L3450 Transmission problem

Goodtimze · Jun 11, 2024

I have a 91ish L3450 tractor, Recently using my backhoe, with the engine idled up, I could hear something sounding a little marbley. I idled it down and moved the tractor and it stalled. First time it ever did that. Drove it to my garage and it was bucking a little bit while driving. I pulled the hydraulic filter off and found a couple of small pieces of aluminum, like if you drilled something. Only a couple though. I cleaned out the filter screen and got quite a bit of fine aluminum particles out of it. There were some steel filings on the magnet in the filter too. Drained hydraulic oil out and it resembled a metallic paint mixture if you swirled it around. Tractor has about 1277 hours on it if gauge is correct. Not a lot of driving with it. Mostly idled up time to use backhoe. I don't know if this could be a clutch issue or a bigger problem with transmission. Any ideas?

SPYDERLK · Jun 12, 2024

I have an L3450 - no backhoe. I doubt a problem with the transmission ... gear drive shuttle shift, right? At those hours Im surprised at any problem actually. Maybe the hydraulic oil pump or its internal drive is failing and about to lock up, hence the stall and bucking.

The seeming connection with moving the tractor is puzzling. Could be just coincidental with a progressing failure, but actually independent of the tractor drive I guess. Easy to be fooled there analyzing the "black box".

Goodtimze · Jun 13, 2024

SPYDERLK said:
I have an L3450 - no backhoe. I doubt a problem with the transmission ... gear drive shuttle shift, right? At those hours Im surprised at any problem actually. Maybe the hydraulic oil pump or its internal drive is failing and about to lock up, hence the stall and bucking.

The seeming connection with moving the tractor is puzzling. Could be just coincidental with a progressing failure, but actually independent of the tractor drive I guess. Easy to be fooled there analyzing the "black box".

yes, gear drive shuttle shift. When I drained the oil, I didn't find any more big aluminum shavings, just the few in the filter. I removed hydraulic pump and took it apart as far as i could without removing pump gears. everything seems to be fine in there. it spins by hand with no problem and what I can see down the ports looks good too. The pump was my first thought(hope) also.