Broke Drive Shaft Universal?

vabiker23518 · Mar 15, 2011

While cultivating with my T233 this past weekend, I experienced a sudden "thump thump thump"...turned the engine off and jumped off; found what I think is the drive shaft laying on the ground. There appears to be two shafts, one coming from engine and one from transmission; the transmission shaft is the one that fell off. This is located directly above the HST filter and hard to get at. Was unsuccessful getting it back on. Have sent emails to the dealer with pictures, but understand they are having a dealers meeting this week so may have to wait for a response....has anyone else had a similiar issue?

ALKY · Mar 15, 2011

I have lost mine twice but never put it back because of warranty. I do know my 233 has an access hole through the floor hope this helps.My 233 likes to break the tension pin holding the front shaft to the hst. STEVE

vabiker23518 · Mar 16, 2011

Thanks Alky...I did a google search and didn't find any similiar issues. My dealer is sending the new part (he's about 200 miles away) so I'll try to install myself. Appreciate the info on the access under the mat...I didn't think to lift it and look!

Airedale · Mar 16, 2011

Hey Guys,
I see broken universals and drives shafts at Tractor Pulls where they are beating the **** of the drive train, but in my opinion doing normal tractor work like cultivating should not be having these parts fail.

I suspect that the components that are breaking are bad for whatever reason, and hopefully TYM has diagnosed what the problem is on your model and have come up with a reliable fix.

Al

vabiker23518 · Mar 22, 2011

As an update, my dealer sent me a new universal, and there is more to it than I found lying on the ground. Hope to go up this weekend and get it installed. More to follow!

Airedale · Mar 25, 2011

There is a huge thread up in the John Deere forum with a couple of members having the similar type of universal-drive shaft failure, Deere ended up covering the the cost of the fix. Cause is believed to be lack of grease.

I will be very interested why this happened to the TYM and how TYM handles it.

Al

vabiker23518 · Mar 28, 2011

Thanks for for comments, ideas and support.
I went up this weekend to replace the new joint; sadly I failed. Got the forward end of the U joint on, but could not get the back end onto the transmission end. Lots of skinned fingers and hands. Removing the access panel under the floor mat helped and I also pulled the HST filter to get better access to the joint location, but my big hands still couldn't get in to do it. Email into the dealer asking for assistance, so more to follow.

vabiker23518 · Apr 11, 2011

It only gets worse...
Been advised the dealer will make the repair IF I pay to get the tractor to the dealer. Based on the distance, it will be $450 out of pocket to transport to/from the dealer.
As this is my first new tractor, is this standard practice? I'm thinking it might be cheaper to get a local dealer to come to the house to effect the repair.
Just wondering?

pete-mi · Apr 12, 2011

If you have a pickup or suv you could check if there are any local rental shops that rent car or utility trailers. This would cost less than hiring it done. That is one option but having your local dealer repair it may be the cheapest. Check out both options and go with what gives you the best value.

Airedale · Apr 12, 2011

Most tractor dealers can and will perform service on the farm if the job is not too formidable. Repair on the farm should be cheaper because the expense of trailering is not there although there will probably be some kind of service charge for coming out.

Ask your dealer and see what he has to say about it.

Al

vabiker23518 · Apr 18, 2011

I can finally reply that I fixed the problem! Matt, a mechanic at Hart Auto (a TYM dealer in the Roanoke, VA area), advised that I might be able to open the universal "throat" with a hammer and cold chisel. Eager to try that before spending $450 to ship the tractor to the dealer, my son and I went up Saturday and gave it a try. Actually, a couple tries and then hit the lands/grooves with a file to get rid of a few burrs. And Success! Got the universal to finally slip over the HST. After tightening the screws down on the two universal joints onto the HST/Engine shafts, we were able to use the tractor again...thanks Matt for your help! Wayne

Airedale · Apr 19, 2011

Glad to hear your got everything installed and working, did the dealer or mechanic ever diagnose the problem as to why the failure happened in the first place?

Al

vabiker23518 · Apr 22, 2011

No, and thats a little worrysome going forward. Hope its not a problem with the HST. He did say that the original Universal, that broke, was an upgrade from the first version. Guess I'll have to keep my fingers crossed!

Airedale · Apr 22, 2011

I agree that it would be nice to know that they diagnosed and found the reason the problem existed and happened in the first place so it would not happen again. In the John Deere forum they said it was due to lack of grease but never had greasing the universal listed as part of the service.

Al

vabiker23518 · Apr 24, 2011

The TYM does not have a grease fitting...and I've seenthe universal in three parts!

Bkjohns · May 5, 2011

I recently visited my dealer (bought a brush cutter) and asked about any upgrades or problems that have come to light with the T273 line. He told me about the drive shaft troubles and said that TYM has made two changes. Your tractor probably had the first 'fix'. My dealer gave me the drive shaft as a warranty part for me to put on (listed as $185 if I had to buy it). Apparently you were lucky because he told me it usually strips out the transmission output shaft when it goes and that is about a $1300 repair that involves disassembling the tractor - 8 or 9 hours for the shop guys to do it plus parts. I would guess your new shaft is the second 'fix' and my dealer said so far that one has never failed so maybe this will be the last of the trouble with that. Hope so. Now all I have to do is put it on. As the dealer put it, somewhere between 250 and 600 hours the old shaft will fail, so it is something that needs to be addressed on all the 233/273 models that didn't come from the factory with the newest updated shaft. Mine was a 2006 model and still has the original design shaft (not good).
Just little info for you and anyone else with a 233/273 that reads this.
Good luck and glad you got it fixed.

vabiker23518 · May 5, 2011

Thanks, BK, the your info....am very happy we didn't strip the xmission shaft! Good luck with your replacement...not a easy spot to work in!

DJFireUSA · May 3, 2013

vabiker23518 said:
Thanks, BK, the your info....am very happy we didn't strip the xmission shaft! Good luck with your replacement...not a easy spot to work in!

Well fooey - I too have a drive shaft/hst input shaft issue but mine DID strip the HST input shaft. Will start new thread.

brooksto · May 29, 2013

Bkjohns said:
I recently visited my dealer (bought a brush cutter) and asked about any upgrades or problems that have come to light with the T273 line. He told me about the drive shaft troubles and said that TYM has made two changes. Your tractor probably had the first 'fix'. My dealer gave me the drive shaft as a warranty part for me to put on (listed as $185 if I had to buy it). Apparently you were lucky because he told me it usually strips out the transmission output shaft when it goes and that is about a $1300 repair that involves disassembling the tractor - 8 or 9 hours for the shop guys to do it plus parts. I would guess your new shaft is the second 'fix' and my dealer said so far that one has never failed so maybe this will be the last of the trouble with that. Hope so. Now all I have to do is put it on. As the dealer put it, somewhere between 250 and 600 hours the old shaft will fail, so it is something that needs to be addressed on all the 233/273 models that didn't come from the factory with the newest updated shaft. Mine was a 2006 model and still has the original design shaft (not good).
Just little info for you and anyone else with a 233/273 that reads this.
Good luck and glad you got it fixed.

Is there any visual difference between the old and new shaft? I have a 2010 TYM t233 and I would like to upgrade the shaft before I have a catastrophic failure like I have seen some members post about

Bkjohns · Jun 8, 2013

brooksto said:
Is there any visual difference between the old and new shaft? I have a 2010 TYM t233 and I would like to upgrade the shaft before I have a catastrophic failure like I have seen some members post about

Hi, sorry for the long delay in getting back to your post.
The newest shaft (that I know of) has actual universal joints, just like a car. The original that came off of mine had a sleeve and ball bearing assembly that looked like a bad idea from the start. Don't know what the engineers where thinking with that one. The new one is working great so far and wasn't that tough to put on. I do have a hole and cover plate about 6 inches in diameter in the hump in the floor of the tractor that a TYM guy put in not long after I bought it in 2006. The newer ones might come with it. It sure made access easier. Good luck with your 2010.