tc 40 4wd shifter

[nickel plate]

My 2002 TC-40 has also always been a real bear to shift in or out of 4WD. I thought it would just go away after so many hours of break-in usage. Here is what the manual says:
"To engage front-wheel drive, depress the clutch pedal fully and pull the lever completely up. To disengage front-wheel drive, depress the clutch pedal and push the lever fully down."
"push" is nowhere near the proper verbage for this manuver! Thanks for your suggestions on how to make the shifting process easier although IMO it now seems to be an engineering fault due to the increasing number of TC owners attesting to the same problem.

 

[rayikeo2]

Try shifting the 4WD lever this way to see if it is any easier. With engine running push in the clutch, shift the transmission into netural, push the clutch in again and pull up on the lever (or push down for out). If it doesn't pop in easily let out on the clutch and push the clutch back in while still in netural and lift the 4WD lever again.

 

[stuartshomepc]

My 2002 TC-40 has also always been a real bear to shift in or out of 4WD. I thought it would just go away after so many hours of break-in usage. Here is what the manual says:
"To engage front-wheel drive, depress the clutch pedal fully and pull the lever completely up. To disengage front-wheel drive, depress the clutch pedal and push the lever fully down."
"push" is nowhere near the proper verbage for this manuver! Thanks for your suggestions on how to make the shifting process easier although IMO it now seems to be an engineering fault due to the increasing number of TC owners attesting to the same problem.

My 1620 hydro was initially a bear to shift out of 4wd until I started to do one of these procedures.

1. I would either slightly reverse direction (like for 1" of tractor movement) and try to coax the lever into 2wd. This would relax any drivetrain wind up. It kind worked.

2. I found it works better if I am on a flat surface and as I am coasting down to near zero speed I push in the clutch and move the 4wd lever to 2wd when there is a small amount of forward motion on the tractor. It moves nearly effortlessly like this. But you should also be ready to hit the brakes as you are coasting in Neutral.

If I am on a hard surface (like concrete of a dirt road after coming out of a muddy ditch), I can not just stop and flip the lever. You would need a long crow bar to force it to move.

There must be a subtle difference on gear ratio from the front to the rear tires which translates into a binding of the drivetrain, and difficulty in moving the lever, unless you are on a slippery surface.
Stuart