Bearing replacement on Toro rear drive mower

[trooper1954]

Hi all,
Have an issue removing the bearing and housing from a Toro 20374 rear wheel drive mower. All the videos I've found relating to changing the bearing show a circlip holding the bearing housing ....the one I have is screwed in and has no circlip. The housing is screwed into the mower deck, and afteer 2 days of penetrating oil and heat from a torch, the nut will not move so I can back the housing out and replace the bearing. As you can see in the photos, the surface area to grab on the nut is restricted by the thickness o the mowing deck, so there's not much of the 1 1/4" wrench that can grip on to it.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to loosen this nut other than what I've tried....getting frustrated now!!!!
Thanks.

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[rcktpwrd]

Is it possibly reverse threaded?

 

[oak_park]

It looks like the transmission goes through the black bracket, not the red mower deck. Can you remove the bolts holding the black bracket? I think its the height cut adjuster, drop it down so you can get better access to the nut?

 

[trooper1954]

oak_park.....thanks.....just did this before reading your post.
Finally decided to strip the mower down...removed the HOC plate and dropped the axle down.....then pulled the axle through and was able to lay the HOc adjustment plate in the vice and get an 1 1/4" socket and breaker bar on the nut...finally came loose.
Bearing replaced, and lesson learnt!!! ....bet the other side will need doing in a month!!!:-(
Moral of the story as someone mentioned.....if you're going to the trouble of doing a bearing, do both sides....well worth the time and less trouble down the road!!

 

[four.cycle]

^ On almost every Toro drive axle I've worked on, you have to tear all that completely apart to service it. I hassled with one here for a couple days this last spring before I finally got the damn bushings and washers back in order and got the drive wheels operating correctly. They don't want the homeowner to service it - they want you to take it to a dealer for repair.
Be glad you didn't buy a Troy-Bilt - they're even worse.
Stuff like this is why I absolutely despise working on Toro mowers. Only reason I did that one this spring was because it was in pretty cherry condition - needed new tires - and I made a killing on it.

 

[trooper1954]

Hi all,
Long story behind the work done on this mower...the most recent thing done to it was to replace the wheel bearing on this wheel....but unfortunately used it today and still grinding. I thought the pinion gear was okay....when I activate the drive with wheels in the air there is no grinding, and the cogs seem to mesh fairly well.
On closer inspection, I suspect the pinion gear is worn (see photos)....could this be the source of the grinding? The photos show wear on the teeth...is this okay or does it need replacing?
Also one more question.....should the pinion gear housing have grease in it?
And one more....the pinion gear....it has a part # on one side and nothing on the other....is there a certain way it should go on the axle....i.e. numbers IN or OUT?
Thanks for any help.....been struggling with this for a few weeks.