sportfire crank

dinger507 · Post by **dinger507** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 12:00 pm

my 1980 john deere sportfire 440 with a kawasaki engine. It has play in the crank and the play is in and out i have taken the engine completly apart and found that one of the crank seals is no good but what would cause the play .

deererunner · Post by **deererunner** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 8:15 pm

First question is, is it a TC440A- or is it a TC440B-(does it have a hole under the Y pipe, through the block). These numbers will be stamped on the block, where the electric start motor would mount.

Rodimus Prime · Post by **Rodimus Prime** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 4:09 am

sportfires had the b engine and not all the b engines had a hole through the case.

however i would still like to know what play he is talking about? chances are he needs a crank rebuild

dinger507 · Post by **dinger507** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 8:09 am

it is the B and the play is in and out

JDFanPa · Post by **JDFanPa** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 10:01 pm

In all honesty Ive never changed a center seal in 1 of these. But from what I ve read here and elsewhere their are shims on either side of the center seal. It seems to me that these act like a thrust washer/bearing in an automotive motor to take up the endplay. Im betting yours are worn or missing I have heard of people forgetting to put them back in.