Gears grinding

[meisal]

I have a YM1700. I guess about half of the time you change gears it wants to grind. The other half it shifts really smoothe.
Adjusted the clutch. Same results. Is this a sure sign of a clutch problem or is there something else I should be looking for. What about a dirty filter or something.
When in gear it doesn't slip or make any noise.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

 

[normde2001]

Without seeing/feeling firsthand, the severity of the problem, I would say it's probably just the nature of the beast, unless it is getting worse. That's pretty much the way un-synchronized trannys are. If you have the clutch adjusted to 3/4", the only thing left is to replace the clutch, and it may or may not help. It helps to idle down as low as possible before shifting, and of course, never, ever, try to shift on the move.

 

[BGL990]

How long are you holding the clutch in before trying to put it in gear? I've got a new Yanmar built JD 990 which does the same thing - it's pretty normal for unsynchronized transmissions. Sometimes everything is happy and goes in right away, but more often than not I have to hold the clutch down for a while - sometimes upwards of 10 or 15 seconds - before everything in the transmission stops spinning and I can put it in gear without grinding.

I don't think a little "soft" grinding now and then will seriously hurt anything anyway. Just don't jam it into gear hard. If you don't want to wait a long time before shifting, push very gently until the ticking of the gears stops and then push it the rest of the way in.