I recently purchased a 544a loader from a state surplus auction. I had the John Deere tech over to the house to give it a quick once over. I found out that around 1500 hrs ago this loader had a complete inframe done with a new head replacement. That all he could really tell me so i have read the posts here in the forums and started getting worried about the transmission problems this loader commonly has. I took it on my own to replace the pressure gauge and i dropped the filters. I was nervous as i cut them open. i found when i spread the filter out just wet oil soaked filter element paper. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Now for the operating pressures when idle the pressure is right around 157 psi. when i shift to forward or reverse gear the pressure drops momentarily to around 80 psi then snaps right back. Same when i shift into high range same pressure fluctuation. Now my concern is and i am not really schooled on the normal operation of this type of transmission when i step on the brakes the pressure drops to almost zero, but if i turn the clutch cutoff lever on, the pressure does not move when i apply the brakes. So my question is, Is this normal operation? I tried to ask around here and everyone here tells me to get rid of the dinosaur and buy one with a computer. Any info on this would be most welcome.
sounds like yer golden to me.
that's normal, when you shift gears it dumps the oil pressure for a split second from the control valve back to the trans, As far as the clutch cut out it is hooked to the brakes so when you push the brake pedal half way down it works like a clutch, the pressure in the brake line goes threw the cut out valve and down to the trans valve where it pushes a spool in the trans open and lets the charge pump pressure dump back to trans, These Allison transmission are pretty bullet proof as long as you keep the filters changed and the trans full of clean oil.
Wonderful help and a mind at ease for me since i thought i was paying a little much for a unknown machine. you guys know how it is at a auction when that one person against you loves to wave at the auctioneer lol. now for those here that called it a dinosaur i think instead of painting it back to john deere yellow i am going to give it a gloss green color with yellow wheels lol paint it like a tractor.
oh and thank you for writing back on this for me.