Tuff Torq Swap Question

[Stuff Breaks]

I hope this is in the correct forum.

I have a D160 that blew up. Ugly story, 'nuff said. I also have an older L130, but the rear end in the 130 is just about shot. The D160 has a Kanzaki Tuff Torq HD K46. The 130 has the standard K46 ( I think that's what it came with ). Just looking at the 2 while in the mower, it appears they mount the same and are the same size. How can I find out if this swap is doable? This would be a whole lot easier than a 300 dollar kit to rebuild the one in the L130. Thanx in advance.

 

[TractorGuy]

I recently swapped a K46 from a Husqvarna lawn tractor to a garden tractor. About the only thing I had to do is reuse the spacers for the garden tractor. I also had to swap some linkage from the bad unit to the good. started by measuring the axle diameter and width. Then I meaured the mount widths. As long as the transaxle measures and looks the same you should be okay.

 

[radios1]

I recently swapped a K46 from a Husqvarna lawn tractor to a garden tractor. About the only thing I had to do is reuse the spacers for the garden tractor. I also had to swap some linkage from the bad unit to the good. started by measuring the axle diameter and width. Then I meaured the mount widths. As long as the transaxle measures and looks the same you should be okay.

why would someone do that?. the K46 is a very light duty transmission, which breaks down in a few years just cutting lawns!..

 

[TractorGuy]

why would someone do that?. the K46 is a very light duty transmission, which breaks down in a few years just cutting lawns!..

I got the garden tractor for free. It had a sound 54 inch deck and a good running 26 hp briggs. I paid $20 bucks for the lawn tractor that had a blown engine. It was a easy swap and the garden tractor is happily mowing away for my daughter.

Check the model numbers on the axle sticker. Call Tuff Torq to see what the differences are between the two if any. I never heard of a HD K46 before, and TT doesn't show one. If you do a rebuild, the K46 can be upgraded to a K57 level. I believe that there is also a drain kit option available. Make sure you refill with the proper synthetic oil, not the OEM 10W-30 dino oil that Deere specifies. In another thread here on TBN, a TT tech stated the design life of the K46 was ~1,000 hours if proper maintenance is preformed. He also noted that not a single tractor manufacturer opted for drain plugs. The following link mirrors some of those comments.

The DREADED Tuff-Torq K46 Tranny | Lawn Mower Forum | Jacks Small Engines

TT won't offer any help on a swap. At least they never responded to my email regarding the two transaxles I was working with. Doesn't take long to measure and eyeball the similarities.

 

[Stuff Breaks]

Yeah, it sounds like a not-so-fun winter project. Pull both, put em side by side, and see if they are the same housing. Da*m!!! Thanx for the info on the upgrade and drain setup. I went thru the entire thread on this forum from the guy who rebuilt his several years ago including photos. Also have info on a TT web site about rebuilding them. Just doesn't seem right they charge so much for so little. And lets face it....the L130 is old and not worth anything, but it's been Old Faithful for many years. And I've maintained it and even swapped some parts from the 160 onto it. It's my wife's beater...