Help! Ford 3910 gears grinding out of neutral

[irolmsted]

I've searched around and this seems to be a somewhat common issue, but I can't seem to get my issue resolved on my Ford 3910 that is fairly new to me. When the tractor is running, if I put it in neutral and let the clutch out (getting off the tractor to attach implement) I can't put the transmission back into any gear without significant grinding. I know this means the input shaft is still spinning after I depress the clutch. I can sit with the clutch in for 30+ seconds and it still grinds. Shifting from one gear to another is fine, no issues at all as long as the clutch is depressed the whole time. The transmission is full of oil, which appears to be freshly changed, but I can't confirm how long it has been since it was changed. If I'm driving the tractor and I press the clutch in (no brakes), it comes to a stop pretty quickly like a tractor in a field normally would. I would think if the clutch is stuck, it would continue to roll. There is absolutely zero play in the clutch pedal. Could this be the issue? I have maybe put 5 hours on this tractor since owning it. It did not grind until the last time I used it. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[showcattle]

Try adjusting the clutch. Every Ford I've run with the 8x2 transmission did grind a little when going into from neutral into a gear after the clutch was engaged while in neutral and the engine running.

 

[Birdhunter1]

Mine grinds less or not at all if at low rpms, another thing you might try is rev it up then drop the throttle to idle and try shifting as it is all winding down.

 

[irolmsted]

I'll adjust the clutch to have more play (1.5 inches) but I would think having less play would mean the clutch is further engaged....I can see how having too much play would cause the clutch to not fully disengage when the pedal is pressed down, but maybe I'm not thinking about it properly?

It grinds the same whether I am at idle or at higher rpms. I'll try tapping the throttle and shifting as the engine speed comes down.

This didn't happen for the first 5 hours of use, then suddenly started. The fact that the PO set the clutch play to zero tells me he was trying to fix or hide the issue. Should I consider changing the oil?

 

[Birdhunter1]

Mine does it when it has ran, cold at startup and for a little while it doesn't. Go do repeated loader work at higher throttle and it will start grinding.

 

[irolmsted]

Mine does it when it has ran, cold at startup and for a little while it doesn't. Go do repeated loader work at higher throttle and it will start grinding.

Sounds like the thicker, cold oil is doing a good job to stop rotation, but as it warms and thins, the gears are able to spin with less resistance. Mine does it from a dead cold start and never stops.

 

[Birdhunter1]

I say cold... it can be 100 degrees out but once that tractor has ran a little while is when it starts. The only heat up the oil in the transmission sees is just from moving gears and to my knowledge really isn't alot. I do believe the hydraulic system and the transmission are separate sumps... at least the trans has a dipstick and the rear differential has a plug on the side that you 'fill to this hole.'

 

[irolmsted]

Would it hurt to go to a slightly thicker oil to help increase drag and slow the input shaft down?

 

[Jerry/MT]

I've searched around and this seems to be a somewhat common issue, but I can't seem to get my issue resolved on my Ford 3910 that is fairly new to me. When the tractor is running, if I put it in neutral and let the clutch out (getting off the tractor to attach implement) I can't put the transmission back into any gear without significant grinding. I know this means the input shaft is still spinning after I depress the clutch. I can sit with the clutch in for 30+ seconds and it still grinds. Shifting from one gear to another is fine, no issues at all as long as the clutch is depressed the whole time. The transmission is full of oil, which appears to be freshly changed, but I can't confirm how long it has been since it was changed. If I'm driving the tractor and I press the clutch in (no brakes), it comes to a stop pretty quickly like a tractor in a field normally would. I would think if the clutch is stuck, it would continue to roll. There is absolutely zero play in the clutch pedal. Could this be the issue? I have maybe put 5 hours on this tractor since owning it. It did not grind until the last time I used it. Any help is greatly appreciated.

It's a characteristic of the 8x2 "crash box". Try double clutching but don't expect too much.

 

[Stimw]

I have seen this when there is oil on the clutch disc.
The oil turns to grease after a while keeps the disc engaged.
One option is to shut it down, shift and re-start to get it back in gear.