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LA 130 with K46 tranny issues

19K views 44 replies 12 participants last post by  tjohnsen 
#1 ·
Quick history: I have the John Deere L130 with 23HP motor, which I purchased new in July 2005. I began having the issues with the transaxle by around 2009, and with little more than 100 hours on the mower. Mower was just slow on slight inclines, to begin with. By 2010, it got worse, and wouldn't go up steeper inclines, at all. Symptoms seemed to get worse the longer the mowing session lasted, and finally wouldn't even pull itself for very long on flat terrain.

Never have pulled any attachments with the mower, or even used the snowplow I bought with it, new. Just the double baggers mounted on the back. Very few, small inclines in my yard, either. In other words, I don’t feel that I have ever “pushed” the tranny! Still, reading here led me to believe that was exactly what was wrong, so yesterday I pulled the unit off and am preparing to make a parts order from Tuff Torq.

Information: I want to be certain that I am correctly reading the list posted by stladrill to the Sticky from back in 2010, with respect to my transaxle’s numbers, so that I order the correct parts.

Numbers cast into my transaxle: K46 IA6460-24340 on the bottom left of wheel axle housing. On the base it has the same first series of numbers, but the last series is 24162.

The sticker says: TUFF TORQ 7A646024390 S/N: 46AC0259880
This serial number seems to fit into the list posted by stladrill (K46AC 0108108 – 0360248).

Questions: Just want to verify that my S/N means I am good to go with ordering the listed P/N’s for pump, motor, filter, and sealant from that same post ?

Also, these can be ordered directly from Tuff Torq using the “Catalog Shop” link on their website, correct?

It is recommended to refill with 1.85 Liters of a 5W50 synthetic oil, yes?

Finally, anyone able to offer a ballpark estimate on how long it might take to receive the order from Tuff Torq?

Thanks for your help!
 
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#2 ·
Quick history: I have the John Deere L130 with 23HP motor, which I purchased new in July 2005. I began having the issues with the transaxle by around 2009, and with little more than 100 hours on the mower. Mower was just slow on slight inclines, to begin with. By 2010, it got worse, and wouldn't go up steeper inclines, at all. Symptoms seemed to get worse the longer the mowing session lasted, and finally wouldn't even pull itself for very long on flat terrain.

Never have pulled any attachments with the mower, or even used the snowplow I bought with it, new. Just the double baggers mounted on the back. Very few, small inclines in my yard, either. In other words, I don’t feel that I have ever “pushed” the tranny! Still, reading here led me to believe that was exactly what was wrong, so yesterday I pulled the unit off and am preparing to make a parts order from Tuff Torq.

Information: I want to be certain that I am correctly reading the list posted by stladrill to the Sticky from back in 2010, with respect to my transaxle’s numbers, so that I order the correct parts.

Numbers cast into my transaxle: K46 IA6460-24340 on the bottom left of wheel axle housing. On the base it has the same first series of numbers, but the last series is 24162.

The sticker says: TUFF TORQ 7A646024390 S/N: 46AC0259880
This serial number seems to fit into the list posted by stladrill (K46AC 0108108 – 0360248).

Questions: Just want to verify that my S/N means I am good to go with ordering the listed P/N’s for pump, motor, filter, and sealant from that same post ?

Also, these can be ordered directly from Tuff Torq using the “Catalog Shop” link on their website, correct?

It is recommended to refill with 1.85 Liters of a 5W50 synthetic oil, yes?

Finally, anyone able to offer a ballpark estimate on how long it might take to receive the order from Tuff Torq?

Thanks for your help!
You are correct, you can order the parts.
Don't forget the bleeding procedure.
To depend where you live, but normally it's less then a week to received the parts from Tuff Torq. :)
 
#8 ·
Sorry to hear about your problems but congrats on taking the repair into your own hands. From what I've read, it's entirely doable with just a little mechanical aptitude.

Please do keep us updated with your progress and results and good luck!

NP
 
#10 ·
Thanks!

Just ordered my parts from Tuff Torq:
168T2025080 EA CYLINDER BLOCK KIT (MOTOR) 71.00
168T2025090 EA CYLINDER BLOCK (PUMP) KIT 58.13
168T2025220 EA FILTER 105 10.21
1A646099500 EA SEALANT 13.23
Shipping via UPS Ground 16.51
TOTAL 169.08

Since they are in TN, only about 2.5 hour drive away from me, hopefully I will have them midweek!
 
#13 ·
Question... once he rebuilds the tranny and gets it working again, wouldn't the tranny just breakdown again in another six or seven years?
 
#14 ·
More than likely... your replacing the cylinder blocks, but the machined surface they ride against is still a little scored. i rebuilt the k46 in my l118 last year, and it didnt make it like new, but was alot better. im sure it will be shot again pretty soon.

hopefully the OP has better luck tho
 
#24 ·
I guess I'm still missing something. Which level do I fill it to... 20mm or 25mm?

You fill it at 20mm, after the bleeding procedure the oil should be at 25mm "line/mark"
It do not matter if the oil level is not perfectly at the exact level, just do your best to respect it.

:ditto: on pictures or video, one small piece as tendency to drop on the floor, it is demonstrated on the previous video.
 
#26 ·
You fill it at 20mm, after the bleeding procedure the oil should be at 25mm "line/mark"
It do not matter if the oil level is not perfectly at the exact level, just do your best to respect it.

:ditto: on pictures or video, one small piece as tendency to drop on the floor, it is demonstrated on the previous video.
Thanks for all your advice. I might have a free day this weekend to change the oil in the K46. Hopefully I'll have good news on Monday about how it went.
 
#17 ·
it is "sealed" because Deere does not sell user serviceable parts for it, when one goes they sell a new transmission. but TT sells the parts and even makes a K46 with a filter. last time i counted, it was well over 2 DOZEN various K46 models out there for various design needs.
 
#21 ·
As you`re taking apart your transaxle, take pix and notes during the process. It`s easier than you think to forget just in just what order something came apart during reassembly.

Mike- Guy with CRS (can`t remember s**t)
 
#23 ·
Thanks for the advice. I get CRS many times while disassembling things. I'm actually considering filming the entire process just so that I can go back and watch it when I start forgetting where parts go.
 
#30 ·
Maybe Royal Purple ATF... I'm not aware of any other brands that color their ATF purple.
 
#32 ·
Bummer on the cap. I`ve read where you have to slide a thin blade under the edge and be very careful in removing them.

I`ll be finding out before long, as my X300 is nearing 50 hrs and I`ll be doing the same thing.
 
#33 ·
Hard to say if I knew exactly how it came off I'd have been able to get it off without damaging it. It's a pretty snug fit, and you have to be careful when prying it off as the casing is aluminum... so you can really put too much pressure on it.

The instructions said to use a utility knife, but doesn't specifically say where to wedge the blade. You basically have to wedge it in between the casing and the ring of the fill cap. Then twist it a little, rotate a little and continue twisting until it comes loose.

A replacement fill cap itself isn't very expensive ($2.42). Unfortunately I couldn't find anyone around me that carried it or could order it, so I ended up ordering it online and paying 5x more for shipping. :banghead3
 
#36 ·
FYI - I was able to order a new fill cap for the K46 from a local Cub Cadet dealer since they also use a version of the K46. Something to keep in mind if anyone needs parts for their K46.
 
#38 ·
Also, Cub Cadet uses the same part number as Tuff Torq...

TT-168T2036300
 
#39 ·
I did this repair as well on my L130 last spring. It did help it a bunch but was not like new. It was still weak in rev. I mowed all summer with it and finally fixed it the right way...sold it for $600 and bought a good used X475. Now I pull anything and can go faster in rev. than my L130 went in forward.
 
#41 ·
Came back to do a late update... geez, talk about getting threadjacked!
Not cool.

Quick Summary of my Experience:
Got the rebuild done. Not a big deal, thanks to all the info/photos made available on this site, as well as the YouTube vids.
Way more work getting the deck removed and the transaxle off than doing the actual rebuild.
My gears were not in awful condition, but there were a couple of large dings, some deep gouging, and notable amout of shavings on the magnets and in the filter.
Couple of frustrated comments, based on the above two things:
Thanks, Tuff Torq, for failing to provide a drain plug!

And thanks to JD, too, for providing no info on this transaxle's need for rebuild at 50hrs and every 200hrs thereafter; its apparent inability to drive a mower for general/normal use, much less accept any level of 'abuse'; etc.


But, thankfully, my mower runs good again. Doesn't really have the fwd or rev speed that I recall from new, but I think that may actually be due to a linkage issue or "play" in the pedals, not from the tranny.

Was very careful during rebuild with that aggravating little pin, and was certain that it did not fall out as I put the motor on or as I reinstalled the assembly into the housing.
Since the tranny won't disengage when I pull out the freewheeling rod, tho, I guess it did fall out at some point.... Great!

All this aggravation for a mower with only 125 hours on it?!
Makes me believe that my next one will be a Cub or Simplicity.....def a model that doesn't have the K46 !

Thanks to all for their assistance!
 
#42 ·
Couple of frustrated comments, based on the above two things:
Thanks, Tuff Torq, for failing to provide a drain plug!

And thanks to JD, too, for providing no info on this transaxle's need for rebuild at 50hrs and every 200hrs thereafter; its apparent inability to drive a mower for general/normal use, much less accept any level of 'abuse'; etc.


But, thankfully, my mower runs good again. Doesn't really have the fwd or rev speed that I recall from new, but I think that may actually be due to a linkage issue or "play" in the pedals, not from the tranny.

Was very careful during rebuild with that aggravating little pin, and was certain that it did not fall out as I put the motor on or as I reinstalled the assembly into the housing.
Since the tranny won't disengage when I pull out the freewheeling rod, tho, I guess it did fall out at some point.... Great!

All this aggravation for a mower with only 125 hours on it?!
Makes me believe that my next one will be a Cub or Simplicity.....def a model that doesn't have the K46 !

Thanks to all for their assistance!
I don't believe TT is to blame for not putting the drain plug in the transmission... I think that was JD's call.

Also, JD has models that don't have the K46... just like other brands have models that also use the K46... including Cub Cadet.
 
#44 ·
Assuming you have a L130 like in this thread, then make sure the PTO switch is pressed down (DISENGAGED) and you have weight (two JD Green Hanger weights will do) in the seat. Either of the switches will ground the mags if you're not in the seat.

HTH,
Paul
 
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