longer and they would not fit inside bolted together I used the Pinto bearing for two reasons, 1- they are bigger than the Cub's and 2- the carrier housing was not thick enough where the bearing fit to turn down to fit the Cub bearings. We turned the inside of the bearing cups so we could get the Pinto bearings in plus I had to make the bearing cup on the long end of the carrier shorter as there was not enough meat on the carrier to set the bearing closer to the ring gear. Also machined the cup deeper, on the long end and due to the deeper bearings they are inside of the hole in the transsexual so the cup is stronger there due to the position of the cup. Had to use extra shims to get the right gear lash. I also made a cup plate of steel and bolted it on the outside of the short end of carrier cup to keep the bearing cup from breaking under stress. I also made the hole bigger in the axle housing as the axles were bigger and welded plates to the housings and installed wheel seals. I used a self aligning bearing plate with locking screw's instead of axle bushings and I made a small flat spot on the axles so as to lock the bearing plate to the axle. The bearing plates have grease fittings. I am well pleased with my setup and the tractor at 1150 lbs. rolls with very little effort due to the bearings on the axles. The axle flange's are Cubs and I cut the flange's off and machine a hole in the center and machined a shoulder on the axle so as to be able to weld the flange on both sides and also true up the flange's. I installed some wheel studs in the flange's instead of the Cub axle bolts. If anyone have any questions let me know, I didn't think to take any pictures. Hope this helps. Information about which model of the Pinto rear end is best to use in the IH Cub Cadet transaxle. (Created 11/14/01) This was originally written by Todd O'Neill. He had some problems installing a Ford Pinto rear end. Through his investigation, he have found the following: The 1971-'73 Pinto or Mustang II differentials are interchangeable, '74 through '78 differentials are interchangeable and '79 and '80 differentials are interchangeable. The '71-'78 differentials have the same bearings as IH Cub Cadet. '79-'80 have a larger bearing. I do not know the difference in the '71-'73 and the '74-'78 but I had two salvage yards find the same information, that the '73 and '74 were different. Axles in the '79-'80 models have 25 splines and about 1-1/8" in diameter at the spline area. Axles on the '74-'78 models have 23 splines and about 15/16" in diameter at the spline area. I do not know about the '71-'73 axles. Note: I am using a '75 model differential in my Cub Cadet. I did not machine the Pinto differential case to make it shorter. It seemed to me that this would make the bearing surface area about 1/8" thinner due to the fact that the farther you go towards the ring gear the larger the hole becomes. I machined the bearing cup .900" on the long end of the differential, to make the bearing race go farther back into the cup. See photo #1. This made the area on the bearing cup that keeps the bearing from pushing out very thin. I then used a 3/8" thickness steel plate over the flange to give it support. See photo #2. This cup is on the opposite side of the ring gear, so there should not be much pressure pushing it out. When shimming the backlash, I had to remove all of the shims from the bearing cup on the ring gear side. I didn't use a dial indicator to check the backlash, but I think it will be okay. If I decide to move the ring gear closer to the pinion, I would have to add a shim behind the differential bearing or machine the flange on the bearing cup. By not shortening the differential, you must put the differential and ring gear in separate and bolt it together inside the rear end. - Todd O'Neill - My e-mail address is: oneills@svs.net (Todd O'Neill)

How to Machine and Install a Pinto Carrier and Axles in a Cub Cadet Transaxle -

As always, for trouble-free service, take your time when machining any rear end for use in a Cub Cadet. Measure the parts/clearances with extreme accuracy before final installation.

Machine the Carrier for Proper Fit:

1. The only parts that's needed out of the Pinto rear end assembly is the carrier and both axles. Discard everything else.
2. The Cub Cadet ring gear fastens on the opposite side of the flange where the Pinto ring gear originally went. Don't use the original Pinto ring gear bolt holes in the flange to fasten the Cub Cadet ring gear to. They're too big and they don't line up properly. Also, the ring gear could slip and/or break when under severe pressure if the Pinto ring gear holes are used. Instead, align the ring gear on the flange so the holes are halfway between the Pinto bolt holes, and clamp the ring gear on the flange. Now drill new 5/16" holes into the flange (it's just soft metal) through the ring gear holes for perfect alignment. Use 5/16" diameter grade 8 or stainless steel fine thread bolts with a 3/4" shoulder, split lock washers and grade 8 nuts to secure the ring gear to the flange. Torque the bolts to 35 ft. lb. This may seem kind of tight for 5/16" bolts, but they must be this tight to prevent the ring gear from slipping and possibly breaking.
3. The flange on the Pinto carrier is too large for the inside of the Cub Cadet ring gear (next to the gear teeth) to fit, so the outer edge will need to be turned down (precision machined in a lathe) exactly to 5.705". Don't machine it any smaller, or the ring gear will be too loose on the carrier and not turn true with the carrier. See photo to the right è (IMPORTANT: If you don't feel comfortable using a metal lathe, please consult a professional and experienced machinist with a lathe.)
4. The original Cub Cadet side bearings will fit perfectly on the Pinto carrier with no machining.
5. The overall width of the Pinto carrier must be narrowed to 3-15/16" (3.9375") in order to fit inside the Cub Cadet housing. Machine only the long end of the Pinto carrier. Use the Cub Cadet carrier as you will need it to take some measurements for the Pinto or Mustang II carrier.
6. Install the Pinto carrier (with the Cub Cadet ring gear) in the Cub Cadet housing. You might need to use more or less shims depending on the amount of machining.

Machine the Axles for Proper Fit:

The large part of the axle will need to be machined down to 1.125" (like the Chrysler axles), then in the end of each [Cub Cadet] axle housing, use either a 1.128" i.d. x 1" length bronze bushing or a Torrington needle bearing # B-1816 or equivalent (made for a 1.125" diameter shaft) and the oil seal for the axle housing is a National # CR11734 or equivalent (for a 1.125" diameter shaft). It doesn't matter which brand of bushings, bearings or oil seals are used, just as long as they're the right size.

NOTE: If you don't want to use the original bronze bushings, and if you wish to install needle bearings for less friction, you will need to remove the bronze bushings and the axle housings will need to be bored to accept the needle bearings. To do this, you'll need to measure the outside diameter of the needle bearing housing, then bore the axle housings .003" smaller for a press fit. Or, look for another set of axle housings off a later model Cub Cadet with the [1" i.d.] needle bearings already installed.

1. From the splined end to about the middle of the axle, cut off each Pinto axle to 12-1/2" length. Discard the rest of the axle/hub. You can make them longer if you want your tires to set out farther. NOTE: The splined part of the Pinto axles are small in diameter. The rest of the axle is larger in diameter.
2. In the lathe, machine the larger diameter portion of each Pinto axle down to 1" in diameter. Be sure to clean and sand smooth (polish) the area where the bearing and seal will ride on the axle to ensure a smooth bearing surface and good seal. The oil seals are part # CR 9878 and National # 4712224. They're the same seal that most garden tiller tine shafts use and the 5hp through 7hp Tecumseh vertical shaft engines use on the PTO end. The size is 1-1/2" o.d. x 1" i.d. x 3/8" thick. (IMPORTANT: If you don't feel comfortable using a metal lathe, please consult a professional and experienced machinist with a lathe.)
3. Fabricate two new wheel flanges, or in the lathe (with a self-centering 3-jaw chuck), machine the weld from the Cub Cadet axles next to the wheel flange, then press the flanges onto the Pinto axles. True up each hub (in the lathe with a 3-jaw chuck), then weld them onto the axles. For strength and durability, weld each side of the hub. Discard the Cub Cadet axles, or keep them for future use in a stock tractor. FYI - we've always used mild steel wire welder to weld the wheel flanges to the axles. I weld them on both sides of each flange and never had one break loose.
4. Now, you need a couple of steel "locking shaft collars" to retain the axles in the rear end. These collars measure 1" i.d. x 1-5/8" o.d. x 5/8" in thickness and they have an Allen set screw. Be sure to install a heat-treated washer between the collar and housing to prevent the collar from wearing against the rough casting inside the housing.
5. Drill a small hole in each axle housing exactly 1-1/2" from the end. These holes will allow access to the set screw in the collars. Cut threads in the holes for either a short bolt or a NPT threaded pipe plug. Leave the original Cub Cadet bronze bushings or needle bearings and oil seals intact, or install new seals to prevent oil leakage.
6. Fasten the axle housings onto the transaxle case with a couple of bolts, then slide the Pinto axles in until they bottom out against the pinion shaft.
7. Place a punch mark on each axle through the drilled holes. This is to locate the set screw in the set screw collars.
8. Remove the axles, then drill a shallow hole into each axle where the punch mark were made. This shallow hole is for the set screw in the collars to tighten into, and to keep the collars from slipping on the axles.
9. Remove the housings from the transaxle case then slide the Pinto axles in along with the set screw collar on each axle.
10. Fasten the housings onto the transaxle case, locate the set screw in each collar through the drilled holes, then tighten them securely into the shallow hole that was drilled in the axles.
11. After tightening the set screws on the axles, plug the holes in the housings with either a short bolt or a NPT threaded pipe plug. There's no need to install a grease fitting in the holes because the oil in the transaxle will provide adequate lubrication for the bushings or bearings.
12. See the detailed drawing below Ê for how the axles are held in place.

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Bronze Bushings, Oil Seals and Locking Shaft Collar Kit for Retaining Ford Pinto Axles in 1" IH Cub Cadet Axle Housings. Length of axles must be turned down to 1.1875". Bushing dimensions: 1-3/16" i.d. x 1-1/2" o.d. x 1" length. Oil seal dimensions: 1-3/16" i.d. x 1-11/16" o.d. x 1/4" thickness. Axle housings will need to be precision machined to accept these bushings and seals. Collar dimensions: 1-3/16" i.d. x 2" o.d. w/Set Screw. Collar made of mild steel. Bushings and seals same as above. NOTE: To prevent premature wear to bushings and seals, apply clean motor oil, gear oil or lubricating grease in bushings and seal lip and on axles before installing. $25.00 per kit, plus shipping & handling.

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Remember, when installing an automotive rear end in a Cub Cadet, it's important to install a steel (3-bolt) flange on the side of the transaxle that's closest to the ring gear (the right side, as viewed when sitting on the tractor). The reason for this is because under pulling stress, the pinion gear pushes against the ring gear. And the only thing keeping them together is the original 3-bolt cast iron flange, which could break. Or better yet, install 2 steel machined flanges, one for each side. Midwest Super Cub sells machined flanges for the Chrysler carrier. When using a Pinto carrier, install an 1/8" thickness steel plate over the original flange that's closest to the ring gear.

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(Added 5/9/18) Torque all the 3/8" transaxle bolts to 24 ft. lbs., torque all the 5/16" bolts to 17 ft. lbs., and torque the 7/16" overdrive gear bolt and pinion nut to 75 ft. lbs. each. See below for specific torque values.

- Identification and Torque Specs of Most Commonly Used Grades of Bolts -

Use Standard Torque Settings When Specific Values Are Not Specified (C) = Coarse thread, (F) = Fine thread

Hardness è	No lines = Grade 3	3 lines = Grade 5	6 lines = Grade 8	Stainless Steel / Special Alloy
Bolt Size â	Material: Low Carbon Steel. Tensile Strength: 85,000 p.s.i. (Low Strength)	Material: Medium Carbon Steel, Tempered. Tensile Strength: 120,000 p.s.i. (Medium Strength)	Material: Medium Carbon Alloy Steel, Quenched and Tempered. Tensile Strength: 150,000 p.s.i. (High Strength)	18-8 [304] Stainless Steel Tensile Strength: 130,000 p.s.i.
1/4-20 (C) 1/4-28 (F) 5/16-18 (C) 5/16-24 (F) 3/8-16 (C) 3/8-24 (F) 7/16-14 (C) 7/16-20 (F) 1/2-13 (C) 1/2-20 (F) 9/16-12 (C) 9/16-18 (F) 5/8-11 (C) 5/8-18 (F) 3/4-10 (C) 3/4-16 (F)	70 in. lb. / 6 ft. lb. 85 in. lb. / 7 ft. lb. 150 in. lb. / 13 ft. lb. 165 in. lb. / 14 ft. lb. 260 in. lb. / 22 ft. lb. 300 in. lb. / 25 ft. lb. ------------- 35 ft. lb. ------------- 45 ft. lb. ------------- 50 ft. lb. ------------- 70 ft. lb. ------------- 75 ft. lb. ------------ 100 ft. lb. ------------ 110 ft. lb. ------------ 140 ft. lb. ------------ 150 ft. lb. ------------ 200 ft. lb.	115 in. lb. / 10 ft. lb. 140 in. lb. / 12 ft. lb. 250 in. lb. / 21 ft. lb. 270 in. lb. / 23 ft. lb. ------------- 35 ft. lb. ------------- 40 ft. lb. ------------- 55 ft. lb. ------------- 75 ft. lb. ------------- 80 ft. lb. ------------ 105 ft. lb. ------------ 125 ft. lb. ------------ 165 ft. lb. ------------ 180 ft. lb. ------------ 230 ft. lb. ------------ 245 ft. lb. ------------ 325 ft. lb.	165 in. lb. / 14 ft. lb. 200 in. lb. / 17 ft. lb. 350 in. lb. / 29 ft. lb. ------------ 30 ft. lb. ------------ 50 ft. lb. ------------ 60 ft. lb. ------------ 80 ft. lb. ------------ 105 ft. lb. ------------ 115 ft. lb. ------------ 165 ft. lb. ------------ 175 ft. lb. ------------ 230 ft. lb. ------------ 260 ft. lb. ------------ 330 ft. lb. ------------ 350 ft. lb. ------------ 470 ft. lb.	165 in. lb. / 14 ft. lb. 200 in. lb. / 17 ft. lb. 350 in. lb. / 29 ft. lb. ------------ 35 ft. lb. ------------ 58 ft. lb. ------------ 69 ft. lb. ------------ 98 ft. lb. ------------ 110 ft. lb. ------------ 145 ft. lb. ------------ 160 ft. lb. ------------ 200 ft. lb. ------------ 220 ft. lb. ------------ 280 ft. lb. ------------ 310 ft. lb. ------------ 490 ft. lb. ------------ 530 ft. lb.

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How to Install New Rear Axle Bushings or Needle Bearings and Oil Seals in a Cub Cadet -

The following is how to install new rear axle bushings and oil seals in the IH Cub Cadet "Original". (They're different than later model Cub Cadets.) (This is much easier to do on a platform work table.) Drain the oil from the transaxle. Remove the axle housings. Remove the snap rings from the axles. Slide the axles out of the axle housings. Remove old bushings. (Use a 1-1/8" o.d. socket or round steel tubing to drive out bushing.) And pry out the oil seals with a seal puller. Install new bushings and seals. Reassembly is in reverse order of removal.

The following is how to install new rear axle bushings or needle bearings and oil seals in a later model IH Cub Cadet. The same applies to all hydrostatic and clutch drive models. (This is much easier to do on a platform work table.) Drain the oil from the transaxle. Remove the rear cover. The rear cover may need to be removed to drain the oil. Remove the snap rings from the axles. Slide the axles out of the axle housings. Remove the axle housings. Remove old bushings. (Use a 1-1/8" o.d. socket or round steel tubing to drive out bushing/bearing.) And pry out the oil seals with a seal puller. Install new bushings and seals. Reassembly is in reverse order of removal.

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How to Make a Hydrostatic Drive Garden Tractor a Competitive Pulling Tractor - Top of page

Replace the OEM Cub Cadet Charge Pump Relief Spring (by-pass/pressure relief spring) with one that's twice as stiff or much stiffer than the original so when the tractor (hydrostatic system) is under a severe strain, oil pressure will not by-pass the hydraulic motor and return or circulate back to the hydraulic pump. In other words, doing this will allow much more oil pressure to be applied to the hydraulic motor. On Cub Cadet models with a PORTED pump, the Charge Pump Relief Spring is located under the plug on the LEFT SIDE of the hydrostatic pump housing. And on NON-PORTED pumps, the spring is located under the plug in the CENTER of the hydrostatic pump housing. See pictures below Ê. Also, the use of [heavier velocity] SAE 30 weight hydraulic oil will help increase the pressure. And the tractor will definitely need a healthy or bigger engine, preferably one that's built to the max to increase the torque.

The hydrostatic drive unit will also need a fan mounted on the driveshaft to keep the unit cool and prevent wear to the unit from excessive heat. Plastic fan blades tend to crack and break off after some time from heat being transferred from the hydro unit when the engine is turned off. But metal fans (steel or aluminum) seem to last forever and heat from the hydro unit has no effect on them. And no Cub Cadet originally came from the factory with a metal fan on the driveshaft. So if you want to use a metal fan on the driveshaft, chance are, will need to be installed with the use of a WELDAHUB hub adapter of the appropriate size, or some other kind of hub adapter. Metal fans and WELDAHUB hub adapters of various sizes are available online and at most hardware stores, and farm and home stores. I've adapted a metal fan for use in a Cub Cadet and John Deere garden tractor before. It is possible and it works great!

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Removing a Rear Wheel from the Axle on a Riding Mower or Lawn Tractor (when the wheel slides on the axle) - (Added 6/11/15) Top of page

If soaking the axle with penetrating oil overnight won't loosen the wheel, may have to use an oxy-acetylene welding torch to heat the hub. If this won't loosen the wheel from the axle, raise the rear of the rider in the air, and use a long steel rod and a big hammer from the inside of the frame of the rider to drive the wheel off the axle. But doing this could cause the axle retaining snap ring inside the transaxle to become dislodged. If this happens, the transaxle will need to be removed from the tractor (this is much easier to do on a platform work table), disassembled and the snap ring reinstalled on the axle, or install a new snap ring. (Been there, done that... several times... had no choice.... only way to remove the wheel.) It'll be nice if manufacturers would apply water-proof grease on the axles before installing the wheels. It'll make life much easier for the repairman.

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Adapting a Motorcycle Engine in a Garden Tractor for Pulling - (Added 8/3/16) Top of page

If you plan to pull with chain drive motorcycle engine, it'll be best to run the chain back to the input shaft on a heavy duty right angle gearbox mounted midway in the garden tractor frame, then use another chain/sprocket to connect to the output shaft on the garden tractor transaxle's input shaft & use the clutch in the motorcycle engine to propel the vehicle. But if you plan to use a shaft-drive motorcycle engine, connect the driveshaft to the input shaft on a heavy duty right angle gearbox, then use a chain/sprocket to connect to the output shaft on the garden tractor transaxle's input shaft & use the clutch in the motorcycle engine to propel the vehicle. By using the motorcycle's transmission gears, plus the transmission gears in the garden tractor, this will give you multiple choices of which gearing to pull in.

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If you wish to have your Kohler stock or pulling engine tested on a dynamometer (dyno), please contact A-1 Miller's Performance Enterprises | 1501 W. Old Plank Rd. | Columbia, MO (Missouri) 65203-9136 USA | Phone: 1-573-256-0313 (shop) | 1-573-881-7229 (cell). Please call Monday-Friday, except holidays, 9am to 5pm, Central time zone. If no answer, please try again later. (When speaking with Brian, please be patient because I stutter.) A-1 Miller's shop is open to the public from 9am to 5pm, including weekends, except holidays. Please call before coming so I'll be here waiting for your arrival. E-mail: pullingtractor@aol.com. Directions to our shop | 1501 West Old Plank Road, Columbia, MO - Google Maps or Map of 1501 West Old Plank Road, Columbia, MO by MapQuest. If you're the kind of person who don't trust delivery/shipping companies (mis)handling your high-dollar and fragile merchandise, you can make the long drive to A-1 Miller's shop to personally drop off and/or pick up your carburetor, clutch assembly, engine, transaxle, tractor, etc. "The road to a friend's house (or shop) is never long." (We're planning to relocate to other property with a bigger and better shop so we can provide many more parts and services.) Please click here to place an order. A-1 Miller's Fully Computerized Stuska Water Brake Engine Dynamometer (Dyno) Service with DPM Data Logger Software! For performance testing engines up to 200hp at speeds up to 12,000 RPM. The only engine dyno service in Missouri for Kohler pulling engines! Fully operational and 100% accurate, customers can rent dyno time, fine tune and make adjustments or changes to their engines to gain maximum horsepower and torque, and print-out the results so their tractor(s) will be truly competitive on the track. NOTE: A fresh-built engine may not produce full power until it's broke-in. This is when the valves wear-in with the seats to completely seal in the compression. The rings will likely hold the compression, but the valves may leak slightly until they wear into the seats. This is normal for all engines and may take several hours or pulls to happen, then the valves will be able to hold full compression. Lots of pullers tell me after I've built their engines that it seems to pull stronger every time they pull it. Engine Dyno Rental Fee: $50.00 per hour run time from the moment the engine is started. No setup fee for Cub Cadet engines with a 3- or 6-pin/stud clutch driver. An adapter may need to be needed or fabricated for other makes and models of engines. Only engines with the narrow base oil pan can be tested. Engines with the wide base (tall) oil pan cannot be tested at this time.

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To place an order and/or for FREE professional and honest technical assistance and support, please contact:

A-1 Miller's Performance Enterprises | 1501 W. Old Plank Rd. | Columbia, MO (Missouri) 65203-9136 USA | Phone: 1-573-256-0313 (shop) | 1-573-881-7229 (cell). Please call Monday-Friday , except holidays, 9am to 5pm, Central time zone. If no answer, please try again later. (When speaking with Brian, please be patient because I stutter.) A-1 Miller's shop is open to the public from 9am to 5pm, including weekends , except holidays. Please call before coming so I'll be here waiting for your arrival. E-mail: pullingtractor@aol.com. Directions to our shop | 1501 West Old Plank Road, Columbia, MO - Google Maps or Map of 1501 West Old Plank Road, Columbia, MO by MapQuest. If you're the kind of person who don't trust delivery/shipping companies (mis)handling your high-dollar and fragile merchandise, you can make the long drive to A-1 Miller's shop to personally drop off and/or pick up your engine, transaxle, tractor, etc. "The road to a friend's house (or shop) is never long."

To place an order, please call the number below Ê or send an email with your name, complete and correct postal address and phone number and so I can figure the total with shipping cost and USPS Tracking. For payment options for parts ordered or services performed, or to make a donation to my websites, I accept cash (in person), USPS Postal Money Orders, cashier's checks, business checks, MasterCard, VISA, Discover, American Express (please add 2.5% to the total for the credit/debit card processor's surcharge), Western Union Money Transfer, MoneyGram Money Transfers or Popmoney. (If a part for a specific purpose is special ordered, your debit/credit card may be charged for the full amount or as a deposit right after your order is placed; please do not send your debit/credit card information in email!) Or you can pay me through PayPal. (My PayPal account name is my email address. And be sure to mention in PayPal a description of what the payment is for.) If sending a money order, please include a note in the envelope with your name, complete and correct postal address, phone number and a description of what the payment is for. My mailing address and phone number are below Ê . I'll make a note of your order, and I may have to order some of the parts, which should take a few days to come in, but I will send the parts to you as soon as I have everything in stock after I receive your payment.

IMPORTANT - When sending your part(s) to me for rebuilding or repair, package everything securely so the item(s) won't get damaged in shipping and please include a note in the box with your name, mailing address, phone number (in case I have any questions) and a description of what you want done. When shipping heavy parts, it's best to put a slightly smaller box inside a larger box, to double the strength and integrity of the package. Because the clumsy "gorillas" or incompetent and uncaring workers that work for certain delivery services mishandle the heavy packages and don't care. And when the work is completed, I'll either call or email you an invoice with the total including shipping & handling.

To figure the shipping cost, I weigh the package with the parts, then I go online to the USPS Postage Rate Calculator website. I type in the weight, my zip code and your zip code, then it shows me the prices for various ways to ship the package. I always choose US Postal Service because I believe that's the most fastest, economical and reliable method.

Shipping: (United States and it's territories)
To save you shipping charges, item(s) in a package or cushioned envelope weighing less than 13 oz. is sent by First Class Mail for a 2-6 day delivery. Most packaged item(s) weighing over 13 oz. is sent by US Priority Mail for a 2-3 day delivery. To save you even more on shipping heavy items, I always try to use the US Postal Services' Flat Rate Priority Mail envelope and boxes (if the item(s) can fit inside the envelope or boxes). Some heavy items weighing no more than 70 lbs. is sent by US Mail Parcel Post. Item(s) weighing over 70 lbs. is sent by FedEx Ground. Again, if you're the kind of person who don't trust delivery/shipping companies (mis)handling your high-dollar and fragile merchandise, you can make the long drive to A-1 Miller's shop to personally drop off and/or pick up your engine, transaxle, tractor, etc.

We Ship to Canada and Worldwide -
Item(s) in a package or cushioned envelope weighing less than 1 lb. is sent by US Postal Service Airmail Letter Post for a 4-7 days delivery. Packaged item(s) weighing over 1 lb. and up to 66 lb. is sent by US Postal Service Airmail Parcel Post for a 4-10 days delivery. I cannot use the US Postal Services' Flat Rate Priority Mail envelopes and boxes to ship outside U.S. territories. Item(s) weighing over 67 lbs. or more is sent by FedEx Ground or equivalent services.

^{(When placing an order through PayPal, please provide a list of which parts you need.)}

To make a payment to me through PayPal, go to PayPal's secure website ( https://www.paypal.com/ ) and click on Send and Request -> Pay for goods or services. Type in my email address, or copy and paste this: pullingtractor@aol.com, the amount and follow the directions. Be sure to mention in PayPal a description of what the payment is for. After you've finished, PayPal will send me an email notifying me that you have made a payment to me for the product(s) or services and amount entered. Then I go to their website and direct PayPal to deposit the money in my bank account. And I will send the parts to you as soon as I receive your payment. But I may have to order some of the parts if they're not in stock, which should take a few days. In that case, I will send you the parts as soon as they come in. PayPal protects your financial privacy and security. With PayPal, privacy is built in. It's a way for you to pay without exposing their financial information.

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Coming Soon - Detailed Illustrated Plans on How to Construct a Professional Pull-Back Garden Tractor Pulling Sled, and a Motorized/Self-Propelled Garden Tractor Pulling Sled. FYI - My professionally-built motorized/self-propelled pulling sled, Track Master (click the picture to the right to see a larger image of my sled), is the only one I've ever built and I got it right the first time, with very few changes that had to be made to it. I guess I'm just one of those kind of guys that knows what he's doing. Pullers really like pulling my sled, too. They say it's the best sled they've ever pulled. (Not bragging, just stating the truth.) By the way - Track Master sled is engineered so well (by Brian Miller), that other sled builders/owners have copied my well thought-out and proven design. Anyway, I have lots of work to do in my shop and I work on the sled plans in my spare time. As soon as my plans with an inventory list of parts to use are perfected, I'll post the update in my websites. Remember - Perfection takes time. If it's worth having, it's worth waiting for. Also, I plan to acquire a bigger shop and I may build high quality garden tractor pulling sleds in the future to offer for sale. Please call me at 573-256-0313 (shop) or 573-881-7229 (cell), or email me at pullingtractor@aol.com or pullingtractor@yahoo.com if you're interested. - Brian Miller

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