Oil & Fuel JD 350c crawler-dozer clutch-tran-fluids questions

[dozingdozer]

I am new to this forum and just getting familar on how to post this publicly . In numerous posts you guys seem to be very experienced with the 350. it is new to me and i spent the last weekend getting very familar with the unit with just the operators manual and a lot of grease. if i understand previous posts:

1. my unit has a reverser so no dry clutch for tranny. therefore it is all a hydraulic system, i think from reading in this forum. In checking fluids initially, reverser was bone dry and milky looking, transmission was over filled and milky. A related problem? I filled reverser with new oil to proper level. After working on it and warming up and running tranny fluid was seem leaking from left side of tranny where clutch pedal enters housing. not mutch maybe half a pint. this was a new leak.
2. deisel was running rough and lost power when pushing so replaced fuel filter (sump drain in fuel tank clogged or frozen. Has been below freezing in Maine for awhile). Ran fuel out of feed for a few minutes when filter was off. deisel now runs smooth.
3. gears will not shift without grinding and cluch petal is real soft without much resistance. spring is easy to replace and had floor plates off but now, from previous forum topics, seems this problem might be related to fluids and 'rate of shift' adjustor? does this sound correct? no blockage of linkage -cleared out leaves, stick, dead mice etc.
4. when in gear, after moving forward and then put in neutral on reverser dozer will continue to creep forward slightly until i break or floor the clutch pedal, wont creep after that on level ground.
5. buddy of mine that had another unit, same age, swears by putting iso alchol in all fluids expect for engine oil. sounds weird to me except for fuel. what do yoyu guys think.

this is alot of questions so i appreciate your answers and tips in advance. this is a 76 with 3000 hours, previous single owner but has been sitting in a yard for about 3 years with no TLC. i am changing that and getting service manuals hopefully soon. thanks
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[Zebrafive]

I am not experienced with a JD 350 dozer, but milky fluid indicates water in the oil. It may have come from setting outside, or it may have a water to oil oil cooler that's leaking.

I am not sure if the reverser and trans share the same fluid or not, something to check.

Just a guess, but I think you have a separate clutch and a clutch in the reverser, but they may be one in the same. Some one with a 350 will surely set it straight.

 

[beenthere]

dozingdozer
Have you looked at the parts breakdowns in jdparts?

Suggest you do, if not done already. You will be able to get a good idea where/what parts go together and work together.

Need help getting to JDparts?

 

[dozingdozer]

THANKS FOR THE REPLY. a parts diagram would help loads if you can direct me, i appreciate it.

thanks again, dd

 

[VTDozer]

Check to make sure:

1) Your engine oil cooler is not leaking.
2) Your reverser transmission cooling circuit, which runs through the radiator is not leaking.

The first thing to do is check your radiator fluid. If it is milky, my gut would tell me that #2 is bad and that you are getting water in the reverser transmission line from the radiator. There are other ways to get small amounts of water in trans (seals, shifter, etc.)...But if it's super polluted with milky water, I would bet the transmission circuit in the radiator bottom is the culprit...Would need to pull the radiator and fix/replace to cure this...But just changing fluids is risky as it could become polluted again instantly...Might be worth doing, just to diagnose, but that will be an expensive way to test. But oil in the radiator could be transmission oil.

THANKS FOR THE REPLY. a parts diagram would help loads if you can direct me, i appreciate it.

thanks again, dd

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Your closest JD dealer should have or can get the op manual, shop manual and parts manual for you. If you are doing your own work do not start w/o those aids. Other wise you shooting in the dark. I looked at a 350 awhile back that had problems with the final clutches. It was probably older than yours (1968) Parts alone were almost $5K to rebuild just the drive train downstream from the reversing clutch. Needless to say I passed on it.

Ron