L3600 GST stuck in 4x4, advice please

[cook96cbra]

Looking at this tractor, may purchase it but need some advice. It's for sale at a John Deere dealer. 1200 hours, R4 tires, loader and back blade, priced at $9995. Dealer says that the previous owner only used it to move dirt and never took it out of 4x4. They say the just want to move it and not fix it. Priced at $9995.
I suspect the linkage is just froze up but I also suspect it could be something internal. Obviously if it's just linkage it shouldn't be too hard to fix but if it's internal, I'm not so sure.
Anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks in advance, Matt

 

[ovrszd]

I'm not personally experienced with that model. But I can maybe brainstorm some suggestions to narrow down the problem.

Does the engagement lever mover?

Does it move into the engaged position and stay there?? Into the disengagement position and stay there??

Does it feel like there is action taking place or does it just flop in and out like it's unhooked??

My questions are because I don't know if the engagement lever is directly connected to the 4wd gear inside the trans or if it's a spring tension system that puts tension against the gear and then lets it engage/disengage whenever it is aligned??

My M9540, for example, is spring tensioned. You pull the lever and it locks in place, feels like it goes over center, then the 4wd engages when everything aligns inside. Same with disengagement. Never grinds or acts like it won't move. Lever always feels the same. You only know when the action is complete by whether the dash light is on or off.

 

[cook96cbra]

IDK, that's good thinking though. I'll check tomorrow when I'm there.

 

[ovrszd]

I just did some quick searching. If you go to Kubota Tractor Corporation. Then "Parts". Then "Illustrated Parts List". Then select your model (L3600). Then select the GST model. You'll find complete parts lists for this tractor. I then clicked on "Rear Axle Rear Wheel". Then clicked on "Front Wheel Drive Lever". That brought me to this page.

http://kpadweb.kubota.co.jp/kpad2/PartsInfo.do?bookCd=100K0389&funcCd=&figNo=T08900&dispType=2

Great illustration of the system used to engage 4wd. No spring loaded assembly. Direct engagement. If the lever cannot be moved into the 2wd mode it would indicate the sliding gear is frozen in place. It's held into/out of 4wd by detent balls. May have been engaged so long they are worn in place. That would probably indicate the tractor needing to be split.

All this is off if you tell me the 4wd lever flops loosely??? That indicates for whatever reason it's unhooked somewhere. From looking at the picture, that also is probably internal.

Spend some time looking around in the attached parts list pictures. Very informative at the least.

 

[cook96cbra]

Just called the dealer. The lever will not move....

 

[cook96cbra]

Thanks Richard. Dealer says it doesn't move, at all. Hmmm...

 

[ovrszd]

In the previous pic you can see that the sliding gear is fastened directly to the engagement lever assembly.

In this pic you can see that the 4wd engagement gear slides on the shaft and is held in place by detents. Either the gear is "frozen" on the shaft or the detents are lodged and won't move to allow the gear to slide. Either way would require teardown.

http://kpadweb.kubota.co.jp/kpad2/PartsInfo.do?bookCd=100K0389&funcCd=&figNo=T08900&dispType=2

Only other possibility would be unhook the exposed engagement lever and then impact the stub shaft sticking out the side of the trans case. Hoping to shake things loose and get it moving again. Since all of this runs in oil it's unlikely that it would be that simple.

Might ask the dealer what he would charge to fix it??? Just out of curiosity?? But then being a JD dealer he may not want to mess with it at all.....

One last thought, do we know for sure the 4wd is engaged??

 

[cook96cbra]

All very good thinking. I will investigate the situation. Dealer already stated that they don't want to mess with it, they just "want to move it". Kind of makes me think it's internal and they know it. I mean, dude trades it in and they don't want to fix it. If it was just froze linkage it would be easy. Why wouldn't they just free it up? They would be throwing a few thousand out the window. Then again, they may have really screwed the guy on the trade and are already making more than enough making it not worth it for them.

I may just take a chance and hit em low at $8000

 

[ovrszd]

All very good thinking. I will investigate the situation. Dealer already stated that they don't want to mess with it, they just "want to move it". Kind of makes me think it's internal and they know it. I mean, dude trades it in and they don't want to fix it. If it was just froze linkage it would be easy. Why wouldn't they just free it up? They would be throwing a few thousand out the window. Then again, they may have really screwed the guy on the trade and are already making more than enough making it not worth it for them.

I may just take a chance and hit em low at $8000

Yep. That's what I would do. Might even start at $7500, write a check, take it today.

I'm saying all this with no defined idea about what the tractor is worth??

Might look for a similar one on TractorHouse.com | Used Tractors For Sale: John Deere, Case IH, New Holland, Kubota. or Object moved

 

[cook96cbra]

I'll take cash, truck and trailer. I did look. From what I see, it's a 12-13K tractor, without the back blade