OK-What do you think I broke??

[ray66v]

Got all the parts I ordered in 3 days to my home (UPS), re-assembled with no problems whatsoever, used a quart of 80-90 gear oil in addition to the hydraulic fluid (50-50 mix?).

Check that, the axle holds 4.2 quarts.

My MF book says you can put 80w GL4 gear lube in here.

You want one with the EP additive package. If it says EP it has 2x the extreme pressure protection of regular gear lube.

Diluting it with hydraulic fluid is going to undo a good thing. If you used regular gear lube, and add 3 qts. of hydraulic fluid, you have only slightly improved your situation.

 

[Eagleview]

A 4X4 tractor or even a 4X4 vehicle should be able to be shifted into 4X4 and back out easily while driving in a straight line . If the tyres are worn on one axle or the tyre pressures are not too specs , wind up will result . If using the loader a lot , pump the front tyres up so they remain as round as possible when the bucket is full . If the tyres are not worn equally , only use 4X4 when on loose/slippery surfaces , not on hard surfaces where they cannot unload the wind up .

 

[Eagleview]

Got all the parts I ordered in 3 days to my home (UPS), re-assembled with no problems whatsoever,

You must be a pretty smart cookie to get it all back together like that . How did you determine the pinion height and what did you do to get the crownwheel backlash correct ?

 

[amkfken]

Last Update:
Dealer- Sharpe EQ. & Irrigation-Salida Colorado called today,--Good News--gears,o rings etc. (everything I bought) is covered by warranty at NO cost to me!

Remember, this GC2300 is out of warranty (04 or 05 model), the M-F rep agreed with my initial identification of the problem--SOFT METAL!

Problem of gears not meeting hardness specs surfaced "a few years ago" on the 1200 series (I am not familiar with them).

No questions asked, no opinion given on type of lube to use-- "80-90w gear oil couldn't hurt" was only comment.

To answer a few questions--this tractor has never been operated on any hard surfaced road, I did nothing to set any gear lash upon re-assembly, just followed instructions in the manual indicating no adjustment possible. My outlook--if it will pick it up, it should be able to move it!

This dealer is not the dealer that I purchased from, they went out of business a few months after delivery, just the next closest to me (80 miles).

Now to the next project--the 2360 snowblower modified to handle uneven gravel driveways--waiting for snow!!! (At 9800+ft in the Rockies-no snow????)

Thanks for all your help and advice.

Ken

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

that's some service!

now i'm scared to even run my in 2wd on the road!

 

[HarryVanderpool]

A 4X4 tractor or even a 4X4 vehicle should be able to be shifted into 4X4 and back out easily while driving in a straight line . .

Not so with the MF 1540.
The front tires land speed is slightly faster than the rear to assist steering in tight corners while in 4WD.
If you shift into 4WD while moving, you get a slow grind, or bump-bump back through the shift lever before engagement.
The manual tells you to come to a complete stop, then engage.

 

[Eagleview]

Not so with the MF 1540.
The front tires land speed is slightly faster than the rear to assist steering in tight corners while in 4WD.
If you shift into 4WD while moving, you get a slow grind, or bump-bump back through the shift lever before engagement.
The manual tells you to come to a complete stop, then engage.

Could you scan and post that page from the manual where it says the front wheels turn faster than the rears when travelling in a straight line , and not just when they are on full lock .

 

[HarryVanderpool]

Could you scan and post that page from the manual where it says the front wheels turn faster than the rears when travelling in a straight line , and not just when they are on full lock .

I could, but not going to.

Here are the instructions from the 1533 / 1540 / 1547 /1552 Platform Compact Tractor Operator Instruction Manual .
This manual came with my 2007 MF 1540:

Page C-24, figure 33. "Depress main clutch pedal and stop tractor before engaging or disengaging four-wheel drive"

Page C-24, figure 34: "When front axle is engaged, ground speed of front tires will vary from ground speed of rear tires. This is to assist steering when four-wheel drive is selected. For this reason, the front axle must be disengaged when the tractor is transported on hard, dry surface"


My trucks pop in and out of 4WD no problem, as long as the hubs are locked.
If you just turned a sharp corner however, that can throw the gears into a bind and make it difficult to pull the lever OUT of 4WD.

The 1540 is the opposite. Because the front wheels are clawing ahead slightly, turning the wheels one way or another and putting slight pressure on the FWD lever while creeping ahead RELEASES the bind by matching ground speed.

But for sure you should stop or nearly stop to engage on this particular design.

Anyway, it works really well.
You know how some 4WD rigs plow the front tires in sharp corners, or buck and jump even in loose dirt?
Not a problem on this tractor.

 

[Eagleview]

Very cool , ive never heard of anything like that .

 

[irvingj]

Iron Horse-- the GC2310 (and I'm assuming all of its progeny) do the same-- called front axle "lead ratio." On the 2310 it's 3.12%; you might wish to peruse "4WD engagement" thread of last June (sorry, I'm not sure how to post an internal link...)

Here's a repeat of the page in the 2310 manual that I posted last June: