IH 886 dash light problem...means what?

[RickB]

Richard,

On IH's, that's the oil pressure light.

Yes, it is an oil pressure indicator, but the gear identifies it as a TRANSMISSION oil (low) pressure indicator. Normally comes on when the clutch pedal is depressed which also opens the Torque Amplifier dump valve. The tractor has hydraulic power wet disc brakes. Engine oil pressure is indicated by a gauge.

 

[Soundguy]

Hey now.. that's a nice feature for breaks!.. not sure what i'd do with power breaks.. might have to get a leather seat and some fuzzy dice too!

Soundguy

 

[Richard]

Yes, it is an oil pressure indicator, but the gear identifies it as a TRANSMISSION oil (low) pressure indicator. Normally comes on when the clutch pedal is depressed which also opens the Torque Amplifier dump valve. The tractor has hydraulic power wet disc brakes. Engine oil pressure is indicated by a gauge.

Rick, lemme ask a followup to you.

Yesterday was out cutting a bit and brought tractor back to top off flat tire with some air.

Wanted to back it into spot in my driveway so I can get to tire easily for removal.

Drove forward which got the tractor pointed DOWN hill just a bit. Put lever into reverse and let clutch out and I rolled FORWARD!!

hmmmm

Thinking I missed the gear, did it again and it lurched so in reaction, I hit the clutch. Seems I'm not a good driver... so I shifted gears again (low range, 1st gear) and let clutch out again... NOTHING..... clutch is out, machine is presumably in gear... then all the sudden it lurched and "grabbed" as it started going backwards.

It is seeming to me now that this machine is not a "traditional" geared machine. I don't recall if I bumped the throttle then or not but I do recall having the feeling that it took a moment (lag?) for something to pressure up and it's not the clutch.

I DO feel the gears on this are a bit "sloppy" just from being so old. nothing more than normal wear & tear.

The lag on going into reverse though, really kind of surprised me. Could this be realted to your comment about the torque amplifier valve? (not that I know what one is!!)

 

[geneP]

Richard, Does the tractor have a power reverser, power shuttle shift, or some other feature that lets you shift from forward to reverse without the clutch? If so, your problem may very well be from restricted flow or pressure from your hydraulic system. Those tractors have a multi-purpose valve on the left just to the rear and under the foot rest. In the center of it is your filter housing. You COULD have a plugged filter, contaminated hydraulic oil, or debris in the MP valve. If you are not sure about the condition of hydraulic oil and filter, I think it would be wise to change them. Your oil can have water in it and not show on the dipsitck. I know, I have an 85 series. Let some flow out of the auxiliary connector to check for watr in it.

 

[BTDT]

Sounds like it might be time to buy a manual.

 

[Richard]

Yes, it is an oil pressure indicator, but the gear identifies it as a TRANSMISSION oil (low) pressure indicator. Normally comes on when the clutch pedal is depressed which also opens the Torque Amplifier dump valve. The tractor has hydraulic power wet disc brakes. Engine oil pressure is indicated by a gauge.

Rick, I was out on tractor today and tried to duplicate the issue...I'm thinking you hit it on the head.

Every time I depressed the clutch, the light came on. Every single time. You above, say "normally" comes on...

Brother in law (who rents heavy equipment) went through this when he bought it so I know that at "that point in time", all the fluid levels were fine. The seller of the tractor said he'd done a fluid change at such & such a date (gave date and as I recall, either the date or hours are on the oil canisters)

So, volume wise, the fluids should be reasonably ok. The light persists and I don't have a manual yet (planning on getting one)

does that infer that I should not worry about it?

 

[radman1]

Rick, I was out on tractor today and tried to duplicate the issue...I'm thinking you hit it on the head.

Every time I depressed the clutch, the light came on. Every single time. You above, say "normally" comes on...

Brother in law (who rents heavy equipment) went through this when he bought it so I know that at "that point in time", all the fluid levels were fine. The seller of the tractor said he'd done a fluid change at such & such a date (gave date and as I recall, either the date or hours are on the oil canisters)

So, volume wise, the fluids should be reasonably ok. The light persists and I don't have a manual yet (planning on getting one)

does that infer that I should not worry about it?

Like I stated earlier, that seems to be normal with this series of tractor and earlier series also had just a red light come on. Don't ask me why it is that way. Does not mean anything is wrong.

 

[radman1]

Rick, lemme ask a followup to you.

Yesterday was out cutting a bit and brought tractor back to top off flat tire with some air.

Wanted to back it into spot in my driveway so I can get to tire easily for removal.

Drove forward which got the tractor pointed DOWN hill just a bit. Put lever into reverse and let clutch out and I rolled FORWARD!!

hmmmm

Thinking I missed the gear, did it again and it lurched so in reaction, I hit the clutch. Seems I'm not a good driver... so I shifted gears again (low range, 1st gear) and let clutch out again... NOTHING..... clutch is out, machine is presumably in gear... then all the sudden it lurched and "grabbed" as it started going backwards.

It is seeming to me now that this machine is not a "traditional" geared machine. I don't recall if I bumped the throttle then or not but I do recall having the feeling that it took a moment (lag?) for something to pressure up and it's not the clutch.

I DO feel the gears on this are a bit "sloppy" just from being so old. nothing more than normal wear & tear.

The lag on going into reverse though, really kind of surprised me. Could this be realted to your comment about the torque amplifier valve? (not that I know what one is!!)

That tractor should have a torque amplifier (TA) on the left by the steering wheel. Is that correct? The ealier X06 series did that all the time on a slope. Your making me think back 30 years ago but, I believe it occurred with the TA either in the forward or back position but not vice versa. Try the same thing but with TA either forward or backward and see if it is present in only one position. It is not so much as a lurching in one direction but instead the gears just seem to catch and holds/stops the tractor abruptly. It happens only when the tractor begins rolling in the opposite direction of the gear/motion of the transmission. It was so common that I remember naturally just keeping foot on the brake so that it did not roll until the clutch began to engage and then allow the tractor to move. You will get use to it as well. This happened on our 706 and 806 IH's. I don't remember this being present on our 1086 and 756 IHs but your tractor is a different model.

 

[RickB]

Your 886 has a Torque Amplifier which is a shift-on-the-fly unit between the main clutch and speed transmission. Direct Drive is straight-through gearing via a hydraulically engaged multiple wet disc clutch pack. Torque Amplifier mode is a planetary reduction of about 30% and relies on a sprag clutch for the primary drive and a smaller hydraulically engaged multiple wet disc clutch pack that prevents freewheeling. Depressing the clutch pedal disengages the main clutch as well as causing the dump valve spool to open relieving drive pressure to the clutch packs and causing the lamp in question to light. Opening the dump valve allows shifting of gears which would be nearly impossible with the direct pack locked up and effectively working against the sprag clutch. Any TA with a hydraulic or mechanical fault in the Direct clutch pack or its circuit will default to TA mode and drive on the sprag clutch. The TA side clutch pack is mainly in place to prevent 'freewheeling' as older IH mechanical TA's would do. Any TA equipped tractor such as yours that refuses to move as you describe has some type of hydraulic or mechanical fault in the TA unit as well as a failed sprag clutch. In the absence of any hydraulic function at all, it should at least drive on the sprag clutch. You should have a hydraulic pressure test of the MCV circuit done before the TA unit suffers irrepairable damage if it already hasn't. The (M)ultiple (C)ontrol (V)alve has a small hydraulic pump on the inside that supplies regulated circuit pressure oil to the TA, steering, brakes and difflock. This is entirely separate from the pump that supplies the hitch and remotes. A third pump on the PTO unit supplies lockup pressure for the PTO clutch.

 

[Yankee Clipper]

The idiot lights on the 86 series are all seeking a ground. If the light comes on when you hit the brakes, there is a wear indicator on the brake housing that will provide a ground if the brake pack is worn. It is adjustable if they are not worn beyond spec.

If you see the light when you depress the clutch, the MCV (multiple control valve) on the LH side of the transmission case has a pressure switch on it. Possibly you have a leak or the 12 gallon pump is getting tired.

Good luck