L3400 grinding and shifting problem
- Thread starter praha
- Start date
- Views: 23515
N80
Super Member
Well, I have an L4400. Gear driven. Very similar tranny. Mine does not grind at all, even when I shift very quickly. So I'm not sure that I buy that this is a problem inherent with a nonsynchronized tranny.
Rarely on my L4400 it will not go in gear from neitral. So, I let the clutch out, push it back in and it will go into gear, sometimes with a little grind. But, this is rare.
I never get grinding shifting between hi and lo range or reverse.
I'd try test driving another L3400DT. As mentioned, if it does the same thing, either it is the nature of the L3400DT or your timing with the clutch/shift is off.
But to be honest, I don't believe there should be any grinding if you shift properly regardless of the type of tranny. At least mine doesn't. Or not that I've noticed. I'll pay attention this weekend and see.
Still, try another 3400 on the lot. It is a great, simple, tough tractor.
Rarely on my L4400 it will not go in gear from neitral. So, I let the clutch out, push it back in and it will go into gear, sometimes with a little grind. But, this is rare.
I never get grinding shifting between hi and lo range or reverse.
I'd try test driving another L3400DT. As mentioned, if it does the same thing, either it is the nature of the L3400DT or your timing with the clutch/shift is off.
But to be honest, I don't believe there should be any grinding if you shift properly regardless of the type of tranny. At least mine doesn't. Or not that I've noticed. I'll pay attention this weekend and see.
Still, try another 3400 on the lot. It is a great, simple, tough tractor.
Last edited:
N80
Super Member
Well, in trying to think about what I normally do, it may be that I have to ease it into gear from neutral when I'm first starting off. Not sure, but at this point I'm not ready to stand by my claim that mine never grinds at all. I'll check it out this weekend and get back to you.
dutchman56
Bronze Member
I have a GL4630GSTC and use the clutch to start off and then shift while moving by just going up or down on gear selector. Only have 30 hours on tractor so hope I am doing it right.
I checked a couple L 3400 at the dealer nearby, they shift fine....
I lost a pin on a 3 point hitch while using a box blade the other day, and when I put the tractor in neutral, left rear tire was still getting some "power", it had tendency to turn. So, it was in neutral... and left wheel was grabing, trying to turn, but did not have enough power to actually move the tractor. It was weird, I had to turn the motor off to put the pin back. / all in uneven terrain/. The right side tire did not move at all. The tractor had 2 hours on it at that time.
Joe
I lost a pin on a 3 point hitch while using a box blade the other day, and when I put the tractor in neutral, left rear tire was still getting some "power", it had tendency to turn. So, it was in neutral... and left wheel was grabing, trying to turn, but did not have enough power to actually move the tractor. It was weird, I had to turn the motor off to put the pin back. / all in uneven terrain/. The right side tire did not move at all. The tractor had 2 hours on it at that time.
Joe
canoetrpr
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2005
- Messages
- 2,396
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
- Tractor
- Kubota M7040 cab/hyd shuttle - current, Kubota L3400 - traded
What you described there is now a safety issue. Yes it does not have enough power to move the tractor now but if what is wrong gets worse - who knows?
If all the other L3400s you have driven don't have this problem AND you've got this left wheel grabbing when the tractor is in neutral (I'm assuming that you can demonstrate that to the dealer), I'd be camping out at my dealers place telling them to either fix it or give you a new tractor.
Failing that I would escalate to Kubota's customer service. From everything we have heard on this forum, Kubota's customer service in the USA is pretty good at ensuring that customers are satisfied.
If all the other L3400s you have driven don't have this problem AND you've got this left wheel grabbing when the tractor is in neutral (I'm assuming that you can demonstrate that to the dealer), I'd be camping out at my dealers place telling them to either fix it or give you a new tractor.
Failing that I would escalate to Kubota's customer service. From everything we have heard on this forum, Kubota's customer service in the USA is pretty good at ensuring that customers are satisfied.
I'm guessing this is a new tractor you are having problems with. If so, I'd also guess something is too tight in the transmission. A burr on a shaft or something. I haven't run into it yet on a new Kubota but something is wrong. If it was used I'd be highly suspicious of the oil in it. It's probably the wrong type. I have seen so many tractors with the wrong oil in different places than I could count. Like hydraulic oil in a gear oil using rear end. That will sure make the gears take their time winding down so you can shift. My old farmall super C was a hard shifter with the correct oil weight in the rear. I had to count to 5 before I could move the lever when it was hot. I put in the heaviest synthetic gear oil I could get and it fixed that problem.
Most all of the Kubota transmissions and final drives I got into were syncronized so without seeing yours I couldn't begin to diagnose it but the non synchros do require a couple seconds to let the gears slow down normally. Things need time to align before you can engage them. If it's still got enough power to pull a tire with the clutch down, It's an open differential so it will only pull one tire at a time, then it's got problems. They need to be looking at that clutch a little closer.
BTW, my neighbor has this same model tractor and I borrow it occasionaly. I have to wait a second or two on it after pushing the clutch down or it grinds but that is the nature of the beast and I'm used to it. On my new Holland I can shift to any gear at any time quickly but it's all synchro. Mine cost a bit more than his too so.......
Most all of the Kubota transmissions and final drives I got into were syncronized so without seeing yours I couldn't begin to diagnose it but the non synchros do require a couple seconds to let the gears slow down normally. Things need time to align before you can engage them. If it's still got enough power to pull a tire with the clutch down, It's an open differential so it will only pull one tire at a time, then it's got problems. They need to be looking at that clutch a little closer.
BTW, my neighbor has this same model tractor and I borrow it occasionaly. I have to wait a second or two on it after pushing the clutch down or it grinds but that is the nature of the beast and I'm used to it. On my new Holland I can shift to any gear at any time quickly but it's all synchro. Mine cost a bit more than his too so.......
N80
Super Member
I tried all this out on my L4400. It does not grind at all when changing gears. Not from neutral to L or H or R. Not in any of the other gears either. The only time I get any grinding is when I try to shift while still moving, of if my timing is off with the clutch.
Again, there are rare occasions when it won't go in gear from neutral. This always feels like a synch issue. Let the clutch out, then back in and if you shift right in you get a little grind. If you wait a second, no grind. But, this is rare.
Again, there are rare occasions when it won't go in gear from neutral. This always feels like a synch issue. Let the clutch out, then back in and if you shift right in you get a little grind. If you wait a second, no grind. But, this is rare.
Kubota In Canada
Member
praha said:
Hello Joe,
Like many have mentioned, it is not a synchromesh tranny .... so the occasional delayed shifting is normal. I currently have an older B6100 that has that same shifting presentation. I have worked on gear-driven John Deere, Massey, and International tractors that also work the same way.
Try depressing the clutch slighty, moving your shifter partly into gear, than push the clutch pedal completely again and shift ..... it will often do the trick.
Some of the factors that affect shifting:
-engine RPM
-tractor load
-PTO in use
-tractor incline
-and of course, clutch wear preventing a complete disengagement
Good luck .....
Regards,
Eric