385 stuck in gear

rhettoneal · Nov 20, 2011

My borrowed 385 just go stuck in high forward. It never was good about shifting from forward to reverse. Was using front end loader, got ready to back up and dang thing was stuck in high forward.

I don't know the specifics of this tractor as it is borrowed. Anybody else have any shifting problems with a 385? The other gear shifter for 1 through 4th works fine. Clutch working same/fine. Not looking forward to telling the owner of this problem either.

DJ54 · Nov 20, 2011

I don't have a 385, but went to CASE/IH and found an exploded view of the F & R shift controls, and attached below.

If you look at the end on the F&R control handle(13) , where it attaches to the arm (11), it appears that it is a round rod, with a roll pin through it. Looks to be the weakest link in the system. I'd check that out, before getting too excited. Wouldn't take much to shear that little roll pin at the end of the control handle.

Part listing says it's a 5/32" X 7/8", coil pin.

There is also a roll pin (2)where the lever assy. connects to the (12) bell crank, that may have sheared. The lever assy. may be galded up in the control shaft support (5) causing the hard shifting. It shows #2 as being a 3/16 X 1" pin.

Using the SWAG system, I'd guess the lever assy. is binding in the control support, and sheared the pin connecting 11 & 13.

Hope it's something this simple..!! Good luck..!!

rhettoneal · Nov 20, 2011

I hope it is simple to DJ54. I washed it and parked it in the barn and will check on it later this week with a fresh new attitude. Thanks for the help and the illustration. I'll post updates here.

delchip · Dec 11, 2011

Hi I had the same problem on a 585 its the linkage at the bottom of the gear lever, if you reach up to the linkage with a pole and give a sharp blow you will hear it go back in I, have now taken off the gaitor around the large gear stick and carry a metal bar to lever it back when it happens.

slowzuki · Dec 11, 2011

Our 584 IH had the same shifter layout. It would get jammed, the little ball between the hi-low and fwd-rev rails would get out of sync or something. I had the bar to free up the shifter until I welded a little lever to the side so I could bump it from the cab. (The mechanism had already been welded.

rhettoneal · Dec 14, 2011

Shifting problem fixed! I took off inspection plate to have a look see at the external linkage. I tapped on the linkage with a hammer and it popped out of fwd hi to neutral. It seems the ball joints on linkage gets rusty. I sprayed WD40 into all the ball joints and it started shifting better than ever! Thanks for all the help, Rhett

DJ54 · Dec 14, 2011

Alrighty..!! :thumbsup:

cyrush · Dec 21, 2011

Problems usually occur on the FWR/REV linkage because the tractor is not operated correctly

As designed there is an interlocking linkage from the clutch pedal so that the lever to change direction can only be used when the clutch pedal is depressed.

However with wear and maladjustment the linkages can be forced.

slowzuki · Dec 21, 2011

Not so on the 584 and 585 we had, the ball between the linkage just got worn and would let the hi-low and fwd rev shift rails get out of sync. It did have over 8000 hours on it as a loader tractor so you can imagine it was a bit worn and had broken off a couple of times.