Man... Do I have a headache over all this.
Okay here goes...
Steve B. does have a point and it does make sense in a way. However if dollars are tight and experimentation isn't the most frugal thing to do then doing things right the first time is the best to do. Also, one must figure the added time and labor of having to tear down the tractor again and take things apart after putting the gauges to things and if you find out that, "Poop... it won't work according to what I expected.", then is it truly worth doing in the first place? Like the TV Show Deal or No Deal... you take a chance.
Some things to factor when looking at the picture. There more than likely is a tiny bump in the area where the shaft goes through from when those indentations were made. Use a Dremel to remove them? I wouldn't recommend it. A deburring stone would be better. Use it very sparingly though.
Question here.... Is that area that goes all the way across on the charge inlet side or the pressure outlet side? If it is on the inlet side then there may not be so much of a problem. Charge pressure outlet and well.... Remember how awhile back I said that every now and then I receive an e:mail from someone that tried to drill the necessary holes and convert a non ported hydro housing to a ported housing? They would explain that they drilled all the holes to match only for some reason the pump wouldn't work at all aftr it was re-assembled. They would ask me my thoughts. I'd have to reply to them that there is a possibility that they found an otherwise hidden and would never have made a difference sand casting hole. They may not be able to see it because it is the size of a pinhole only they just ruined a non ported pump front housing. I further explain to them that when a factory drills the holes and a product is assembled the company that makes the product has specified testing procedures and would have caught that pin hole at a test area. The product would never make it to the customer. They took a chznce by drilling and sadly found one of those buried sand casting defects. (Dennis F. has a great way of explaining those things.)
Okay... now remember what I just stated about a
pin hole making a huge difference? Once again view Norm's picture below and .... Remember... it is the charge pump and even a charge pump has to deliver a certain amount of oil. Even if it is only 90 psi minimum, if that area is on the charge pressure outlet and a pinhole can make a huge difference....
Now for the machining part. Some very good points about the charge pump pin sitting lower and everything being lowered throughout the rest of the pump along via the shaft now sitting lower. On that I don't want to tread in that area. Yes, there are minimum specs only how do we know that particular area isn't already at the bottom area spec to be milled and still be usable?
I am not upset with Steve B., Norm B. Donald T. or anyone. They are helping ALL of us learn more about these marvelous little machines that power our hydrostatic propelled Cub Cadets. I appreciate what they and others have posted and with that I say a BIG Thank You!! to them and the others posting about this.
<font size="-2">Now would somebody please shoot me and help get rid of this danged headache.)</font>