TO30

1) AGREED - As old as mine was, the sender disconnected from the front housing OK.

2) These are called safety wires. Look at any small airplane - they are all over the place. They keep the bolts from turning, and loosening themselves from vibration. There is a trick to putting the wires on - note that they are designed to prevent turning in the counter-clockwise direction.

3) These blocks are so the whole engine assembly doesn't tip sideways (remember, that front axle is a swing axle!)

4) AGREED! REALLY HEAVY! But I disagree that that it's a 2-person job. I've done it several times alone. Here's how I did it:

Put a piano dolly under the transmission, put a car jack up from the dolly to the base of the transmission. Wedge the front axle with 2x4s, the put a floor jack under the engine. Or, use an engine hoist to hold from above. Remember, you will need to get into the engine from underneath to remove the rear seal carrier.

Carefully remove the bolts between the tranny and engine, use the jacks to keep everything aligned. I then rolled the transmission back, away from the engine. Take your time, watch everything, and never get any part of you under any part of the tractor, just in case.

DON'T FORGET TO REMOVE THE SHEET METAL PIECE THAT COVERS THE BOTTOM OF THE BELL HOUSING! It's easy to miss, and you will scratch your head forever trying to figure out why the transmission and engine won't separate. It will be the flywheel hanging up on that piece.

Good luck!

Larry

1) The 'wire' for the temperature gauge is a tube filled with ether. Do not cut it - you will wreck it. Undo it at the thermostat housing (this will often break it anyway, but it's worth a go - use lots of penetrating gunk)

2) These are wire ties to stop the bolts getting loose over time - it was the early version of locking tabs. Replace/renew them after you're done if you want your engine to live a long and happy life.

3) You need to wedge blocks of wood in between the axle, and the mounting to the engine so that the axle cannot pivot any more - otherwise when you pull it away from the transmission, the engine will tilt, become unstable, and possibly fall off your jack (see 4).

4) The all up weight is around 2,500 pounds - so each half is approximately 1,250 (tho the back half is heavier). The TE is small compared to modern 10 tonne plus tractors, but it is solid, very heavy, and built to last. The human body is not. BEWARE - THESE THINGS CAN KILL YOU OR DO YOU SERIOUS CRUSH INJURY IF YOU ARE NOT CAREFUL.

Splitting is not really a one man job - two people is safer (buddy system). Support everything properly with strong jacks. Tip - roll the trans away from the engine, not the other way round. You need to keep everything lined up right, otherwise rejoining everything is harder. Be patient.

Best option is to use splitting rails.

Sorry if I've worried you - but it's easy to forget how lethal these 'toys' of ours are. Stay a bit scared, and you will live longer and safer.

Option two, of course, is to let someone with experience do it, with you as the apprentice.