tranny questions on my RTV

[flyingn]

maybe someone who has one and Jippy can chime in here.. After sitting all night and start up the trans grinds every time when I try to pit it in any gear the first time..
Sometimes its nearly impossible to get it out of a gear to another when I stop. And forget it if im on a hill. I almost have to break the shift lever or shut it off and get it out of the gear it in then start it back up.. Is this normal? I have 15 hours on it..

Frank

 

[lloyd123]

I don't believe this is normal. I don't have any problem with grinding or being stuck in gear. I think that Dargo mentioned awhile back that he was having a problem getting his RTV out of gear on a hill. Don't know if he ever got that resolved. Maybe a linkage alignment problem?

Sometimes mine is balky getting into gear but if I put the shift in neutral and rev the engine it will usually go into gear on the next try.

I did on one occasion hear some grinding but only when I tried to rush a gear change without waiting for the engine to return to idle. You'll only do that once.

BTW, I got my RTV back from the dealer last Friday after getting the cab, plow, heater, wiper, lights and HD springs installed. Everything looks good except one of the HD springs doesn't seem to be seated properly in the bottom strut retainer. The RTV900 rides fine and level with no weird noises. Could this be a long term concern?

 

[Dargo]

If you find out, let me know. My only real complaint is listed in a thread a few months ago titled "RTV on a hill". For months now it has been impossible to get the thing out of gear if I'm on a hill. I do not have any grinding, but at times it is very difficult to get it out of gear after it has pulled anything. To get it in gear from neutral, I try each of the 4 positions to see which one it goes into easily; then give it a slight bit of throttle, pull it out of that gear and into what ever gear I wanted. However, if you pull anything, it works like if you are on a hill. Forget it. You'll break the lever off if you don't shut the engine off first. Unfortunately I have a p*** poor Kubota dealer in my area and I'll likely have to haul my RTV to another dealer somewhere to get it fixed when Kubota (hopefully soon) comes up with a fix for it hanging in gear. The fact that it sticks in gear on a hill has created a bad issue for me if I can't continue on up the hill. I feel certain that I'd break the gear selector off trying to get it into reverse if I didn't shut the engine off first. Needless to say, not very convenient. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif This is really the only major issue I've seen on the RTV. The problem is, I do think it is a major issue and there seems to be no fix for it. I'll tell you now, linkage is not, I repeat, not the issue. My linkage is fine. It wouldn't be fine if I tried to force it out of gear on a hill though. As you said, forget it then. If anyone knows of a fix for this, please let me know as well. I just hope that I don't have to ship my RTV to another area to get mine fixed because of my local Kubota dealer situation.

 

[bczoom]

Frank,

I concur with lloyd123 about an occasional instance of it not wanting to go into gear. In all cases (like lloyd123 said), I would rev the engine a little and allow it to return to idle and it always went into gear.

When you first start out for the day, is it on flat ground with the emergency brake on?

All - I too have had the problem on hills. Man was that frustrating.
I found that if you need to change gears on a hill:
1. Come to a complete stop.
2. Apply the emergency brake (put on good and hard).
3. Change gear. If it still doesn't want to come out of gear, slightly hit the gas pedal then release (to rotate the gears inside the transmission). It should now come out of gear.

Since doing those steps, I've had no instances where I couldn't change gears. For a test, I put a 800# load in the box, stopped pointing down a steep hill and in doing those steps had no problem switching into another gear (inc. reverse).

Give it a try and see if it works for you also.
Brian

 

[flyingn]

its on level ground in a garage with the emergency brake on.. grinds no matter what I do.. and I have the same stop on a hill or with a load non gear change as a few you guys have.. Looks Im gonna be a callin my Kubota dealer

Thanks, Frank

 

[Dargo]

Bczoom, thanks for the post. I ran out in the dark to give your method a try on a hill. Man, I wanted that to work. No deal. I need a titanium shift lever and Arnold's arm to get it out of gear if I don't shut it off first on a hill! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif I'm definitely open to any other "methods" of getting around this shifting problem though. I wonder if Kubota has a way to email them on this problem? I looked around their site but couldn't find any way to email them with this particular problem. Since I didn't want to wait 4 months for my local dealer to get in a "worksite" model earlier this year and bought elsewhere, he pretty well flat refuses to be of any assistance to me. To compound the problem, I have a 4310HSTC that I really like but wish it had a bit more power; especially with the FEL. I'd seriously consider a new 4630HTSC if it would be an improvement for what I want, but this dealer doesn't seem to want to talk to me. That is why I posted earlier about JD likely coming out with a cab w/ factory A/C in their 45 to 50 hp range tractors. Since I own two companies with several employees to chase, I have pretty well run out of time to personally do my own wrenching, so a good servicing dealer is very important to me. I love my 4310HSTC, but if I have to do all my own work on it, it sort of diminishes the ownership experience. Therefore, the 4630HSTC may not be the answer for me...but that's another forum. Right now I'd just like a fix for this gear jamming issue. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[flyingn]

im gonna call my Kubota dealer today and get them out here to see what they can do about my gear changing problem. Ill post results..

Frank

 

[bczoom]

Dargo,

Sorry that didn't work. I looked in the manual for what Kubota says and found they recommend what I do (page 18, bottom right corner).
Sounds like you and Frank may have a problem. Looking forward to what Frank's dealer says.

Brian

 

[flyingn]

okay... I now see in the manual where you are talking about. It *does* work for me.. The parking brake trick makes ALL the difference for my RTV.. Its a PITA to do but does work. Ill give it a little more time before I call the dealer now..

Frank

 

[Ricochet]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( its on level ground in a garage with the emergency brake on.. grinds no matter what I do.. and I have the same stop on a hill or with a load non gear change as a few you guys have.. Looks Im gonna be a callin my Kubota dealer

Thanks, Frank )</font>

That is a good method....just remember to select the correct gear before going up that hill. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif