Ford 5500

[Relic48]

Hi everyone. I recently purchased a Ford 5500 TLB to do some cleanup on my 3 acres in NJ. I have lots of debris still remaining after Sandy with large stumps and trunks littering most of the 2 acres to the rear. Its a big machine for me as my previous experience is limited to Farmall A's and Cubs.

I paid $4000. for the 5500 and cosmetically its in beautiful shape except for tires. It has a rebuilt engine. The transmission leaks but I knew that before I bought it. As it is strictly occasional homeowner use I didn't think that would be a huge issue. The hydraulics work great and it has an awesome lifting capacity.

The thing that is bothering me is that after 3-4 hours of intermittent work, it loses forward/backward motion unless I switch to another gear. I'm not sure yet, but afterwards that gear doesn't seem to want to work again. So I'm running out of gears and I'm not sure what I should look at next. My best guess is that it may be torque converter related but that doesn't explain why one gear works and another doesn't.

Any thoughts are appreciated. I will load pictures tonight after my 25 year old gets home to show me how to do it.

 

[Relic48]

Wow. Did I post this in the wrong forum/category? I'm new to machines this large and I'm concerned about the expense of maintaining it if I can't do the work myself. I know a few of you guys have 5500's and transmission issues like this can't be unique. Any help is appreciated.

 

[TractorTech]

When you say you have a gear, then nothing, does that gear work again after it has sat for a day?
Is your fluid level in the transmission at the correct level when this happens?

 

[LD1]

Yep, what is the fluid level when this happens?

The transmission fluid is all by itself on these machines. Not common with the rear axle like most other tractors. And dont hold alot of volume by comparison. I may be wrong but IIRC the trans may only hold 6 or 8 gallons. And its the front dipstick up by the shifters.

Have you tried changing the filter? Its the one located up above the engine under the left side hood panel, that has two steel lines running to it. Napa 1189.

The only time mine has not moved is either low on fluid, or iced up. If you have water in the oil, it settles to the bottom and freezes up the steel line/prefilter coming off the bottom of the trans.

Where is the oil leak coming from? Is it leaking from one of the hoses coming off the bottom of the trans? or is it leaking out that hole in the bottom of the trans bellhousing? If out that hole, it sounds like an input seal leak. But that actually isnt too bad to change if you have a way to lift the motor. Like a portable gantry crane and hoist. The motor can be lifted out without "splitting" the tractor or removing any of the framework like on most tractors that got retrofitted with a loader/hoe. I can have my engine out in 2 hours working by myself. Then all you have to do is pop the converter out, pull seal, drop a new one in and reassemble everything. All total, half a day job. And the only thing special needed to do the job is a way to lift/hoist the motor.