NOTE: As of April 2023, this transaxle became obsolete from Peerless Gear. On 10 September 2024, the Deere system had 11 of these left -- at an MSRP of $1,801.77 (P/N MIA10320) -- but those are now gone. For a lot less than that ($1,394.00), you can upgrade your Deere with my New 820 Upgrade Conversion Kit:
https://roms-peerless-transaxle-supply.ecrater.com/p/8634638/peerless-820-transaxle-upgrade-conversion-for-deere-100?keywords=820+Deere+Conversion
This will give you a better, heavier-duty transaxle for considerably less money.
This may also work for other 801-Series transaxles, as the entire 801-Series is now obsolete, as are many of the repair parts.
To identify the transaxle currently in your mower, refer to Photos 2 & 3 to see which identification plate/label is on your transaxle. The plate shown in Photo 2 is on the right side of the transaxle between the axle housing and brake disc, and may be covered with dirt and grease, so you will need to CAREFULLY clean off the debris to read the numbers. The vinyl stick-on label shown in Photo 3 is on the rear of the case, below the case-split seam.
Specs for this 801-038B transaxle when available were/are:
This in-line-shift, gear-drive, "Made-in-the-USA" 5-Forward-speed (+ Neutral and Reverse) Model 801-038B Peerless transaxle has the 5/8"-diameter x 1-3/16" tall input shaft with keyway and snap-ring groove, and the bevel input gear inside the case has the heavy-duty needle-bearing thrust bearing. It also has the 3/4"-diameter axle shafts with keyways and snap-ring grooves on the ends, and the short (5/8"-tall), twin-flat-end shift shaft as shown. The overall end-to-end axle length is approximately 28-1/4"; the axle ends extend out from the case 5-5/8" on each side. The case has industry-standard mounting holes on 13" side-to-side centers x 1-3/4" front-to-back centers; these holes accept either 5/16" or 8mm bolts.
This new transaxle also includes the complete brake assembly, including lever, as shown in the pictures.
SHIFT-SHAFT NOTE: This transaxle is shipped with a square-cut O-ring on the shift shaft, with a spring nut holding the O-ring in place. If your transaxle mounts in your mower using a top cross-brace for support, remove the spring nut, as the hole in the cross-brace will retain the O-ring during operation.
This 801-038B transaxle can be used in place of other 800- and 801-Series transaxles. With its industry-standard mounting holes, it can replace a variety of Peerless or Dana/Spicer transaxles used on front-engine riding mowers. Simply compare the dimensions listed above to the dimensions of your transaxle.
This 801-038B transaxle is a direct, bolt-in replacement for the 801-003 (A & B), 801-038 & -038A, 801-039 & -039A, 801-060 & -060A, 806, 806A-through-G, 840 and 840A 5-speed transaxles in Deere front-engine lawn tractors. It will also replace Deere Transaxle Part Numbers AM104441, AM104533, AM104573, AM106699, AM801060 and MIA10320. The above-listed transaxles were used in Deere 111, 116, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, LX170, LX172, LX173 and LX188 riders and lawn tractors. It may also fit other Deere front-engine riders -- check your transaxle Model Number. The top case on this transaxle also has provision for installing the Deere neutral-safety switch -- simply remove the yellow press-in plug and install your switch.
I also have customers who use it to replace an 801-059 on Simplicity riders. The only external difference between this 038B and an 059 is that the left axle length on this transaxle is 3/8" longer. If you want to use this transaxle on a unit with shorter axles, additional wheel spacer(s) and washer(s) will be included at no extra cost. This extra length should not cause any interference problems; on the contrary, it will slightly improve the stability of the rear of the mower on slopes.
MOUNTING NOTE: The holes on the front corners of the transaxle are not threaded, since the mower manufacturer uses 5/16"-18 self-threading bolts to hold the front support(s) to these corners. If you are re-using your original bolts or equivalent OEM bolts, make sure they have clean threads when re-installing these supports. If you do not have the original-style bolts and are using standard machine-thread bolts for these front-corner supports, you will need to carefully tap these holes to match the threads of your bolts. WARNING: If you plan on pre-tapping these holes, the case material is only about 0.060" (1/16") thick at the back of these holes, so measure the hole depth and set your tap accordingly, or you will break through the case into the gear-lube area.
For the technically-minded bidder, the Forward-shift gear ratios are: 1st) 2.33:1; 2nd) 1.50:1; 3rd)1.00:1; 4th) 0.79:1; and 5th) 0.67:1. Input pinion ratio is 3.00:1; final-drive/differential ratio is 6.69:1; Reverse ratio is 1.40:1. This Reverse ratio is about 1/3 faster than some older-model Deere transaxles that use a 2.00:1 Reverse ratio, so if your transaxle had the 2:1 Reverse, you may need to be careful when backing up.
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE THIS TRANSAXLE AS-IS ON A REAR-ENGINE RIDER, or on any rider where the transaxle is mounted with the input pulley, brake and shift arm BEHIND the axle, or you will have 1 forward speed and 5 reverse speeds.
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