How to: Replace PTO side crank seal on a Kohler Command

[jimbob200521]

Part 1: Removing the PTO and old seal

Seal needed for PTO end replacement: Kohler/Cub part #25 032 06-S

Disclaimer: This tutorial was done on a CH18 but the procedure should be the same for any Command. Also, I am not responsible for any damage you do to your motor. This guide is meant to be a step by step on how to do this for those that have not before, so please; if you have questions, ask. If something doesn't seem right, ask. If you are not comfortable doing this yourself, don't! That being said, let's get started.

To start with, this project can be done with the engine in the tractor. I, however, am doing it on the bench as it was not only out anyway, but easier to take pictures for. If you are doing it in the tractor, you will also need to remove the hood and grill as it makes it much, much easier. To start with, we will need to remove the upper exhaust tin. There are 8 bolts holding this on, 4 on each side. Picture 1 shows the bolts on one side circled in red. Remove the bolts, and then remove the upper tin.



Next, we need to remove the 2 bolts and 2 nuts (circled in red) that hold the PTO on as well as the lower muffler tin. The lower muffler tin will also need to be removed for this project as they also hold the PTO onto the engine. Also, remove the center bolt holding the PTO to the crankshaft. This is best done with an impact wrench. After these 5 bolts are removed, remove the lower muffler tin (it should just pull off, nothing else is holding it on at this point). Then we will remove the muffler. There are a total of 4 nuts holding this on. Remove the 4 nuts, and pull the muffler off.



Next, remove the final 2 bolts holding the PTO on the tractor. Once these are removed, the PTO is the next to come off. A pulley puller would be easier, however if you don't have one on hand, a crowbar or long, solid screwdriver and hammer will do the trick. Just take it slow; you don't want to damage the block or PTO so take your time! Apply leverage on the top, then bottom, then top, then bottom, etc., etc. After some patience, it will come off.



You will then be left with the seal exposed. Take note of how far on the shaft the seal is, as when we install the new one, we don't want it to be the same depth as the old (riding in the same "seat" as the old seal will only allow it to leak again).

From here, we need to remove the seal. I find it easier to drill two small holes on either side of the seal. Be CAREFUL with this. You don't need to go all the way through, not only could you go to far and damage the block but the less shavings you make, the better. Then screw two screws (I just grabbed 2 random screws from my parts bin to use) into the holes you've drilled just enough to bite. Then gently pull on both screws to remove the old seal. It should slide right out.









Once removed, take note of the condition of your shaft. Look for any worn groves from the old seal and make a mental note of where they are. When we install the new seal, again, we don't want to install it at the same depth as the old one. If you do, you will be riding in the same grove worn by the old one, thereby not fixing the leak we are here to fix. Remove any shavings that may be left behind, which should be minimal to none, and get your new seal ready.

Part 2 of this will come later this week. I mistakenly ordered the wrong seal.

[jimbob200521]

Part 2: Install the new seal and reassembly

Alright, now that we've got the PTO, muffler shrouds, muffler, and the old seal removed, it's time to install the new seal. Before you do, make sure the crank and surrounding area are clean. We don't want any rouge dirt to get into the engine or onto the seal before or during install. Carb or choke cleaner is a good cleaner to use as it doesn't leave any oily residue behind.

Once things are cleaned up, grab your new seal. The new seal should come with a small amount of assembly grease to aid in installation, so try to remove as little as possible from the package to shaft. The seal is going to be a bit stiff to get started, but be patient. What I found works best is take a small hammer and LIGHTLY tap the edges of the seal just to get it started.

Once started, an easy way to get the seal to slide in evenly is with a piece of 2" or 2 1/4" PVC pipe. Line it up with the seal and GENTLY tap the end of the pipe. Small taps and being easy is the key here; you don't want to give it a good WAP and slide the seal all the way to the bottom. If you do that, you've got a whole new problem to deal with (oil return hole is now blocked and you've got to remove the seal and start all over with a new seal).

Tap the seal EASILY onto the shaft. Remember, you don't want to go to the same depth you did before. Slightly deeper or slightly shallower is the goal. I choose to go slightly shallower in my specific instance. Make sure you're seal is even all the way around.

Now clean up the shaft and around the seal with a clean cloth and get your PTO ready to re-install.
From here, simply reverse the steps we took to remove the PTO, muffler shrouds, and muffler to reassemble. Install your PTO, gap it (you won't have a better time to do it, link below for a how-to), install your muffler, and install the muffler shrouds. Now start your machine up and let it idle at about half throttle till it's good and warm and then enjoy your new leak free machine!

I hope this can help someone out there. I wanted to make this to give something back to the community that has given me so much. If you have any questions, please ask. If you see something I did wrong, or have a better way to do something, please post. If this helped you, don't be afraid to post and let us know. Thanks guys, and safe Cubbing out there!

PTO Adjustment Guide: http://www.onlycubcadets.net/forum/showthread.php?t=30

[jimbob200521]

Originally Posted by cubs-n-bxrs

Nice write up but you forgot to clean the crud off from the end of the crankshaft. Looks like the seal is sitting right on it.

Good point; I edited the post to include directions to make sure people clean things up first (assuming anyone reads this thing ). Thanks!

For what it's worth, the pics make the crank look worse than it is (I'd almost call the level of oil residue there a "stain"; when I'd run my finger along it, it wasn't noticeable so that's why I didn't work to clean it any farther). All told, I'm not too worried about it. I took it out and ran it last night after I got the seal in and so far no leaks, but the real test will be this weekend when I mow, that's get her good and hot. And if it leaks, it leaks. The pics for this tutorial were taken on two different machines. The pics from "Step 2" came from a machine with a different style PTO (1864) which only involved removing one bolt to get it off, the muffler and everything else was able to stay intact. All told, this project took less than 2 hours so if does end up leaking, I guess I get to do it again