# Goofy 826 Axel Repair



## Syberacuse (Jan 21, 2016)

I was very excited to buy a new "old" 826 for what I thought was a good price. The first time I ran it - the drive chain to the sprocket on the differential shaft came apart. As I went to put it back on, I discovered the axel bushing was heavily worn creating the play that allowed the chain to come off. I took off the wheel and found that someone had repaired the axel by welding a piece of threaded pipe over the outer shaft. I have the new bushing but I can't get to the axel off because it is all welded up (see photos).

Does anyone have any thoughts about how get this apart? Can I split the differential and slide the sprocket off of the axel and then slide the shaft through the bushing seat?

Do I have to torch of grind off the axel and buy a new axel?

Snookered in Central New York.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

:welcome: to the forum Syberacuse


That's just flat out ugly. I do think you can take the diff apart and get the axle out that way.

Is yours an 826 or and 826D and is there an actual model and serial number plate on it or just the 826.
Depending on the year it can go a couple different ways.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

This is what I'm seeing on the JD site.










This might help: http://www.snowblowerforum.com/foru...0s-john-deere-8-26-how-do-i-split-axle-2.html

.


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

yikes.....whatta mess !! i would be inclined to slowly and carefully remove that "fix" with a grinder, and then see where yer at. jmo


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Have you tried undoing the nut on the hub? It might just slide off there.


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## 69ariens (Jan 29, 2011)

Man,that must have fallen out the truck it was stolen in.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

nwcove said:


> yikes.....whatta mess !! i would be inclined to slowly and carefully remove that "fix" with a grinder, and then see where yer at. jmo



Knee jerk, yup gotta take that off. Second thought is if if comes out of the diff ok it's good to go the way it is and why mess with it since it works and looks like there's room for the new bushing "as is".


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## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

I think that before I'd break out the heavy artillery, I'd try opening up the diff and unbolting the sprocket. It's not the most elegant design, but it's not the ugliest.


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## skutflut (Oct 16, 2015)

I am curious as to what's under the pipe. Looks like there was a problem with the axle before the bushing became an issue. Think I would be looking for a new axle in any case.

I wonder where the guy who did that learned to weld? Looks like maybe he took the Sesame Street course.


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## Syberacuse (Jan 21, 2016)

Thank you everyone for your honest replies: I guess ugly is a fair description. I'm not gonna beat myself up over my decision to buy it in the first place, instead just kinda get after it. I agree it must have fallen off of something, maybe "the truck of the guy who stole it."

Thanks for the parts breakdown too. I think I'll try opening the differential and hopefully slide the new bushing over the pinion gear, if that is possible. 

Again, thanks. I'll keep you posted.


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## lee h (Jan 18, 2015)

That welded repair has no affect on disassembly. Things are probably 
frozen from rust. I just did my 1032 and it's the same exact set up.
You are going to have to pull the differential all apart. There is a gear
on the end of both shafts that could be rusted and the inner shaft 
could be rusted as well. I needed to use a torch and heat the crap
out of things to finally get mine apart.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Please don't get me (us) wrong as you're new and we're used to beating each other up a bit. 
I've been burnt on a few machines and I always promise to do better inspecting the next one ..... and then I miss something. Like the one with mismatched tire/wheels where like yours someone broke the axle and grabbed a different wheel, reversed it and drilled a hole in the remaining stub of the axle to mount the tire backwards so the lynch pin was against the body and it wobbled.
So I needed an axle, wheel and tire just to make it operational. Kind of killed the whole "I got a deal" feeling.

You have a very good machine that's worth fixing up and that axle though "ugly" looks like it works just fine as is. After a few hundred photos of seeing what some people do to cobble these things together nothing is that surprising anymore.
That axle is also listed as NLA (no longer available) so if the former owner couldn't find a used one that's the next best thing :wavetowel2:


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## 69ariens (Jan 29, 2011)

Ya don't beat your self up. after all it's not an mtd machine. It may be tough to get the axle off but when you get it off and fix it you will have a great blower.


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## bad69cat (Nov 30, 2015)

I hate when somebody farmers it up like that..... something my dad would do! I agree that blowing it appart and doing it right is the only sensible thing to do. Those 826's are all over the place used and parts all over ebay also..... good luck!


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## sidegrinder (Apr 18, 2015)

Ive got parts for that model including the axles. If you need something you can PM me.


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## Syberacuse (Jan 21, 2016)

Well, this is where I ended up . . for this season anyway. In order to split the differential, I had to grind about 3/8th of an inch off of the axle weld and threaded pipe to get enough slack to remove the sprocket bolts on the differential. The gears of the differential were as dry as a desert and covered with years worth of dirt (see pic). It turns out the diff case is cracked (see pic) and that's why it was dry and full of dirt. I couldn't split the axle because the spring pin and shaft were seized up, which meant I couldn't slide the bushing on to the port axle. So, I cut the bushing in half with my band saw, placed it onto the axle in halves, slid it into the seat on the impeller housing and held it in place with a " steel fork" made from some old material laying around the garage. I bolted the fork down through the an existing hole in the impeller housing (see pic). It works for now but I will have to replace these parts in the near future.

What is the consensus online store for parts? I think I'd prefer used parts: I will need at least a new diff housing and left axle assuming I can free the inner shaft.

Thank you all for your help.


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## Syberacuse (Jan 21, 2016)

and.....thanks for the emotional support. I didn't see your comments of support until I posted pics of my temporary solution. I didn't beat myself up too much, just a little.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Where did the pics go ??


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## Syberacuse (Jan 21, 2016)

oops, here are the pics


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## ratman (Feb 5, 2016)

punch out the pin connecting the solid left axle to the hollow right one and pull out the left. Then you could work on it easier.


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