Help-TC35A- no gears/no go

[boatyard]

The tractor is sitting down in the fields. It is a 2005 TC35A with 700 hours. It has a 12 x 12 Shuttle Shift type transmission.


I stopped this evening to change the range gears and nothing happened. Sometimes you have to fuss it into gear. Tonight, nothing. I can move the range lever through the gears [ high, neutral, medium & low] without pressing the clutch. My first thought/ hope was that the lever was spinning on the shaft. It is turning the shaft, the problem must be inside the transmission.

Help! Any thoughts on trouble shooting this would be appreciated.

Christopher

 

[jinman]

Can you feel the range lever shift going into the detents? When you change ranges, there is an arm on the end of the shaft that moves a shift fork along a detented rail inside the transmission. It is possible that the rail has come loose and separated from the shift arm, but if you can feel the detent positions as you move through the ranges, that is not the problem.

You said you could change ranges without clutching. How about trying to shift the normal gears without clutching? If you can shift the normal gears, then it is probably a bad clutch instead of the transmission. Does the shuttle lever also work normally?

If you are sure it is not the clutch, you'll have to remove the covers off the top of the transmission to see where the problem is, but removing the platform to get to the transmission and partial disassembly really commits you to doing the complete job yourself. I would not suggest that you do that. I'd find a way to tow the tractor out of the field and get it hauled to the dealer. If it is something simple, you'll be out a few bucks. If it is something more, you'll have it where experts can work on it.

 

[boatyard]

Thanks for the information Jinman.
First the good news! A neighbor dragged the tractor up the hill this morning. After it was parked up by the barn I moved the range lever and it went into gear and it works fine. I went ahead and harrowed in the cover crop on the lower garden without any problems.

But I am going to assume that something is still amiss. So if I could ask a few more questions.


Normally the range lever always felt like it was moving between indents as you described. In the stuck state the range lever moved freely, no indents, through it's range of travel, with the clutch in or out. But the tractor was effectively in neutral. In the state of concern that I was in, I did not take good mental notes about the shuttle shift or the main shift lever. The range lever was clearly not right, so my focus was on that. The range lever feels fine now, very clear indents.


I am finally going to bite the bullet and purchase the repair manual. Thankful I have not had a need for it so far. Should I still have the tractor hauled to the shop? I am always interested in tearing things apart and having a look. With my cars I generally know when to quite and let a pro take over, but I always get in and take a good look at what's going on. I hear your advice about not getting in over my head. Can I pull the cover and peek without causing any problems while I wait for the manual? Would you be able to email me a good picture to use while I wait for the manual? Do I need to order the parts book as well? The pictures at New Holland's and Messnicks web site seemed to be a bit short on information.

Thanks for all of your help.

Christopher

 

[jinman]

Chris, I'll try to scan a few diagrams for you and post them tomorrow morning. It would be easier for me to send them to you via email if you care to send me a PM with your email address. If not, I'll post what I think you need here to help you make some decisions.

 

[boatyard]

Jinman thank you very much for the manual pages. Not having to wait for a manual to be delivered will help me sleep.

My sense is that this is an interior linkage problem. Probably something simple? I can only hope!

The mechanic at the New Holland dealer is very helpful. I will stop in tomorrow,[half mile from work], and now that I have seen the manual pages and have a sense of the goings on inside the transmission, I will be able to ask good questions. I will let you know what he has to say.
Thanks again,
Christopher

 

[doall]

sounds like your shift forks got hung up a little and when you towed it, it freed up. Maybe just sticky in there.

 

[boatyard]

I also think that is what was going on.

Any advice about what would make them sticky? Anything to be done to help them not be stuck again? If they stick again can I just move the tractor with the FEL and not worry?

Thanks,
Christopher

 

[jinman]

Chris, the way the transmission seems to work is that the high range is a gear that turns all the time, but it does not drive the shaft directly. Instead, when the medium/low sliding gears are moved next to it, the medium gear mates with the high range gear so that the high gear turns the medium speed gear which in turn is splined to the shaft. In order to reach medium speed, the fork moves the medium and low gear away from the high gear, through neutral, and into medium range position. Moving it one more indent further disengages the medium gear and engages the low gear range.

I don't see how there could be any slipping of anything except where the shift arm is keyed to the range shifter shaft outside the transmission. That's the only way I can see where you could move the range lever and not cause the range gears to engage. However, if the clutch throwout bearing was sticking and holding the clutch disengaged, it could cause the whole transmission to be undriven. I'm also not sure if the shuttle can be halfway between forward and reverse and produce something similar.

What I find most "telling" is that you did not feel the indents as you moved the range lever. That's why I think the lever linkage must be slipping on the shaft. I guess we'll find out sooner or later.

 

[boatyard]

No news to report about the tractor. I did not make it to the dealer today.

I only made it a couple of miles from home this morning when my car threw the pulley off of the alternator and started a small fire. Thankfully a passing truck stopped and extinguished it. Very lucky, only fried the edges of the plastic wheel well and the belt. Oh, and right before I left the house I got stung by a wasp on the side of the head, out by the barn. Wow, it is usually pretty dull around here. I had to fight the urge to crawl back to bed and hide, just to be safe. Quick hide the machines and tools.:laughing:

I will be able to get to the dealer tomorrow. Depending on what he has to say I will start by pulling the seat and the cab platform, and opening the case for a better look at the linkage. The car was due for a timing belt and waterpump so I will do that while I am replacing the alternator, serpentine belt and belt tensioner.

I am thinking that a stuck throwout bearing would leave the very distinct indent pattern to the movement of the range lever intact? The lever movement was unrestrained and smooth. I will double check the neutral postion on the shuttle shift, but I do not think that that has any effect on the action of the range lever.

Thanks for the help.
Christopher

 

[jinman]

Well, good luck. At least you know what to look for inside the tranny. You do know that the range change gears are under the fixed gears on the main shaft. You'll have to look around the fixed gears, but I think there is room to see things operating.