Kama TS-254 Shuttle Problem

[greg_g]

The driveshafts are indeed nested, you'll see that if you have to split the tractor some day. You can't see the inner shaft until you get to the last few inches that go through the flywheel.

Clutch discs swell a bit as they cool down. That's why yours creeps/grabs when cold, but not after the discs have warmed up some. A properly adjusted clutchpack operates the same, cold or hot. So before you wear your brain out speculating, you should adjust the clutchpack. Pretty sure the procedure is in the owner manual, as are the gap specs. My manuals went with the tractor when I sold it. I can offer guidance, but understand that you'll have to deal with fading memories.

//greg//

 

[astr]

Thanks Greg. I do have the manual and will adjust the clutch pack. For whatever it is worth, the problem seems to occur after I've been running the tractor for a while. I'm really trying to avoid splitting the tractor.

 

[astr]

I checked the clutch. Per the manual, there are only two external adjustments: free play and total throw distance. Both were well within spec.

Pursuing my previous suspicions that the pto shaft was seizing with the output shaft of the shuttle box I decided to put more lube in both the transmission and the shuttle box. According to the dipsticks, they were OK but when I pulled the covers off, they seemed low to me so I increased the lube level by about an inch. My thought was that a higher lube level would get more lube to the shafts. After 10 more hours of running the chipper, I've not had the problem reoccur. I'm not yet ready to call it fixed but so far so good.

 

[greg_g]

Well, perhaps you didn't realize that levels on threaded dipsticks are read with the stick just sitting in the hole - rather that screwing it back in. Many owners that don't know that are running low fluid levels without even realizing it. That said, gear oil and clutch/transmission slippage are unrelated.

//greg//

 

[astr]

I didn't realize that proper lube level was checked with the dipstick just sitting in the hole so I WAS running low lube. Thanks for pointing it out.

I do not have a problem with clutch slippage, it's the binding that occurs sporadically when I put the shuttle in reverse and let out the clutch. I have put an additional 5 hours chipping and the problem has not reoccurred so I'm keeping my finger crossed.

 

[greg_g]

Ok, you're gonna have to be a bit more specific. I had two KAMA/TaiShan with shuttles, and can't quite feature this "binding"

// greg//

 

[astr]

OK. The symptoms were: After sitting in one spot, running the chipper for 3+ hours, when I tried to back up the tractor, as I let out the clutch, the engine would stall. When I shifted the shuttle into forward OR neutral, the tractor would go forward, This occurred with the transmission in any gear.

With the transmission in neutral, the engine would stall as I let out the clutch if the shuttle was in reverse. With the transmission in neutral and the shuttle in forward OR neutral, engine did not stall when I let out the clutch. As expected, the tractor didn't go forward either.

Once I allowed everything to cool off, everything worked as expected for a while.

Since I've added lube to the transmission and shuttle to bring them up to the proper level as measure with the dipstick unscrewed as you suggested, the problem has NOT reoccurred. I probably have 10 hours of chipping since I corrected the lube levels.

Greg, I appreciate your help trying to diagnose this problem. Even though it hasn't reoccurred recently, I'm still puzzled as to what was going on and concerned that the problem will come back.

 

[greg_g]

If the shuttle lever bottom tip jumps out of its fork, the tractor can only go in the direction it was geared for when the jump occurred. But there's no gear oil (what you're calling "lube") in the shuttle housing. So those two are unrelated. The shuttle lever probably needs a depth adjustment. It's under the dome shaped cover at the base of the lever. Loosen, push down on lever, tighten. Then perhaps we can move on to the other stuff.

//greg//

 

[astr]

I checked the shuttle shifter and verified that it is not jumping out of the fork.

There are two dipsticks - one on the transmission case and one on the shuttle. However, I only added gear oil (lube) to the shuttle and the level in the transmission also increase so I am assuming they are not isolated but share the same lube.

Since I filled the shuttle/transmission to the proper level, the problem has not reoccurred. I've run the chipper and did more FEL work for an additional 15 hours with no further problem.

 

[greg_g]

Ok, you've got a pass-thru problem. When passages are clear, gear oil in all boxes should seek a common level. As long as you have independent dipsticks - and check both - it's not serious. But a good kerosene flush should fix that flow-thru issue

//greg//