2538 2638 4x4 not working? How does it work?

   / 2538 2638 4x4 not working? How does it work? #1  

BuggyMasters

Bronze Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2017
Messages
55
Location
Statesville, NC
Tractor
Mahindra 2538
Well my favorite toy..my 2538 might have an issue. It only has 238 hours on it of dragging my driveway, spreading crush and run on the same, and brush hogging my 2 acre field. I spread 20 tons of crush and run the other day. I noticed some metallic sounds while I’d grab a load from the pile that sounded like the front bucket popping or something. Seemed to be functioning fine so carried on. When done I crawled underneath it and touched every bolt I could with an array of wrenches but found nothing out of place. Next day I went and pulled it out of garage. I did get a clank as soon as I backed up but seemed fine otherwise. Went to start dragging the new stone and on my 2nd pass I got a clanking every 1 second while moving forward. I put my wife on the tractor so I could listen while it was moving and the noise was coming from near the front diff……Ugg. I took it out of four wheel drive and the noise went away….uggg. Finished my chores and put it on my lift. What I found was that the front driveshaft cover, the metal tab for the bolt at the front had snapped off. I took the cover off, drove it both in at out of 4wd and the noise was gone! Hooray..easy fix right? I attributed the noise to the unbound cover rubbing on the exposed splines of the front driveshaft where it goes into its front sleeve looking thing. I fixed the cover and put it on today and needed to do some more brush hogging. Noise was/is gone. This field has a pretty good hill on it and being a little damp I had 4x4 engaged. Going up I noticed back wheels spinning/slipping. How can this be if I am in 4x4? I re-pulled up on the 4x4 lever and it seemed to engage but next time I went up the hill, more rear wheel spinning. If I pulled and held the 4x4 lever up it seemed to keep 4x4 engaged. I googled and wound up here where one guy had similar issue. In his case the front input spot for the drive shaft was missing a few bolts. Ironically, his driveshaft cover broke at the exact same place mine did. What was more interesting is that in his picture, the driveshaft is fully seated into that input spot. His snap ring is seated against it. On mine, the snap ring is about 1/2 inch backward and I can see splines in front of it. On his there are no splines showing. So this brings me to my question: How does this thing work? In two wheel drive does the driveshaft move back away from it’s input and when you put it in 4x4 the entire shaft moves forward and seats with the snap ring seated against that front sleeve looking thing? Really hoping that the roll pin on the 4x4 lever shaft is sheered or something and that someone says without doubt that engaging 4x4 moves that driveshaft forward into the sleeve. If it’s always supposed to be butted against that sleeve like in that guys pic that I have attached, I’m gonna have a big fat expensive problem….with only 229 hours!

Can anyone enlighten me as to how this thing is supposed to work? The service manual doesn’t tell you that. If you look at pic, mine doesn’t look like that. There are splines showing and snap ring is 1/2 inch back from the sleeve looking thing. Will post pic of mine tomorrow.
 

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   / 2538 2638 4x4 not working? How does it work? #2  
If you are on Facebook go to the Mahindra 2538/2638 owners page, join it, go into the files section where I have the entire service manual and start studying the Front axle section (Section6) and the transmission section (section 5). It looks more like the disengagement is in the transmission than in the front end, though you might be on to something. Maybe bolt #20 on page 6-3 needs to be adjusted, the torque values for it are on 6-5. How I would do that is to lift your tires and front axle just off of the ground with your loader, make adjustments to that nut (grease the axle pivot trunnions before adjusting) and see if your 4wd driveshaft looks like it is in more once the bolt is adjusted.
 
   / 2538 2638 4x4 not working? How does it work?
  • Thread Starter
#3  
I’m going to go to the Mahindra store around lunch time and look at a new one to see what it is SUPPOSED to look like. I’ll report back my findings.
 
   / 2538 2638 4x4 not working? How does it work?
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Also…in a stroke of possible luck…I reviewed by purchase date and I still have a few months of warranty left! Still gonna see if it’s something simple before I drag it to dealer to be parked there for months.
 
   / 2538 2638 4x4 not working? How does it work?
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Went to mahindra store and I am correct that I shouldn’t be seeing those splines. The service manager happened to be here and explained to me that there are collars on that driveshaft that slide. They are effectively a coupler from the driveshaft to the transmission on one end and the driveshaft to the front differential on the other end. He is saying that what I will find is a snap is going to be missing and the reason I see those splines is those couplers were allowed to move out of place. He also further told me that, even though I am in warranty, it would not be covered under warranty because it’s an axle issue he said that axle issues are not covered under warranty.
 
   / 2538 2638 4x4 not working? How does it work? #6  
Well you learned a few things today. You learned that drive shafts have splined couplers. Most similar tractors do. You learned that yours has snap rings holding them in place. (Some have a hole through the coupler and a roll pin installed that does the same thing.) You learned the snap rings do fail on occasion. You learned your warranty is about as good as the snap rings.

Just a side note. I could offer a few suggestions to help prolong the life of the splines, couplers, snap rings on the front side if you're interested.
 
   / 2538 2638 4x4 not working? How does it work?
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Well you learned a few things today. You learned that drive shafts have splined couplers. Most similar tractors do. You learned that yours has snap rings holding them in place. (Some have a hole through the coupler and a roll pin installed that does the same thing.) You learned the snap rings do fail on occasion. You learned your warranty is about as good as the snap rings.

Just a side note. I could offer a few suggestions to help prolong the life of the splines, couplers, snap rings on the front side if you're interested.
By all means, please share.

Here is the actual culprit. The initial noises I heard were actually the splines slipping and the eventual every one second noise was the finalization of those splines saying bye bye.

The Mahindra tech mentioned that he thought there were 2 or 3 snap ring positions. I only see 1 at each end and both snap rings were in their groove. Not impressed with the design if I am being honest.
 

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   / 2538 2638 4x4 not working? How does it work? #8  
By all means, please share.

Here is the actual culprit. The initial noises I heard were actually the splines slipping and the eventual every one second noise was the finalization of those splines saying bye bye.

The Mahindra tech mentioned that he thought there were 2 or 3 snap ring positions. I only see 1 at each end and both snap rings were in their groove. Not impressed with the design if I am being honest.
Yes, the splines are stripped and I wouldn't be surprised if the mating couplings were shot also.
As far as the warranty the drive shaft and couplings should certainly be under the power train warranty.
As has been mentioned join that face book group and be prepared to make noise if they don't cover it.
 
   / 2538 2638 4x4 not working? How does it work?
  • Thread Starter
#9  
I already ordered the shaft and some new couplings and a couple snap rings. Here is what Mahindra said about the warranty:

“As mentioned in warranty policy external driveline are part of all aggregates warranty first two years of tractor warranty.”

Also I just discovered that my warranty did in fact expire 1 month ago. Amazing. It broke one month after the 7 year warranty expired. (even though they weren’t going to cover it anyways) SMH!
 
   / 2538 2638 4x4 not working? How does it work?
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Mahindra also said that the driveshaft is considered external driveline and therefor falls under “all aggregates”.
 

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