Thank you. I just got one for $50 because the transmission wouldnt go into gear. I tore it down to find the chain to the transmission is broken. I had one wheel that didnt want to come off , so when I flipped it, it all fell apart. Your video helped me put it back together, Thank you Thanks you..
$50, now that's a deal! Ya, one wheel seems to be pressed on and the other isn't... Wish I would've known that before I spent half an hour banging on it lol. Oh well. Good luck on getting yours working! Unfortunately, I had to order a few parts for mine and am patiently waiting for them so I can re-assemble it
@@Eric2300jeep yeah I ended up torching the wheel and still didnt come off. Used a thin cut and it's off. I melted a bushing and repaired the chain. Waiting on parts now. Sears website sells the parts just an fyi cheaper than amazon..good luck
Whoah! You put in a lot of work to explain how this transmission works. I really appreciate that even though I don't have that problem yet. I just had a minor carburetor problem but it seems evident that if it gets stuck in a gear I'll know how to go about fixing it. So thanks for putting this up you've pretty much erased all of the fear and intimidation.
I want to add my thanks to the others. If it weren’t for your vid, it would have taken me a lot longer than the days I spent fixing this clunker to avoid spending big bucks. Thanks very much.
I'm with the rest of these folks. I appreciate you taking the time to go through everything so extensively. Finding a solid video that shows everything clearly is great and all but having to try and stop it just right to see how that one damn piece goes is another story. A good clear video without needing to work on timing where to stop is worth its weight in gold. I'm hopeful that I can free up my shifter without the teardown but if not, at least now I can be slightly ahead of the game (I hope 😬). 👍👍
Sir your video was and still is very helpful. The tiller I got I found at the local dumpster area . I could not leave it for trash. It would not go in to neutral. Or run . I got the 5hp. Briggs sounding like a song . Used your video as a guide. Come to find out the drive chain broke and the reverse gear has niddle bearings and that was froze up. I found out that the grease holds most of the little parts in place. Be ordering parts later . I will leave the parts dirty till I put back together so every thing is where it needs to be . I will clean the shafts and gears as I put it back together. Thank you so much for explaining it as you did and thank you sir for sharing. I will be back when I start putting him back together and let ya know if I was able to help out the little tiller
Love you so much ❤️. Where have y'all been all my life! I could have used y'all in 79 when I was learning as a kid on my mini bike, LOL very helpful thanks a million
A jigsaw puzzle in it's finest form. I am working on the same thing. It is a lot more than people suspect before opening the gear case. Thank you so much for this.
Exact same problem with outside shifter, it rusted up and was stuck, could not get into gear. Had to dissemble the entire transmission casing just to free it up with wd-40 Real pain to put back together as tyranny was packed full of old grease and dirt, this video should help. Thanks for posting
Just commenting so more people get to see it. Awesome video on a nice clean rototiller. The one I just finished sat in the rain for a few years... that was... fun...
Thanks George, I’ve disassembled mine but the wheels are frozen on it. So I’m soaking the axles in penatrating oil. You did a great job explaining why the transmission freezes up.
Nice video. I lost track of where the washers went. I did notice when putting the new gasket on that there is an emboss in the covers and the gasket goes across the corner of it there isn`t clearance to have the gasket covering that area. I think that is holding the top of the frame open enough to let it leak in the top of the frame. I cut the new one around it. the gasket has a lot of extra material in that area. the old gasket had a very compressed shape of this emboss when I took it off.
This Video came at just the right time.I have came into a unit just like that one and it had been left in a low tide water back yard but thank to this video alls good again
The design hasn't changed much over 40 years. Can't believe I paid $700 in '86 for repair parts. While my old tiller used a cork gasket, the newer one does not. I was watching this video to see what was used as a sealant, but it ended before it was assembled. I'm in the process of opening my case up to replace the wheel axle (same design as the one in the video). I removed one of the larger bolts from the bottom rim and discovered a broken piece that was attached on the other side, under the nut. However, there is no part shown on my schematic. You mentioned using marine grease. My specs reference to 22oz. of a bentonite grease; not inexpensive. Same stuff? Thank you for the video; seems the shifter shaft rusting up is not uncommon.
The only reason I was using marine grease was it’s water resistant. I never saw a spec. that called for the use of the grease you’re talking about. I had paper gasket but it was in bad shape and had ripped in a couple places so I topped it off with some of that liquid gasket, It comes in a tube.
@@georgerogero3185 Thank you for replying. I got my case separated yesterday. No gasket; they used a bead of sealant (akin to Flexseal) on the inside lip. I also noticed that a silicone adhesive was used to hold the flange bearings in place . I'll research marine grease. They use the bentonite grease because it doesn't melt at high temperatures. Mine looked contaminated. Noticed damage on the case from hitting granite cobbles (salvaged 2 tons in 3 months). There's room for me to add wear plates to protect the case from further damage. The axle & tine shafts both required filing where the holes were; a bit of distortion from the shear pins. The chain to the tine shaft was sloppy, but not enough to remove a link. The seals on that shaft will need to be replaced. No idea how to remove them, except with a dremel. I'll know more when the parts arrive. I did not find any filings in the case. The axle broke clean; the only collateral damage was a thrust washer.
Thank you for this video. I have the same transmission with the exact same problem, but my tiller is a Quality Farm built by Fridgidaire. I’m assuming Craftsman contracted Fridgidaire to build tillers for them. You’re right about the greasy mess. I pressure washed mine. Great video!
George Rogero I did make sure about the washers. Good advice about the magnet. Parts are in order. I’m going to rewatch your video when I put it back together. Geeze can you think of a more convoluted way to house the transmission? It’s just insane to have to disassemble the ENTIRE machine to fix the transmission.
Thanks so much for making this video how to assemble the transmission for this kind of tiller I got one with the same problem and I just got apart so now I need to clean it out put back together and grease it, hopefully it's not too hard
Amazing video, thank you so much for uploading this. If anyone wants the break down of the whole machine, sears still has their website up where you can look up your specific machine and get the owners manual and parts break down.
Thanks! I bought a Poulan pro a couple of days ago with the same issue. I ended up installing a grease nipple on top of the shifting shaft. Lile you said, when you take it apart everything falls out, so you video really helps figure out what goes where😉👍
Hey George, I'm just wondering if the wheels should free wheel when the machine is in neutral? Also, do the tines spin forward or reverse (mine seem to spin the opposite direction of the wheels when it's in Ff. Thanks
@@codyandbarbarakillingswort5546 well...there is still snow on the ground here, won't likely be using it until May, but I'm confident it won't make it worse 😉👍
I was wondering where I could get a break down of parts like you show on video, I have my apart due to being stuck in gear, and working on putting it back together and I'm not sure on a couple of washers. And your video is a great!! Thank you!!
I wouldn’t say lifesaver but thanks for the comment just make sure you don’t lose any of the washers. I almost lost some because they were buried in the grease but before I threw the grease away I took a magnet and made sure I found everything. Let me know how it turns out
Little sister just dropped her tiller off for me to fix, Glad I found this video. I'll let you know how it went. Hers wont go forward of reverse but the tiller does work, I am thinking a chain problem? It rolls back and forth about a foot unpowered.
if it is stuck in forward with the tiller working and you can't shift it to another position it is the pin. The chain is only to run the tiller so if the tiller is working it is not the chain. good luck
If you have a welder and a angle grinder you can cut a small place out near the shaft entrance then use a screwdriver to get in there and wiggle the shaft while you are activating the shaft to get the rust to let loose then weld the piece you cut out back. Remember to just spot it then seal with some form of liquid metal addhesive!
I have the same gear box. Just got it apart. Same exact gear box. My issue is , mine grinds when driving . In any gear. It goes in and out while using it, but sounds terrible . It still works, and goes in all gears. It even grinds in neutral. I don’t know what part to replace there doesn’t appear to be anything wrong once I got it apart. Other than extremely excessive grease like extreme .... gobs and gobs . I did notice the axle had some side to side slack before I disassembled it. I think when moving it some of the drive gears would shift around and run against something else . WhAt would cause that..... a worn bushing or missing spacer. There is very little info on fillers with these size gear boxes
I don't know what would cause that unless someone else took it apart and mixed up the washers or left one off. It is normal to have gobs and gobs of grease and that causes the problem when you take it apart. You really have to look closely to the grease to make sure you don't miss a washer. I thought that I got them all but when i used a magnet to check, I found one more.
@@georgerogero3185 10-4. The axle rides on plastic bushing/hub type things. The part is listed as a bearing and it does support the axle like a bearing but it doesn’t move. I ordered replacements for those those . I had washers for every hole on both sides of the case. I’ll have to get a diagram to make sure I have them all. It’s a one owner tiller . Nobody been in it but me. I’ve had it 8 years but I only tilled with it the first 3 years I had it. I was getting ready to sell it when I noticed the noise. I’m gunna replace those hubs and the gasket and fill it to the brim with grease again. If it still does it.... I reckon I’ll part it all out
@@georgerogero3185 Oh I'm on it. Just got it cracked open tonight. Big grease mess. I'm going to figure out how to clean it up tomorrow. Wish I had made a parts washer, but kept putting that project on backburner...lol... First thing I do see is my smaller chain is broken. I did not fish around in the grease mess too much to really get a good look. I think I have all the washers, but will triple check against your video to be sure tomorrow. Again. Thanks for the video!
Like so many others…. rust in the shaft hole. I’m gonna use some penetrating oil, tap tap tap, time and some optimism! We’ll see if I can get it freed up without splitting the trans halves.
This is my exact model I've had trouble getting it to shift since it was brand new now the wheels turn in forward and reverse but the tines don't turn.
Sure glad I filled the tank with fresh fuel, and replaced the tires, before finding out that mine is stuck in neutral! You referenced another video before this one where you took this one apart. I'm not finding it, did I misunderstand? What's supposed to be inside, oil or grease? Great video.
Grease on the inside. i don't know the particular video you are asking about but when i first went on the internet I could not find video that showed the parts because they never cleaned off all of the grease. That is why i decided to do my video.
@@georgerogero3185 I must've misunderstood your comment @1:50 in the video. I thought you were referring to an earlier tear down video on this tiller. I guess I got lucky! I beat on the gear pointer with a hammer and sprayed it with PB Blaster. No luck. Let it sit overnight and decided to tear it down this morning. I used a hammer and punch to try to remove the roll pin that connects the rod to the gear selector. I was amazed it freed up. Was hard to shift last year, now it shifts like new! I don't have a storage shed so this thing has been sitting outside 24/7/365 for the past 10 years. It still starts up on the first pull come spring, so I'm happy!
Thanks, Glad that i found your video. My father inlaw just dropped the same tiller off today and asking if i could fix it. His gear switch just turns, but you can tell that there's nothing moving inside. I'm assuming that the notch on the gear adjuster has came off somehow within the housing.
DolittleMccoy That doesn’t sound right. First check the Clevis pin that connects the shifter to the shaft. 2nd check the belt. I don’t see how anything on the inside could break and produce the symptoms you described. www.searspartsdirect.com/part-number/164329/0071/917.html?modelNumber=917299020&categoryName=Rear%20Tine,%20Gas%20Tiller&brandName=CRAFTSMAN
@@georgerogero3185 probably to late to the party to get a response but this is the problem I've having with mine currently. When you push/pull the lever there is a huge amount of play. It's currently stuck in reverse. When I move the lever toward neutral and further the shift just spins and never switches gears. The pin you mentioned is good. I knocked it out so I could move the shaft by hand without the indicator. The shaft spins almost freely and in and out of the case about an inch. The shift and gear are not locked up like I've seen in every video I can find but free moving instead.
@@josephhalfacre1584 I get notifications. Looking back it did sound like the exterior belt. I’ve had mine come off also. I replaced the screws that hold the cover on with screws that have the wingnut top so I can take the belt cover on and off easily
George . I have a tiller we ran for three feet hit a rock tillers won't come. Back on. So do you thinking ita the drive chain? We just bought a used one
I'm wondering, on these types of transmission if it is possible to seal them up well enough to put oil in the case instead of grease. The oil would do a better job of lubricating the internals. if it would work, where would you recommend putting the drain plug and the fill-vent plug. How much oil do you figure you would need for it. I figure with all the gears moving around in there the oil would splash coat the internals.
This looks exactly like my tiller transmission except mine has one more gear than this one. In the documents its listed as dirt idler gear part #161528 .and the tiller is 917293493. Not sure of why the gear was added or if it is new model because if I reference both your tiller number and my tiller number it says the replacement transmission is the same one.
I am sort of guessing , but this vidio could be used on the huskee tillar . the contruction is the same , however i have not attemped to open the tranmission case as yet. i have the same problem as "dolittles" the gear lever goes into the tillar position , but nothing happens. some thing must be broke inside . after some asking around there is no one to work on it and the labor will "eat your lunch" that is if whoever can find the parts needed. any way , God bless and Merry Christmas, Stan
It is not that hard to work on and the only reason that it cost so much to get it repaired is that it takes so long to take apart and put back together and with all of the grease it is a big mess. Just make sure that the pin that connects the shift arm and the shaft that goes through the frame is not sheared off. It is easy to find all of the parts on line. #1 make sure that you clean off the rust and gunk on the wheel and tiller shafts so that it comes apart easier. #2 don't lose any of the washers in all of the grease and keep track of where they all go. (I almost lost one washer in the grease when I was cleaning it up. Don't take the gears all apart if you don't have to. The only reason that I did was that I wanted to make the video.) #3 if you have to replace the rubber gasket just go to your local auto parts store.
Can you please tell me what it means if it keeps going out of gear and the blades stop turning? It runs perfect but once I put it in F to turn the blades it will go for about 5 seconds then the blades will stop turning.
SNIPIEE sorry but I don’t know off the top of my head. I can’t find the part number but the block that does the shifting has a ball bearing with a spring that pushes the ball bearing into grooves on the shaft that hold the shifter in place from what I remember. That’s all I can tell you.
What a great video! I appreciate all the details. I do have a question I hope you can answer concerning the spring and ball in the shift fork. What order do they go in? The parts diagram shows the ball first but that doesn't make sense to me as this would put the spring next to the shaft.
The spring and ball in the shift fork . The spring has to go in the hole First then the ball. The shaft that the shift fork rides on has lobes (gear selection) it has to have the ball bearing to shift smoothly.
John Walters I used the same seal even though it was broken in several places. I talked to my shade tree mechanic and he said use the liquid gasket. I used both. All your trying to do is keep the water out and the grease in.
John Walters. I had to buy a new gasket. Tried to save the one on it but it tore is 2 places. You can get it at PartsTree.com part #164396 $8.37. There are also many other parts for this transmission on the website as well as a schematic to help you figure how it goes together.
Robey Smith like I tell everyone, make sure you don’t throw away a washer in all that grease. Keep the grease and go over it with a magnet just to make sure.
Thanks for the great info! Just tore mine down to this point (what a pain) and man, that grease/rust really is everywhere. Did you order a replacement gasket for the transmission case or did you just RTV it?
Eric G I just did the gasket in a squeeze tube and put duct tape on the top seam where the two halfs come together. You are just trying to keep the water out.
It is hard to guess with out more specific information. Is it working but just does not stay in the proper gear or are you shifting and noting happens. I am not an expert but i don't think that it matters because you are going to have to take it apart to fix it anyway. i have had a few people with broken drive chain but i don't think i have seen one that has a broken chain to the tiller. good luck and keep us posted. (I guess you mean specific not Pacific.)
I have no idea but look up some parts online and you should be able to compare the parts. i think that one company made that one model for many companies with companies putting different decals and possibly different motors on them.
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@@georgerogero3185 well I’ll put it in neutral and it won’t let me push it and reverse won’t work but forward and forward with tines was working as well any ideas?
@@smallenginerepair7921 I don't have a definitive answer but it sounds like the shifter is not working all the way. The only way to find out is take it apart. Depending on how much you use it, it might not be worth it if you can live without the neutral or reverse.
@@georgerogero3185 I had it pulled apart yesterday verified all the gears would work before I put the other part of the case on, put everything back together she went into reverse twice then quit! And I can’t get it to roll freely in neutral but the transmission is in neutral because it doesn’t move when I have it there! Forward and forward with tines works great
Like I said in the video: If you have rust on the shafts that the tillers or tires are on you are going to have a hard time if it is not impossible to removing them. I took a wire brush and drill and cleaned the shafts and then I followed up with crocus cloth.
s buchanan like everything it depends on what is broken and what you’re time is worth. Mine is, what I think, is what is normally the problem. It is not a difficult repair but you have keep at it and it will take 3 or 4 hours to take it apart and put it back together At least for most people who are taking their time.
@@TylerHankss if i remember only one washer was different. look up a parts diagram and you should be able to figure it out. just use the model number and put in parts.
@@georgerogero3185 thanks for the info. My model is the yellow one and so far I’ve found 3 different sized washers… lol. Can’t find any info on my particular model. It’s the 917294482. This one seems to be rare. Everyone seems to have the black model one.
Do you know where I can get a Gear and sprocket assembly - Part #102121X. Craftsman no longer shows this part being made by the manufacturer. Any help would be greatly appreciated, my Gear and Sproket assembly failed on a good tiller.
excellent video. My tiller will not stay in gear. I suspect the dog leg that does the shifting may have a worn tit that rides the groove. Has anyone opened the case by penetrating the shell around the shifter?
Salve. ti chiedo scusa in anticipo, ho montato il mio motocoltivatore guardando questo video ma ma non funziona nel senso che le marce vanno perfettamente, ma non succede nulla. l0avevo smontato per la prima volta e non avevo rifermento per montarlo e ho trovato questo video. ho montato esattamente come nel video. HO UN MOTOCOLTIVATORE MCCULLOCH MRT6 mi puoi confermare che non c'è nessun errore di ingranaggi nel tuo viceo, di come vanno montati. grazie
Sto usando un traduttore. La tua motozappa potrebbe essere diversa dalla mia. Sembra che la macchina non stia uscendo dalla folle. Mostro il cambio a 2:30 e a 3:02 mostro la posizione neutra. Buona Fortuna
@@georgerogero3185 Chiedo scusa, il suo video e grazie al quale mi ha prmesso di Risolvere. Avevo montato un ingranaggio all'incontrario. stamani ho controllato meglio e funziona tutto adesso. solo grazie a lei e sono qui per ringraziarla. un saluto e grazie anche per la risposta.
I don’t know why you would say that. I am beating the crap out of mine. I kick up rocks the size of a bowling balls that jam the tines and that stops the engine. I’ve broken #8 bolts that hold the tines on twice.
