Century Problems

MicroPilot · Jul 8, 2004

I've got some things I wanted to ask the Century owners if they have experienced.

1) While mowing some brush today I had my 3035 start free rolling. What I mean is that it felt like the tractor had shifted in to neutral or the clutch had been depressed. It rolled maybe 8 or 10 feet before it caught in gear again. A really scary feeling, as I was cutting down a grade!!! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif This happened twice, and scared me enough that I got out of the field and took the tractor back to my garage, parked it, blocked the wheels and inspected the underside. I was expecting to see a stick or something jammed in a linkage, but didn't see anything like that. As a matter of fact I didn't see any linkage that I think brush could get jammed in to cause this kind of behavior. The only linkage that I saw that could have gotten jammed was for the brakes. Has anyone else had this happen? Any ideas on what might have gone wrong?

2) My reverse lights were not working as the tractor was delivered from my dealer. I noticed what looked like the light bulb laying loose in the housing, so I took it apart to stick the bulb back in. What I found was that the metal barrel that holds the light bulb had been puled out of the plastic base. It was like this on both sides. I pushed this barrel back into the plastic base and put the light bulbs in and they worked fine. However I noticed tonight that one of the reverse lights had quit working again. Probably came apart again. Anyone else had their rear lights come apart like this?

3) The bucket on my FEL was accting like it was in a "float" mode. IT was all floppy nad I could get it to bite into the ground. IT kept wanting to curl back up under the arms. I had to actually put pressure on it to keep it steady. This happened 2 or 3 times while trying to dig some rocks up.

I'll be calling my dealer about these issues tomorrow, but wanted to see if any of the TBN community had these problems also.

Woodbeef · Jul 8, 2004

Since you said you were going down hill,could you possibly have skidded down it for a short distance? If it happens again look behind you and see if you left any skid marks.

SnowRidge · Jul 8, 2004

Assuming that the Century 3035 is the same as or similar to the Branson 3520, check for interference between one of the hydraulic lines and the range selector linkage.

My 2035 would pop out of gear when I was in a particular range (I forget which) because of the interference. I never had it pop out and then back in, but it might be worth checking on your machine.

I traced the problem to a metal hydraulic line that had not been formed into exactly the right shape. Rather than take it to the dealer, I simply bent it a little, and that took care of it.

MicroPilot · Jul 8, 2004

Woodbeef: Didn't skid. I'm positive of that. The machine was free wheeling.

Snowridge: I'll look and see if there is something interfering with the range selector. Thanks for the tip.

BTW, I was running in 1st range, 2nd gear.

SnowRidge · Jul 8, 2004

I'm pretty sure that was the range I had problems with, but it has been over a year, and the memory fades.

Evasive1 · Jul 8, 2004

On the reverse light problem, my left reverse light did not work and I had to put the bulb in like you said. Next time you put the light back in the barrel, take a pair of channel locks and "egg shape" the barrel a little bit to hold the bulb in tighter. I did that to mine and have not had problems since.

On the bucket when you lower the arms the weight of the loader will take the hydraulic pressure off of the bucket, so when you go to dig there is no pressure on the bucket to keep the bucket in a digging position so it will push the bucket back some. By curling the bucket a little this will put hydraulic pressure back on the bucket to keep it in position to dig with. (Okay, I know what I am trying to say, just not putting it in words very clearly.)

As far as the rolling I have no idea. Maybe the shuttle shift lever was not all the way engaged and disengaged just enough to let it roll a little. Anyway I bet it is a simple adjustment by your dealer.

MicroPilot · Jul 8, 2004

Just got off the phone with my dealer. He swore that there was no way that the tractor could free wheel while the lever were in gear, and was trying to convince me that I was sliding. Not impressed at this point with my dealer. He also suggested that somehow the range lever jumped into neutral and back because I had slid over and hit it with my hip!! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

When I get home I'm going to see if I can replicate the dealers scenario, and look at the hydro line and range lever getting tangled up.

Evasive: I understand what you are saying, and curling the bucket is what I did, but is this possible? The lift and bucket are 2 seperate hydro circuits. I didn't even mention this to my dealer yet.

herdfan · Jul 8, 2004

I've had the same issue with the FEL while digging and Evasive1's solution/exlanation are correct from my experience.

As far as the free-wheeling, I can't see how you could make your tractor slip out of and back into gear with your hip, much less without grinding the gears like crazy. How steep is the grade? Sometimes when I'm going doen my hills, the tractor will pick up some speed until the transaxle takes control of the speed. This increase in speed, however is only during intial first few seconds at the start of descent.

Haven't had any issues with the lighting.

Have you checked your front wheel hub bolts? I had my front wheel bolts snap off (in a seperate thread)! It's an issue with the bolt lengths and is a known problem with the manufacturer. You may want to check with your dealer to be sure you have the longer (and heavier grade) bolts.

Eric

MicroPilot · Jul 8, 2004

Yea, there is no way my hip hitting the range selector caused what I experienced. I tried for 45 minutes to MAKE the tractor free wheel by jiggling and manipulating the various gear shifters, but couldn't get it to do it. At most I could yank it out of gear, but that meant that it was out of gear, and wold have stayed out of gear until I put it back in. I mowed some more of this hill side tonight, and didn't have the problem, but I'm still worried that there is something not right with the tractor.

The attached picture partially shows the slope (red arrow) I've been mowing.

depratt_equip · Jul 9, 2004

What gear and range where you in when it happened? Did you try and use the break pedal to slow you down? I don't quite understand how it could free wheel in gear, unless you were in a high gear and you were just picking up speed when going down the hill, then slowed back down and caught gear towards bottom of the hill. If something did pop of gear in the transmission and then caught again I would expect that you would hear the gears grinding as it did this.

Is your clutch properly adjusted (free play within spec?) Did the engine tach up when this happened? Where you using hand or foot throttle at the time.

SnowRidge · Jul 9, 2004

How about this scenario? You are cutting with the hand throttle set so the engine runs at proper PTO speed. For whatever reason, you try to brake at little. Your foot on the brake pedal has no effect because the engine driving in that low range is a lot more effective than the brakes. You immediately get that runaway feeling.

Is it possible that is what happened?

MicroPilot · Jul 9, 2004

( What gear and range where you in when it happened?)

1st range, 2nd gear

( Did you try and use the break pedal to slow you down?)

The first time it happened I was in a tricky part near the bottom and the creek drop off. I immedietely stomped on both the brakes and clutch. The second time it happened I was in a less risky area and let it go to see what would happen. It rolled a few feet and then the gears "caught" again and all was well. I did not touch the brakes or clutch this time. I did leave the field however to inspect the underside as I suspected that brush or debris were interfering with some linkages. I didn't find anything like this though. I didn't even see how that could happen, as the clutch and shift linkages are not very exposed from the underside.

( If something did pop of gear in the transmission and then caught again I would expect that you would hear the gears grinding as it did this.)

I didn't hear any gears grinding.

( Is your clutch properly adjusted (free play within spec?) )

I'm not exactly sure. IT feels right to me, but I'll see if I can cheack this. Would this be covered in the tractors operator manual or will I need the shop manual for this info?

( Did the engine tach up when this happened? Where you using hand or foot throttle at the time. )

The engine was at PTO speed set with the hand throttle, and I don't recall that it revved up any.

Evasive1 · Jul 9, 2004

The tractors owners manual has the clutch adjustment specs and how to adjust it on page 72.

JerryG · Jul 9, 2004

Were you in 4wd or 2wd, when this slippage happened?

herdfan · Jul 10, 2004

So was there a change in the grade you were going down when these occurred?

MicroPilot · Jul 10, 2004

( ( So was there a change in the grade you were going down when these occurred?
))

Hmmm, yes. The whole hill side is very uneven. It's been cut laterally with cow/horse paths creating a sort of terrace effect.

( ( Were you in 4wd or 2wd, when this slippage happened? ))

I was in 4WD.

( ( How about this scenario? You are cutting with the hand throttle set so the engine runs at proper PTO speed. For whatever reason, you try to brake at little. Your foot on the brake pedal has no effect because the engine driving in that low range is a lot more effective than the brakes. You immediately get that runaway feeling.

Is it possible that is what happened?
))

Nope. The machine "lurched" forward free wheeling. The first time it happened I thought your scenario might have been it. Then it happened again. I did some more cutting the following night after checking things out, and didn't experience this again. It was too wet here to do any tractor work today.

@Evasive: Thanks for the adjustment info. I checked this and it is adjusted correctly.

The only way I could see this happening is if the clutch somehow dis-engaged. The other thing I thought of is if a wheel would have left the ground and let the other wheels spin. I don't know enough about how the gear train works to know if this is a viable theory or not.

JerryG · Jul 10, 2004

Sounds like you were in a slide. Tractors don't feel the same as cars when they slide. It won't happen again if you are in 4-wd.

herdfan · Jul 11, 2004

( The whole hill side is very uneven. It's been cut laterally with cow/horse paths creating a sort of terrace effect. )

Could you have been picking up speed until the engine/gears "caught" the tractor? That shouldn't be too much of an issue in the 1st range, though. Maybe try 1st range, 1st gear?

wing164 · Jul 12, 2004

MicroPilot,

How uneven was the ground you were mowing when your "freewheeling" happened?
Here's the reason I ask... I've been rather surprised/disappointed at how little oscillation the front axle on my 2028 has. It's really not very nimble on uneven ground. As soon as one front wheel runs up on a bump, even in 4WD, it hits the axle stop, which takes weight off the one rear wheel and it loses traction. The only way to keep moving is to lock the rear axle(the pedal at your right heel) so both rear wheels pull together regardless of traction.
My guess in your situation is this...you hit an uneven spot with a front wheel which lifted one of your rear wheels, losing traction for the time it "freewheeled". This is just the reverse of losing traction while pulling uphill.
The fix is the same--lock the rear axle when you need full traction. You will go straight, of course, and will need to release the lock before turning.
Try this when you mow the same area again and see if it reduces the "pucker factor".

Lynn

MicroPilot · Jul 12, 2004

Since I haven't had this problem again, I think I'm going to go with the sliding thing, although I've had the tractor slide before and this didn't feel like a slide, but that could be my "newbieness" on this machine coming out!! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Thanks all for the replys!!!