# John Deere L118 K46V transmission



## getgood (Jan 1, 2013)

I bought a 2005 L118 two days ago with known transmission problems. It has a little over 450 hours and was regularly serviced (records included). When I looked under it, I found out the start of the transmission problem; a hole in the upper casing about half the size of your thumb. My guess is the previous owner backed into something. The rest of the tractor is in excellent working order. Blades were sharpened and balanced less than two weeks ago....

I haven't gotten to dropping the transmission yet and don't know the extent of any further problems, but assuming the hole is the only failure is it possible to repair the upper casing? (Weld or metal epoxy...) 

When I get to inspecting the rest of the transmission my answer may become apparent if the majority of the internal components are subsequently damaged.

Many thanks in advance.
John


----------



## Country Boy (Mar 18, 2010)

If the only issue is the hole in the casing, you can mix up some JB Weld or similar two part epoxy and seal it up. If the hole is larger, you might want to use something like sheet metal or screening to help support the epoxy and cover the hole. Look at the edges of the hole and see if you can tell which way the metal broke out (in or out). That will tell you if they did indeed back into something that pushed the metal into the transmission, or if something on the inside broke and got pushed through the casing toward the outside. Either way, you'll have to do the teardown like you said and inspect the internal components.


----------



## bontai Joe (Sep 16, 2003)

I'm thinking that unless you can keep costs down below $50 and your time to something less than 6 hours, you might want to replace the tranny. The K-46 is not known for it's durability even with no holes in it. Some have upgraded to heavier transmissions, and their are You-tube videos on how to do that.


----------



## getgood (Jan 1, 2013)

Took apart transmission. There was a large amount of debris (see picture). However, other than the final gear/sprocket everything appeared to be in pretty good shape. 

Is there any way to assess the pump or motor visually? I noted a small depression/groove in the in both plates where they fit against. All gears spun freely etc...

Bontai joe makes a valid point: while I bought this tractor as some winter time "hobby" and don't mind a few trials it comes down to how much to sink into parts vs piece of mind with a new assembly. 

I think I'll try the JB weld regardless, clean up the inside and refill with a good 5w50 and see what will happen. If that fails then its probably worth bitting the bullet. By the time I troubleshot replacing pumps/motors/bearings and sprockets its not worth it over purchasing a new one


----------

