1945 John Deere B Fan-shaft Help Needed! (PICS)

Beatles65 · Feb 14, 2012

This past weekend I tore down my 1945 John Deere B to find the source of the broken fan shaft. I removed everything and took off the governor and fan-shaft and discovered that the shaft had indeed broke at the rear near the entrance to the governor. It looks like this piece is welled on, so I think the weld just broke. I plan on having it welded back on, but I need to know how to get the fan shaft apart. It seems to me that I have to take the fan off and then the rest to take the outer shaft off to have access to the inner-shaft. I will have to take this off to be able to get the bearing back on. See the pictures of what I am talking about. What can I do to get the fan off? Use a pulley?

Any advise would be great!
Thanks!
From Denton, Nebraska.
Andrew Kean

Patsdeere · Feb 15, 2012

To say it is a royal PIA is a slight understatement. I finally torched off the pot metal friction plates and that thing let loose like a missile. Anyway, that round thing at the top holds 2 keepers in. If you can get the fan to slide down the splines a little you might be able to pull that little ring down. If you can get it down far enough then somebody else can take a pair of pliers/screwdriver and pry those little keepers out. When I went to put mine back together I had all 225 pounds pulling down on that fan to get the keepers in. They finally went in and I don't plan to take it apart ever again.

Buckeye · Feb 15, 2012

There is a spring inside the housing that you need to compress to take the pieces out that holds the fan on. You will have to put something in the tube where it is broke off so you can push down on the fan, otherwise the fan shaft will just go in. Normally the fanshaft goes out the back, but since the gear is broke off the whole shaft may come out the tube from the front. The metal cup that holds the felt seal in should be all that is holding it.

greenmech · Feb 15, 2012

I would look around for a used fan shaft complete and use your bevel gear on it. A lot less hassles Ron MN..

1 Dollar · Feb 15, 2012

Amazingly my dealer rebuilt mine 3-4 years ago on my '37 A. One of the older mechanics knew how and fit it in during the spring, even as busy as they were. My friction clutches were shot and the "fix" weld had broken, so I had it fixed right. They warned me that that spring makes the fan come off like a missile, so I let them deal with it. Really wasn't that expensive.

Paul from MI · Feb 15, 2012

You will have to put a shaft up in the end of the tube to bear on the end of the fanshaft. Then pressure on the fan end compressing the spring will allow you to get the two keepers of and then release the wholoe assembly. A page from the parts book will show what you need. Then you will need a new/used fanshaft, replace it's gear with yours, and reassemble the fanshaft asembly. That gear is on there tight, so you will need a good press with enough throat to stand up the shaft to shove the gear off. Reset the bevel gear backlash and alignment and you are good to go.

1945 John Deere B Fan-shaft Help Needed! (PICS)

Beatles65

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Patsdeere

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Buckeye

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greenmech

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1 Dollar

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Paul from MI

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