Spiral Pin Removal
It seems one of the biggest complaints when working on a narrow frame Cub Cadet is the problems encountered in removing the coil pin(s) where the drive shaft connects to the transmission. In the picture below, the pin on the left is a standard roll pin. The picture on the right is a coil or “spiral” pin. (The grease on it indicates its been used.)
I used to struggle with removing these pins laying on my back under the Cub Cadet. But with experience I’ve found there’s just enough room to remove the pins using a roll pin punch through the creeper slot. Any time you’re working with spiral pins or roll pins, use a roll pin punch. The little “ball” on the end of the punch will help hold the punch in alignment with the spiral or roll pin.
(Of course if there’s a creeper installed in the tractor, there’s no room in the creeper slot to do this.) To remove the spiral pin place a light below the frame so you can see what you’re doing, and rotate the driveshaft so the end of the spiral pin is lined up with the creeper slot in the frame.
If the pin doesn’t come out easily, you may have to hold the roll pin punch with a pair of pliers or vice grips. It beats getting your fingers smashed when something slips. I always replace all the spiral pins with new pins when I reassemble the drive shaft.
I’ve discovered with experience that I have better luck if I remove the rear most spiral pin and leave the connecting collar connected to the drive shaft. However, if the rear pin is too stubborn I remove the front pin instead.
To reconnect the collar, slide the drive shaft end and collar into position and insert a ¼” X ¾” bolt through the connection. Use electrician’s tape to hold the bolt in position to maintain the alignment as you reinsert the spiral pin. With a little patience you can insert the bolt and tape it in place without crawling under the tractor.
Here’s where I insert one of those disclaimers that the “tractor was removed” from the above illustration for clarity. In other words, the pictures were taken with the shaft laying on a workbench instead of as it was installed in the tractor. I couldn’t get a good picture with the shaft in place on the tractor.
Now, since you can’t get your hands in position to hold the spiral pin in place while you drive it in, use electrician’s tape (electrician’s tape again!!!!) to hold the spiral pin in place on the end of the roll punch.
Again, use a trouble light to see what you’re doing and rotate the drive shaft (bolt and tape maintaining alignment) to align the hole in the drive shaft and collar with the creeper slot. Insert the roll pin punch with the attached spiral pin through the creeper slot and into the hole in the collar. You’ll have to use a hammer to drive it back into the collar and shaft. As you drive the spiral pin in it will push the bolt out the other side. If your roll pin punch isn’t long enough, you may have to use a regular punch to drive the spiral pin in completely.
As always, comments and suggestions are welcome. Just drop me an email.
