T273 Transmission Toast?

TYMinColton · Apr 25, 2020

Hey all,

It's been awhile since I've been on TBN. Everything was finally stable with my T273 - until yesterday. After hauling a few buckets of pea gravel I went to park. I shifted from Low to High range (something I rarely do) and drove about 100 ft without incident. Then bang it just gave out. Nothing spectacular, but suddenly no forward or backward and a higher frequency whining with some rattles coming from the transmission housing. There's almost no resistance in the high/low/neutral range shift, but it's clearly still attached to the transmission housing. Pedals also connected as normal. Literally nothing to suggest this was going to happen and only 290 hours on the tach. Completely baffled.

Two questions:
1. Has anyone ever experienced anything like this or have any idea what might be wrong?
2. I'm about 40 miles SE of Portland Oregon. I've been able to get parts from Idaho, but are there any dealers left in Oregon offering service? Does anyone in Oregon know of any shop in Oregon that can work on a TYM.

Super bummed :thumbdown:

Bud Soda · Apr 25, 2020

I take it you have replaced the drive shaft?

TYMinColton · Apr 25, 2020

I haven't done a thing. I'm really not sure where to start. I'm really not equipped to split a tractor, so if this is an issue inside the transmission or with a broken drive shaft, I'm out of luck. I can hear something spinning in the transmission housing, but it doesn't sound "normal". Sounds like something is rattling around in there, almost like I'm hearing a loose ring around a turning shaft. Either way, no PTO, no For/Rev, but engine and hydraulics are normal.

Would a shaft just break? I certainly wasn't under a heavy load or running a brush hog without a shear pin. . .

Roadworthy · Apr 25, 2020

Make sure you have a problem before seeking a solution. I have a Kubota and a Mitsubishi. If I miss the range when shifted or slips out "just because" it will be essentially in neutral and go nowhere. If I carefully position the selector lever again all is well.

TYMinColton · Apr 25, 2020

I'm pretty sure it's not a shifting problem. I've run into that a few times and this was different. The sound the coming from the transmission housing is definitely different, and the whole thing happened while I was in high gear. It also didn't feel like it slipped out of gear. Makes me wonder if Bud's comment about the driveshaft might be spot on. It is almost the engine is disconnected from the transmission. I'm guessing one doesn't just "pop out" the drive shaft and slide another one in.

TYMinColton · Apr 25, 2020

Bud may have hit the jackpot here. This is a pair of photos looking at where the drive shaft connects to transmission housing.

In the first photo you can see the finger splines of the transmission input shaft (oil filter is orange). Now, if I physically slide the shaft backwards towards the input shaft I can actually engage the splines (second photo)

.
The problem is the shaft wants to slide forward. Something that should be holding it in place no longer is. I don't think the shaft itself is broken, but I need to figure out which component is the culprit.

pete-mi · Apr 26, 2020

You have the early drive shaft that was changed by time the T293 came out. Mid production T233's were also updated to the new type driveshaft. What often happens with this early type is the spline in the rear coupler goes out. Sometimes it also takes out the spline on the input shaft of the transmission at the same time. The new replacement drive shaft looks like a regular implement drive shaft only smaller. The new type has a regular yoke and u-joint not a slide coupler type. You can get a new replacement transmission input shaft from TYM if needed rather than a whole assembly.

TYMinColton · Apr 26, 2020

pete-mi said:
You have the early drive shaft that was changed by time the T293 came out. Mid production T233's were also updated to the new type driveshaft. What often happens with this early type is the spline in the rear coupler goes out. Sometimes it also takes out the spline on the input shaft of the transmission at the same time. The new replacement drive shaft looks like a regular implement drive shaft only smaller. The new type has a regular yoke and u-joint not a slide coupler type. You can get a new replacement transmission input shaft from TYM if needed rather than a whole assembly.

So I am learning. Once it was clear that it was the drive shaft, a quick search of TBN revealed that the OEM driveshaft on the T-series is yet another in a long line of problems with these tractors. Muffler mounts, chassis bolts, various electrical components . . . To TYMs credit it does seem that every time I order a replacement part, it's an upgrade over the OEM, but this is getting old. Splines on the transmission looked ok, so hopefully I can just swap out the drive shaft and be on my way. I saw that myazz had a similar issue and the new yoke/u-joint shaft gave him the flexibility to bite deeper into solid splines. Hoping I'll be just as lucky.

Thanks for info pete!

TYMinColton (aka Pete in Colton

)

Bud Soda · Apr 26, 2020

I changed my drive shaft before it gave trouble. Easy to do. I cut a hole in the floor under the mat with a hole saw. Big enough for me to get my hand through. I sold the tractor 3 years ago with over 800 hours on it and the new drive shaft was working fine.