The problem is the pulley itself. Once the pulley gets worn the only way to fix it is to replace tboth big pulley's and bearings. All the dowells do is insure that both halves of the variable pull. The reason tis has happened to you is that there is no grease zerk on the back side of this pulley's casting that holds the bearing. The grease zerk that is in the loose cap on the variable pulley shaft is supposed to grease the inside bearing too. It needs to be kept pumped full of grease. Most guys I know put a grease zerk on the inside casting to be sure that eveything got plenty of grease. later TR-99's had a tube on the grease zerk so you didn't have to climb under the conbine feederfouse every day to get at the zerk. In an emrgency you can take out the dowells and put a spacer in between the pulley halves the correct length for the speed you want to run the feederhouse.Then jst put three large bolts in the dowell holes and tighten them up.As for putting on a fixed drive on I wouldn't. You have to replace what you have so it's cheaper to just buy the new pulleys and bearings and Seals and put in the grease zerk so it won't happen again.The variable drive gives you a lot more flexiblity especially for various heads.I speak from experience on this. We had lots of dowell problems on TR-96's,97's and 98's until we got the grease zerk on that under the feederhouse bearing. In fact we put all new on this fall during harvest because the plastic tube on the grease zerk come off and we were greaseing the ground. which we didn't see till it was too late.Good luck!
