Noise in transmission

[Diamondpilot]

Didn't open up the transfer case yet but I figured out the trick to move from 4 to 2 to 4 wheel drive. Just like everyone here said you have to have the tractor crawling a bit with the clutch in and it will shift very easily! Now I did some more mowing here with the unit in 2 wheel drive and I still heard the rattle or clunk just below me but not as frequent; more noticeable on a bumpy area. It is also there without the PTO driven which I remember as well. I'm now thinking worst case scenario that something is loose in there and I've been lucky so far. I'm not sure where to open up the unit yet but I'll have a closer look now. Any pictures or explanations would be much appreciated as always.

Thanks

Cory

If you have a FEL check its connections out. Especially the area where the loader arms are in the saddles of the loader mount. There is a piece of threaded rod that may need snugged up. Its where the pin goes though and then the rod is snugged up to take up the slack. Mine will tell me when they are working lose.

Also, I do not use the clutch when going from 2 wheel to 4 wheel drive. I just put a little pressure on the control and it slides right in and out when the tractor is in motion.

Chris

 

[succor]

Hey everyone, it's been awhile but I finally started working on the noise in the transmission. I got all plates off below me and exposed the whole gearbox assembly. Nothing noted yet except some gasket material inside where the shifter is. Now I'm going to drain the gear oil and have a very good inspection inside! Probably something sitting at the bottom; we'll see!

Cory

 

[succor]

Hmm strange, I drained the oil and don't see any big signs except where the big drive gear is for the left rear tire. It looks like at the back near the bottom of the gear, the teeth are very close to the cast housing but there is good clearance on the right gear. I'm wondering if that's why on bumpy areas it clunks inside. Maybe that gear is hitting the cast iron. However the gear itself does not look damaged so I need to get a long magnet and fish around in there to see if something else is there. Hard to see nut maybe that's a chunk of cast not supposed to be there.

Cory

 

[succor]

Just another note everyone, I was talking to a service fellow out east and a better description of the "clunk" would be taking a small hammer and smackin the side of the transfer case. This is the best description I can give. After it is hot than it happens once. Over bumpy areas maybe a couple of times in a row. I put a lighter oil in and seemed less frequent and quieter but still evident after 2 hours of mowing.

Cory

 

[succor]

Just giving as much info as I can for everyone out there to ponder on. There are a total of 3 lids I removed. The first one is a small one up front of me where the shuttle shift mechanism is. I removed that and found some minor where on the gears but nothing serious. There is a drain plug for this because there is still oil in the bottom even though I drained the main gear oil at the back. So i pulled the plug and nothing came out? First time I removed this plug I guess but I pushed a small screw up there and it looks like silicon gasket material was in the way so it drained. The second plate further back is where my shifter/gear oil fill is. I notice there is another deeper pocket of oil here that I cannot drain. I think it's the linkage for my 2/4 wheel drive system. It would be nice to get the oil out here but I'm going to have to use a retractable magnet and fish around I guess. The 3rd plate is under the seat which is the hydrolic tank. Another question I have is when you add gear oil where the dipstick is, does the oil travel equally through all 3 chambers and fill up? Why would there be a separate drain plug for the shuttle shift compartment and no separate oil fill plug? There is also no separate drain for below the 2/4wheel mechanism either which would be nice.

Cory

 

[Diamondpilot]

Oil will get to all the gear boxes eventually but it takes time. It has to flow though bearings. I modified my top plates that you have removed with a drilled and tapped hole. I then used a piece of 1/8" steel rod welded to a pipe plug and made a dipstick for that gear box. I can now check and add oil to each gear box as needed.

Chris

 

[succor]

I've read threads where oil takes time to get to the front chambers. I might manually add oil to these before I close them up. How high should the oil level be in these smaller boxes. In the back the oil is about half way up the gears but in the front, the gears are smaller and are running higher than the back so they are not sitting in much oil except for the very bottom.

 

[succor]

Made sure all chambers were completely empty and had a good visual and the only thing was some gasket material up in the shuttle shift chamber and of course the left rear wheel drive gear coming close to the mould on the inside. Other than that, the whole gear assembly looked clean and smooth. I don't remember draining the small 2 chambers before so maybe with brand new 80w90 oil it will run smoother.

Cory

 

[erj]

Another question I have is when you add gear oil where the dipstick is, does the oil travel equally through all 3 chambers and fill up? Why would there be a separate drain plug for the shuttle shift compartment and no separate oil fill plug? There is also no separate drain for below the 2/4wheel mechanism either which would be nice.

Cory

Cory,
On my Jinma 284 there are 4 drain plugs as shown in the top 2 pictures below. While I am under the tractor, I check/clean the weep hole shown in the 3rd picture. The only fill for the transmission is in the 4th picture.
You mention 3 chambers. Keep in mind that the rear chamber is separate from the other 2 and takes hydraulic oil. The front chamber for the shuttle shift is fed gear oil from the 2nd chamber through the bearings. If you want to fill it separately, simply measure the distance from the bottom of the 2nd chamber plate to the dipstick mark. The first chamber will require that same level of oil.
I have added a separate dipstick for the shuttle chamber as Chris mentions. Before that I always tried to change the fluids in the evening and let the tractor set overnight cause I was nervous about not having oil in the shuttle gears.
RonJ

 

[Diamondpilot]

I would just fill it about 2/3 of the way then button up the compartments that do not have dipsticks. Then fill the normal way through the dipstick.

I am like EJR and like to let it sit overnight then top it off the next morning before using to make sure I have the proper amount of fluid in it.

Chris