JD 550 Engine and Trasmission Rebuild

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LewM
40C crawler
40C crawler
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Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2014 8:50 am
Location: London, Kentucky

JD 550 Engine and Trasmission Rebuild

Post by LewM » Wed Nov 21, 2018 9:46 am

Well I'm finally into it! Loaned my 550 to a friend and he ran it low on oil and rear rod bearing started knocking. So I've got the engine out and the crankshaft and the rod doesn't seem damaged but I'm going to get them checked. But while the engine is out I'm going to rebuild the transmission also since the dozer has had reverse problems ever since I've had it. Now I've gotten the converter out but I keep finding more bolts in the converter housing. I pretty sure I have them all now and have my dowels in the bottom for support but the thing still doesn't want to turn loss. I read in the manual to "Assemble 1/2 cap screw in converter housing separating holes and separate housing". I've looked at the diagrams and those separating holes are not labeled but it looks like they are just under the top larger (10 cap screws) bolts. Is that correct?
Any help and advice will be appreciated. This is by far the biggest mechanical job I've taken on but I've rebuilt car and motorcycle engines before.
Sources for parts would be appreciated also, everything seems expensive!
Thanks,
Lew
JD 550 dozer, Case 1845c skid steer, Case IH 5140 tractor, Case IH 5130 tractor, Case IH 80 tractor, Kioti 3054 tractor

Jim B
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Re: JD 550 Engine and Trasmission Rebuild

Post by Jim B » Wed Nov 21, 2018 5:43 pm

I haven't done one of these but I looked on line at the 550 convertor housing parts page. I think you are referring to the hole showing under item #10 which is a 3/4" capscrew, not 10 capscrews as I first read it. If so and they are 1/2" threaded holes in the convertor housing only, with no matching hole in the flange of the housing the convertor housing is mated to, I would say they are the separating holes. I would think there should be one or two holes at the bottom as well so you can work around them and spread the housings apart evenly. Try gently, a screw thread can produce a lot of force.

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LewM
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Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2014 8:50 am
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Re: JD 550 Engine and Trasmission Rebuild

Post by LewM » Wed Nov 21, 2018 10:04 pm

You’re right there are 2 on the bottom also but it still don’t want to separate. Something on the bottom is still holding it. I took out 4 bolts across the bottom, 3 up each side and the 2 Allen bolts on top, 2 bolts in each side of the frame, does anybody have any ideas???
JD 550 dozer, Case 1845c skid steer, Case IH 5140 tractor, Case IH 5130 tractor, Case IH 80 tractor, Kioti 3054 tractor

Jim B
350 crawler
350 crawler
Posts: 2072
Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2017 11:36 am
Location: western Maine

Re: JD 550 Engine and Trasmission Rebuild

Post by Jim B » Thu Nov 22, 2018 5:31 am

The parts drawing shows 2 different studs in that joint along with the capscrews. They look to be in the lower corners, similar to the location of the 3/4" capscrews at the top. The part numbers show up as NLA. I'm sure you have been around the flanges many time but since I can't see it, I will ask (as I may have missed them) but I didn't see any dowels shown in the parts catalog. Have you checked the housing behind the dowels you see? They might be studs that go through both flanges with nuts on the reverser side. The parts catalog shows 2each 1/2" capscrews on each side and you said you took out 6 on the sides so maybe someone changed the studs to capscrews. They would be threaded into the convertor housing flange, opposite direction of the others. Good luck and hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving.

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LewM
40C crawler
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Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2014 8:50 am
Location: London, Kentucky

Re: JD 550 Engine and Trasmission Rebuild

Post by LewM » Thu Nov 22, 2018 3:10 pm

You were absolutely right, got the converter housing out, whew what a job but I’m where I need to be now. Thanks for the help!
JD 550 dozer, Case 1845c skid steer, Case IH 5140 tractor, Case IH 5130 tractor, Case IH 80 tractor, Kioti 3054 tractor

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