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First Gator
Hi folks I am new here and new to the Gator. I am picking up a project gator tomorrow morning. I was told the engine is good but needs "transmission work". Now I know nothing about these other than what I have read. I assume this has no transmission. Direct drive from the engine through the clutch to the final drive?
So when I drag this home tomorrow what should I start looking at for problem areas? Any help/advice is appreciated.
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First Gator
Thanks Frank. I look forward to this "little" project. 
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First Gator
It is not a turf gator. It is however big rust bucket. It appears someone built a new frame under it and hence the running boards.
Ok, I do weld so I would worry about that stuff later. Here is the first problem I need help with before I go any further with it. Motor runs fine. It will not go forward only reverse. It does have a transmission. I wasn't sure. I hate some pretty decent mechanical skills so if some knows what I should look for I will be glad to open her up.
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First Gator
Dang, that was quick and I really appreciate it.
I just took a quick look and it appears the shift linkage is bent right where it connects to the arm coming out of the top of the transaxle. Is it supposed to be straight there? It has about a 30 degree bend at the first adjuster nut then turns and goes through that swivel joint. When I try to put it in low I can hear a faint grinding noise like it is trying to go in. That made me look at the linkage. When I pull it up to high gear it seems to want to move but doesn't seem to have uhmp to make it go.
Does that help at all. I just got it unloaded off the trailer.
Sorry about my lack of knowledge for all the parts. I hope to learn though.
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First Gator
I may have misspoke also. After looking at some pictures on the web it might be a Turf. It just say Gator 2x4. I thought it would say Turf somewhere.
I took some pictures but I gotta run. I will post them first chance I get this weekend. Thanks again.
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First Gator
Here are some pic's of what I have deemed the Rust Bucket.
http://images.myphotoalbum.com/p/pu/pur/purp/purpl/purplewg/albums/album07/dscn0089.sized.jpg
http://images.myphotoalbum.com/p/pu/pur/purp/purpl/purplewg/albums/album07/dscn0090.sized.jpg
http://images.myphotoalbum.com/p/pu/pur/purp/purpl/purplewg/albums/album07/dscn0092.sized.jpg
http://images.myphotoalbum.com/p/pu/pur/purp/purpl/purplewg/albums/album07/dscn0087.sized.jpg
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First Gator
Ok, thanks. I have the shift linkage disconnected and had hoped to try shifting it by hand but.....I had a flat on the front. Went and bought a tube and put it in but the dang stem came right out of the tube when I blew it up. So it sits on the jack. I may try to shift it by hand and see if it wants to move forward even though I will have the jack under till I get another tube tomorrow.
I will keep you posted. Thanks again.
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First Gator
Ok, I tried it even though it had a jack under it. When I put it in reverse the clutch locks up and it is ready to go. When I put it in forward the clutch just spins and spins and spins.
I guess next is pulling it out. Not sure where to start with that but I guess I will just have to figure it out.
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First Gator
OK, I finally had some time to look at this thing. I managed to figure out how to pull both rear axles and hub assemblies. I got those out last night and hope in the next day or two to pull the trans-axle and set her on my bench, open her up, and see what I see.
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First Gator
Ok, I got the tranny out. I put it on my bench and split her in half.
Gatoraider was spot on with his guess (educated I think)  . The shift arm pin was broken off. All looks really good inside other than that.
I think that is about a $30 part so I will get a new one and some new seals and put her back together.
I will try to get some pics and post them tomorrow if any one wants to see them.
Gatoraider, thanks for the advice on this.
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First Gator
Shift shaft with broken pin .
http://images.myphotoalbum.com/p/pu/pur/purp/purpl/purplewg/albums/album07/dscn0129.sized.jpg
Inside for those who have never seen it.
http://images.myphotoalbum.com/p/pu/pur/purp/purpl/purplewg/albums/album07/dscn0130.sized.jpg
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First Gator
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Purple, you can grind some of that weld off the back of that arm and weld that pin back on from the rear and save yourself 80 bucks. I do it all the time.
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Thanks, I actually thought about that but the pin is a bit chewed up (not seen in picture)so I elected to just get a new one. I ordered the shift shaft direct from Tuff Torq for ~$30.
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First Gator
Well, I had a few minutes after mowing the yard last night to put the new shift shaft in. I am pretty good at it now. I put it in then remembered I had ordered a seal kit so I took it back out. Then I put it in and put the new input shaft seal in. Put the input shaft back in and didn't put the spacer in, pulled it all out, put the spacer and input shaft back in, and the dang tension spring in the seal came out. Pulled the input shaft and put the spring back in. Put input shaft back in and spring came out through the other side (outside). Removed input shaft again. Long story short, finally got it.
This may sound easy but is not. You have to remove the chain every time to do this and to remove the chain, you have to hold your mouth just right.
I still have to put new seals in the axle shaft housings yet but may not get to that till next week. I have to go out of town for a few days.
So far it has been fun though. Kudo's to Tuff Torq for very fast service.
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First Gator
I put the seal in last night and put the two halves aback together. Used the shift shaft to put it in forward reverse and neutral and all was well except for forward. Still don't lock up in the forward position.
I will have to split it again and dig a little deeper. Must be something wrong around the input shaft and gears there. The gear must not be locking up when I put it in forward although it did before I put back together. Must have been enough slop to allow it to bite. Suspect something is stripped off there somewhere.
Gotta go out of town a few days so it will next week before I get a chance to split it again.
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First Gator
Here's the update. I split the tranny again and dug a little deeper this time. I found the inside of the shift collar on the go forward side worn out. I mic'd the locking splines on the go forward gear and they were worn smaller than on the go backward gear so I ordered a new shift collar and go forward gear from Tuff Torq this morning. Each piece was easily half of what JD or Cub wanted for them.
This really is a pretty simple tranny.
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First Gator
I managed to get quite a bit done this past weekend. I had hoped to post some pic's but my dang camera has broken. Won't power on and then when it does, it won't power off. So back to Nikon with it if I can find my dang receipt. I do have what I call my redneck frame machine.
Here is where I am at now. I have the frame rebuilt running down the center using 2 inch x 1/4 inch angle iron. The original stamped frame is by far the worse design they could have for longevity. Powder coating sucks. It will crack and then it sucks up the water and is almost impossible to sand and fix.
So having run two center beams up the middle to support the almost nonexistent stamped frame, I also ran two 2 inch x 1/4 inch pieces down the outside edge of the body and angled it back in to the front frame work. I fabricated cross supports out of 3 inch x 1/4 inch angle iron. I cut one side of the angle iron down to 1 and 1/4 inch to fit where they had to 1x2 thin wall tubing. I suspect the weak link in this one will be the tires. They won't carry what this frame will.
I now have the engine back in and the tranny back in. I tested it as it sits in this picture without the axles/hubs installed. Just manually shifted it from forward to reverse and made sure all was working ok. It is.
Now I will continue on with some body work. I am not going to make it like a show car, I just want it functional.
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First Gator
I managed to get my pics off of the camera so here are some updates.
First is frame repair/replace. Used 2 inch x 1/4 angle iron. Two pieces. One on each side of the stamped center tub and one on the outside body works.
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First Gator
Can't figure out how to get more than one pic in a post.
Here is the other side.
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First Gator
Thanks Dennis.
Yeah I am to the point of putting stuff back in rather than taking out. All the little stuff I have had to make takes time. Also the right rear hub only had one lug bolt. The others were broken off. Spent two nights fixing those.
Also looking for that right front fender too. Can't weld that.
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First Gator
Well, I have the gator back on the ground. Put the finishing touches to the running gear and frame. Had to make a shift pattern plate to keep someone from slamming it from forward to reverse.
I set it down and started it up (had run in on the stands)put it in reverse and then went for a spin around the yard. It ran like a top. Then I decided to play and see how fast she would go. She locked up and took off pretty good. Made a lap and stopped. Dang, the engine is surging now. First time for that. Oh well, I guess that is what I get for hot rodding.
I guess it is time to pull the carb and do a good cleaning.
I will post pics as soon as my camera decides to work again. It is still a work in progress but at least she goes forward and backwards and doesn't drag the frame in the middle...
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First Gator
New pics. The camera decided to work so I was able to get some pics upload from it.
Got all the running gear back in.
http://images.myphotoalbum.com/p/pu/pur/purp/purpl/purplewg/albums/album07/dscn0148.sized.jpg
Left side.
http://images.myphotoalbum.com/p/pu/pur/purp/purpl/purplewg/albums/album07/dscn0147.sized.jpg
Right side.
http://images.myphotoalbum.com/p/pu/pur/purp/purpl/purplewg/albums/album07/dscn0149.sized.jpg
Running but not done.
http://images.myphotoalbum.com/p/pu/pur/purp/purpl/purplewg/albums/album07/dscn0150.sized.jpg
http://images.myphotoalbum.com/p/pu/pur/purp/purpl/purplewg/albums/album07/dscn0151.sized.jpg
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First Gator
Guess I never posted the finished product so here it is. I sold it about a month ago. I was going to buy a new XUV 825i but I emailed the nearest JD dealer to see if they had one in stock and they didn't bother to reply so I will go buy a Rhino instead.
http://images.myphotoalbum.com/p/pu/pur/purp/purpl/purplewg/albums/album07/dscn0155.sized.jpg
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Gas Generator Weather Protecti
07-30-2009, 14:12 
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