DK40- wont shift into low or high range?

kantuckid · Oct 1, 2016

I've owned this 4x4 DK40 for ~ 10 years and it's sitting in a pasture with this shift problem! Has ~500 easy hrs.
Tractor does everything! properly except that after taking it out of low range I now cannot move the low/high range shift lever into either location. The lever has always moved very hard but did move as needed, until now. It has also never seemed very "positive" when moved but once in full position, all was good.
Nothing is showing externally as bent, fluids are up, etc..
I tried it with all the other controls in all possible positions. Search got me zilch.
It's Saturday as I post this, so no dealers to call and I'm open to ideas???
Thanks for your :2cents:

kantuckid · Oct 1, 2016

kantuckid said:
I've owned this 4x4 DK40 for ~ 10 years and it's sitting in a pasture with this shift problem! Has ~500 easy hrs.
Tractor does everything! properly except that after taking it out of low range I now cannot move the low/high range shift lever into either location. The lever has always moved very hard but did move as needed, until now. It has also never seemed very "positive" when moved but once in full position, all was good.
Nothing is showing externally as bent, fluids are up, etc..
I tried it with all the other controls in all possible positions. Search got me zilch.
It's Saturday as I post this, so no dealers to call and I'm open to ideas???
Thanks for your :2cents:

I'll answer my own thread. Your most welcome!
Got some chores done and decided I couldn't sleep on the immobile tractor! Took the Mule down to it along with a partial can of some kind of fancy PTFE lube spray and some PB Blaster. After hours of bush hogging the result of this summers rains upon rains, the underside was looking like when the thing was new. I sprayed LOTS of the stuff all over the also balky 4X4 linkage and everything attached to the range selector lever.
I crawled up from chigger city (they must like those record rains as we have them bad-I had 54 on one ankle alone after labor day)
and tried to move the lever-WOW!
That's all the problem was-an external lube job for something that's bothered me for years.
Maybe I just helped the next person with a potential issue? :thumbsup:

VictorW · Oct 2, 2016

Sorrry, wasn't on yesterday. On my CK30hst, bought new, the range shifting became stiff after the first Winter's snow plowing. Checked and lubed the linkage as you did with no results. Soon learned it is where the shaft goes through the case that gets bound up. Used PB Blaster to loosen it up and then white lithium after. Now it's white lithium every Spring and Fall on that shaft, HST shaft, brake shafts, and any other linkage or shaft. There were posts about this but several years ago. To bad the search function didn't find them. I'm sure your current post will help somebody.

kantuckid · Oct 2, 2016

VictorW said:
Sorrry, wasn't on yesterday. On my CK30hst, bought new, the range shifting became stiff after the first Winter's snow plowing. Checked and lubed the linkage as you did with no results. Soon learned it is where the shaft goes through the case that gets bound up. Used PB Blaster to loosen it up and then white lithium after. Now it's white lithium every Spring and Fall on that shaft, HST shaft, brake shafts, and any other linkage or shaft. There were posts about this but several years ago. To bad the search function didn't find them. I'm sure your current post will help somebody.

I'll throw in that I am a former pro wrencher too. My range lever has always had a stiff feel that made me think it was supposed to be normal. It's stored inside, has a bit over 500hrs, never used commercially. When you look at the linkage it's doesn't look like that would be an issue, lubed or not, as it's loosey goosey. I thus fully agree that the shaft entry into the case must be the culprit, as you state. I seriously doused that area with spray lube and penetrating oil, WOWEE! Now I get to work some more....:licking: @ 72, I guess that's a good thing?

K man · Oct 3, 2016

Nice to know cause my CK30 sometimes kind of hard to change ranges but is getting easier. I only have 50 hours on mine so figured it was not broke in yet. So will get underneath and spray some kind of lube on it .

kantuckid · Oct 3, 2016

K man said:
Nice to know cause my CK30 sometimes kind of hard to change ranges but is getting easier. I only have 50 hours on mine so figured it was not broke in yet. So will get underneath and spray some kind of lube on it .

After my last post I worked the tractor a few more hours. The range lever seems to have a noticeable "home" when placed in low range, yet when moved to high range it seems "vague", in the sense that you wonder if it did go in, or not?. I had to try a gear to know it had gone into high. It does move with ease now in both directions, just far more obvious into low.

My rants for the day: Fuse block location! I've epoxied my fuse block cover so many times it's gonna be non-fixable and a goner soon! Why did they place it right where your left toe is so likely to hit?:thumbdown:
Of course the hydraulic remote lever location sucks equally! My right thigh hates the constant beating.:thumbdown:

My helpful comment for the day: I replaced my seat with an ebay Kubota seat with very little modification-orange is a bit brighter but otherwise a real money saver for a decent seat.:thumbsup:

k0ua · Oct 3, 2016

My DK35se range lever was a little stiff when new, but now it is very easy to operate.

northcreek2624 · Oct 6, 2016

I may have posted this on here before. I had a similar problem with my DK40(2002). The problem is that the lever is long and after time flexes rather than shifts. I removed mine and welded a reinforcement to it to make it more rigid, that was about 10 years ago and it has never failed to work since....Mike.

kantuckid · Oct 6, 2016

northcreek2624 said:
I may have posted this on here before. I had a similar problem with my DK40(2002). The problem is that the lever is long and after time flexes rather than shifts. I removed mine and welded a reinforcement to it to make it more rigid, that was about 10 years ago and it has never failed to work since....Mike.

Just maybe a stiffer lever might overcome a need for a lube job initially and then cause a bigger problem over time? Or it might keep it moving and negate the lube? The externals are always pretty loose and free to move but whats inside can be damaged by Fred Flintstone levering? I sense what your saying as it does flex but it also provides a huge amount of force as it comes and I like the spray it down with goop solution better for now. maybe my lazyboy fix approach-Ha!

northcreek2624 · Oct 7, 2016

kantuckid said:
Just maybe a stiffer lever might overcome a need for a lube job initially and then cause a bigger problem over time? Or it might keep it moving and negate the lube? The externals are always pretty loose and free to move but whats inside can be damaged by Fred Flintstone levering? I sense what your saying as it does flex but it also provides a huge amount of force as it comes and I like the spray it down with goop solution better for now. maybe my lazyboy fix approach-Ha!

You can spray lube it with a crop duster and it won't help. It's a design flaw, I also have the creeper gear option and that lever(similar) was reinforced at the factory. Lubrication should always be the first consideration but, I'm not a big fan of "spray can mechanics"....Mike.