alberta dave
Member
In case anyone else does a swap like I tried I thought I should share me recent experience.
I bought an 1850D a few years back that came with the 3speed Over/Under/Direct power shift. I loved how much more versatile the tractor was with those extra gears and managed to use haying for 3 seasons until I heard a loud pop come from the engine and it started puking oil out of any where it could. I limped it home and parked it on the healing fence.
Last year I saw another 1850D with a solid engine but had clutch troubles for a reasonable price and bought it thinking "hey, easy swap, just pull the good engine out of the running tractor and put it into the one with the bad engine". The only difference was the new to me 1850 had the common 2 spd over/under box on it.
I further thought hey these things are the same from the bell housing back so that makes it even easier.............WRONG
Turns out the 1850D with the 3 speed has more in common with 1855 that replaced it than the older 1850's
First attempt was me sticking the 3 speed box on to the bell housing of the good engine tractor. Chain sproket on the 3 speed was bad so I had to order another. This is when I found out you have to ask for a sprocket for an 1855. That cost me 4 days delay, machine shop time trying to modify the wrong sprocket to work (it didnt) and no spare tractor for the last 40 acres of green feed. Eventually dropped the better engine and 3 speed in the tub and all looked good until I tired to reinstall the long drive shaft, NO GO. It would not go in the last couple inches. Pulled the engine out and found I had broken the pilot bearing on the flywheel hub.
Realized after tearing apart the clutch and flywheel from the original engine that the bell housing and flywheel/hub set up is different from my other 1850's. Looking closer at the bell housings I now see there is differences in castings and width. I wish I hadnt been in such a rush before and saw that. Could have saved some grief. So now the swap will be from the block back. Not a huge deal but an extra few steps.
I guess my point is that although the engine stayed the same those last 1850's, the 3 speed optioned tractors are just different enough to make your day a bit longer. I hope to now have everything back together for next week but my shop floor will take longer to recover.
I bought an 1850D a few years back that came with the 3speed Over/Under/Direct power shift. I loved how much more versatile the tractor was with those extra gears and managed to use haying for 3 seasons until I heard a loud pop come from the engine and it started puking oil out of any where it could. I limped it home and parked it on the healing fence.
Last year I saw another 1850D with a solid engine but had clutch troubles for a reasonable price and bought it thinking "hey, easy swap, just pull the good engine out of the running tractor and put it into the one with the bad engine". The only difference was the new to me 1850 had the common 2 spd over/under box on it.
I further thought hey these things are the same from the bell housing back so that makes it even easier.............WRONG
Turns out the 1850D with the 3 speed has more in common with 1855 that replaced it than the older 1850's
First attempt was me sticking the 3 speed box on to the bell housing of the good engine tractor. Chain sproket on the 3 speed was bad so I had to order another. This is when I found out you have to ask for a sprocket for an 1855. That cost me 4 days delay, machine shop time trying to modify the wrong sprocket to work (it didnt) and no spare tractor for the last 40 acres of green feed. Eventually dropped the better engine and 3 speed in the tub and all looked good until I tired to reinstall the long drive shaft, NO GO. It would not go in the last couple inches. Pulled the engine out and found I had broken the pilot bearing on the flywheel hub.
Realized after tearing apart the clutch and flywheel from the original engine that the bell housing and flywheel/hub set up is different from my other 1850's. Looking closer at the bell housings I now see there is differences in castings and width. I wish I hadnt been in such a rush before and saw that. Could have saved some grief. So now the swap will be from the block back. Not a huge deal but an extra few steps.
I guess my point is that although the engine stayed the same those last 1850's, the 3 speed optioned tractors are just different enough to make your day a bit longer. I hope to now have everything back together for next week but my shop floor will take longer to recover.
