No Reverse! K65 Tuff Torq Wheelchair

I blew out the light duty spicer axle in my wheelchair, so I replaced it with a heavier duty hydrostatic unit.

After I got it mounted, I found out reverse will not engage.

The control arm will not most past neutral, even with no linkage attatched, its locked.

It drives foward all day, rests in neutral fine, just no reverse.

The axle was pulled from a functioning John Deere Sabre Tractor, I think it is a K62 or K65, any Ideas? Thanks.

I wouldn't call any hydro made after 1985 "heavy duty". The spicer probably would do better.

Actually I've seen newer hydros with proper bearings for the axles, and differential carriers. So I don't think they're as bad as most folks think.

Anyways, if I understoon correctly you said the control cam right on the trans won't move even without a linkage attatched? Hmm, is there possibly some sort of reverse lockout mechanism?

Im sorry, but why would you think a light duty Transaxle with 3/4 axle shafts, engineered for 8in rims,
18-20in tires, and a cheap stamped frame would stand a chance against a garden tractor axle?

Even if it is not as strong as an old school cub cadet rear end, it is still engineered for 23in tires, 217ftlbs of wheel torque, a much heavier tractor and bigger, more demanding attatchments.

It weights over twice as much , has heavy axle shafts with ball bearing support, 5 lug hubs, and overall is way beefier than any LIGHT DUTY transaxle, hence the name. Big diffrence between a light duty hydro, and a garden tractor hydro.

I have broken half a dozen spicer 5 and 6 speeds over the years.

Keep in mind this is not a racing tractor.

Thanks AlliskidD21, Thats what I was thinking , but I just dont see/ understand it. I have a spring holding the hydro release towards engaged, and the brake is completly off.

All I'm saying is I've seen so many blown hydro pumps. The new garden tractors are nothing like the old ones.

Double W Cross Ranch wrote:

All I'm saying is I've seen so many blown hydro pumps.  The new garden tractors are nothing like the old ones.

Yeah I agree ,nothing like the old ones. I got the axle for free, and I wanted a foot control to make snowplowing easier. Not a fanboy, Im just running what I brung.

Should be enough for wheelchair service, if only I could back up.

So the basic concept of a hydro is there is a pump that moves fluid through a turbine, that turbine has a small gear on it that is turning the big ring or bull gear on the diff.  This is how the tuff torq unit in my LT160 functions.  I never took mine apart after watching a youtube video where a guy really struggled to get his back together.  It's not as simple to assemble as a geared transmission.  All I've done to mine is drain the factory oil out and filled it with Castrol edge 5w-50 full synthetic motor oil as recommended by tuff torq for my unit.

My tuff torq unit has one lever on it that gets moved back and forth to control fwd/rev and speed. There is also a brake lever and a lever to free wheel it. This fwd/rev lever controls a valve assembly inside the unit.  I think possibly you're low on fluid or something is wrong with that valve.

Unlike a geared transmission, tolerances inside the valve and pumps in a hydro unit are very exact and matter a lot.  Once those tolerances open up with years of wear, things don't get up to full pressure or seal properly inside the unit.

BTW very cool build. Looks like fun to plow with.