Traction 3215 (Gear) won't move forward, reverse OK

[Mindys60]

Just hooked up to a couple small logs this AM to tow down off hill and when I got back on after getting them un-hooked, I have no forward gears. Never heard or felt anything unusual. Reverse works, got me to the garage. I see the oil churning thru fill hole & it makes different "waves" when the tractor shift is put to forward. PTO shaft engages OK. Linkage to tranny seems fine, not bent & is moving the lever on the side of tranny. Does anyone here know what could be wrong?

 

[amaxwell]

Just hooked up to a couple small logs this AM to tow down off hill and when I got back on after getting them un-hooked, I have no forward gears. Never heard or felt anything unusual. Reverse works, got me to the garage. I see the oil churning thru fill hole & it makes different "waves" when the tractor shift is put to forward. PTO shaft engages OK. Linkage to tranny seems fine, not bent & is moving the lever on the side of tranny. Does anyone here know what could be wrong?

If you have a 4 wheel drive ,check that the engagement lever has not been knocked between 2 and 4 wheel drive. Had that happen to me once.

 

[mfreund]

Check to make sure your breaks are not on.

 

[drajj5]

Maybe look at your shuttle shift lever. and see if you Feel the tranny engage when shifting from reverse to forward while moving slowly.


Look underneath and see if any linkages have been displaced. Have a friend shift the Shuttle lever between FWD/N/REV while doing the inspection underneath.
disclaimer- make sure your brake is set and engine is off when doing this.... Just sayin

 

[Mindys60]

Check to make sure your breaks are not on.

Are you serious? Please don't reply with "have you checked to see if the power is on" comments. I welcome informed, perhaps overlooked items and since I'm new, I understand you don't know my experience but to [ask if the breaks (I think you mean brake) are on] illustrates your intelligence.

 

[Mindys60]

Good check but that was the 1st thing I did...tried to engage FWD to see if it was an axle problem or a tranny problem. I think the later since the front drive shaft is not rotating when machine is in forward gear

 

[mfreund]

I have seen dumber things done. You did not mention checking that. I do not know your experience level. I was trying the simple things first.

Figure it out your self then!

 

[AchingBack]

Mindy, sometimes all you need to do is makes sure you are on completely level ground, tractor running at a low idle, roll back a few inches, then attempt to shift into a forward gear.

 

[Mindys60]

Still no luck..removed shift linkage from lever on tranny...put lever fully into position, started tractor with no fwd movement...The front drive shaft is also affected because when the four wheel drive lever is activated, the shaft does not rotate. I will keep you guys posted as I learn more. BTW, I just got a new driveshaft & FYI, the HST shaft is slightly shorter, slightly bigger in diameter & $200 less expensive! Can't see why two parts that are almost identical are so far apart on cost

 

[Mindys60]

Well I said I would keep y'all posted so here goes the final outcome of why this machine broke, as told to me by my mechanic: The Fwd-Rev shuttle lever has a shift fork & synchronized gears which slide on a shaft, much like any other shifting set-up. The shift rail is held in position by a c-clip which somehow broke, allowing the whole rail to move when the fork and gear moved. This allowed for in-complete meshing of the gears which eventually wore the teeth to the point of no contact. Here is the sad part: The gear that eventually wore out is only 1/8" thick with fine teeth that are approx. 1/8" tall spaced 1/8" apart ("roughly" since it's likely metric!) I guess I am disappointed that such a light-weight gear is the only link driving this machine forward. BEWARE! do not try to shift gears while "on the roll" (speed shift) and if the FWD-Rev lever is difficult to engage, first move your gear selector to Neutral then the shuttle Fwd/Rev. We do not know why the C-clip broke but my mechanic thought these were possible operating habits to avoid a future failure. Hope this helps others out there with a 3215 Gear.