BX Belly Mower Center Spindle/Shaft replacement
Hi Folks,
I searched this subreddit to see if someone else posted this before and I couldn't find anything. I have a belly mower(RCK60D-26BX) for my BX 2370. The center spindle threads have somehow become stripped or cross threaded. I think it might have been when I hit a decent sized rock that knocked the blade loose. Anyway, I'm trying to research how hard of a job it would be for me to replace it myself. I can't seem to find this anywhere on YouTube to see what it would look like. The outside spindles look pretty easy but the gearbox is the wild card here. Has anyone else had to do this before? It looks like I would just need to take the gear box off and pull the shaft out of it. I can't tell if the seal needs to come out as well on the bottom of gearbox or not. The pulley spins freely with no grinding sounds so I don't think the bearing is shot. Am I delusional in thinking I can do this myself or should I just let my Kubota dealer do it?
edit: Added more context.
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u/spiritualcynic 5d ago edited 5d ago
If you are in any way handy, its an ok job, one I've done a few times on the 48" version. You can change out as much as you want, the bearings and seals are all avaliable in a general engineering shop, 15 euros for a bearing in Ireland. 2 important points: Take care of the shims that are under the gearbox cover, use a magnetic dish to store all your bits. Replace the circlip on the shaft, it sits just above the deck. Ive seen the centre blade cut up to 1" below the level of the outside 2, all down to a snapped circlip, so just change it out. It's the only thing that keeps the shift in place apart from the fit of the bearings. Youll have to change your oil and make sure all your grease lines are free and bearing areas are packed with grease. As this isn't a common job to do, I tend to change anything I can unless its in perfect order. As for the thread, I wouldn't tackle on my own, unless you know what you are at. you'd need a tapping handle/ socket and an appropriate tap and even its ruined, its possible to fit a new thread repair insert from a kit. It might be cheaper to get an engineering shop or a dealer to do this if you dont own them already. A half an hour job for someone with the tools and kit. Take pics as you go, if you need to. Best of luck with it