5410 shift lever removal

Harry in Ky · Nov 19, 2022

Hoping for some insight on removing the main gearshift lever and shifting tower on a 5410 collarshift transmission. I'm trying to figure out how much stuff has to come off the tractor (open station straddle mount) to get this off.

MTGreen · Nov 19, 2022

If you just want to take the lever off it's pretty simple. If you want to take the pivot point housing off it's more complicated as that requires taking the top cover off the trans. To get the lever off you just pull the boot and there are two internal c-clips that you pull to get it out. Be careful the top c-clip has a spring behind it.
The gear shift and the range shift levers are both set up the same way.

The shift tower as you called it requires removal of the seat, the gear and range shift levers, and the panel covers on both sides of the seat. When those are off you have to take the PTO and mfwd linkage & switch off. Then you take the top cover off the transmission and that shift tower comes with it. You can't take the shift tower off without removing the transmission top cover because there's several linkages that go between them that need to have double roll pins driven out first

Harry in Ky · Nov 19, 2022

I'm not sure yet just what I need to take off. I'm looking for something that binds up the lever when it freezes. It's not ice, as was first suspected. There hasn't been enough rain or moisture lately to be much of a problem, and it appears to be all dry in there, yet whenever temps fall below freezing the shifter won't move. Has had this problem for a couple years now.

I don't know how deep I need to go to find the problem.

MTGreen · Nov 19, 2022

So that shift tower assembly tends to collect water if your boots aren't 100% waterproof. There's a seal in between that tower assembly and the transmission so the water that accumulates in there doesn't drain into the trans. You can't see the water from the top you have to pull your levers. If you pull both of your shifter levers and stick a flexible hose from a suction gun down there you can see what you can get out.
Also those boots are surprisingly cheap I just replaced mine they are something like 11 bucks each from Deere. I had at least a pint of water in there

Harry in Ky · Nov 19, 2022

Surprisingly cheap, yes, and worth every penny. I've replaced three on this particular lever in less than six months. Deere warrantied them, but that doesn't solve the issue.

Enough about that. So there could be water in the chamber below the ball where the lever pivots, and it wouldn't necessarily drain into the transmission? That makes for a good possibility here. I guess that's where I should go next. That's just a standard snap ring with two holes in it? Not one of those tricky ones with no ears on it and no way to get under it?

MTGreen · Nov 19, 2022

No it's a standard one with holes in it you can use the standard pin end snap ring pliers, just remember there's a spring under the top one. There is a cover to that shifter housing underneath but it was impossible to get to on my tractor maybe yours would be better

Harry in Ky · Nov 19, 2022

I see the bottom cover in the parts list but figured it would probably be nearly impossible to access.

The parts list doesn't show this, but the service manual shows the same drawing with holes and plugs in the front and rear of the tower. They look like they would line up with and provide access to drive out/install the roll pins connecting the arm and shaft that together move the shift rails inside. Do you recall if your tractor has those or not? I don't know yet if this tractor has those or not, but they may be of some use in all this.

MTGreen · Nov 19, 2022

I don't remember any small access ports. My recall was that it was an aluminum casting with a cover underneath and 2 cradles that interface with the shift handles and are attached to the shift rods with double roll pins.
Now that I think about it you will probably have more luck with getting a siphon tube down the range shift opening vs the gear shift as the gear shift has a guide plate in there

Harry in Ky · Nov 19, 2022

Not sure how that would work. The two units look (on paper that is) pretty similar, and on opposite sides of the shift cover. Both look to have recessed areas beneath the links that rotate the shifting shafts. So far only the right side has the problem.

I think I need to take another look at the tractor with all this in mind. Maybe pull some of the tinware off around it and see what I can come up with. If there is in fact an area down there below the lever pivot point that does not directly drain into the transmission, then it must also not get much oil FROM the transmission either. It might be possible to drill a small hole near the bottom so whatever water is trapped in there can drain out once it thaws. Might be easier and faster than trying to loosen the bolts holding the bottom cover. We'll se.