I LAST USED OUR 544 JOHN DEERE LOADER IN THE 9 FOOT SNOWSTORM WE HAD HERE IN bUFFALO LAST WINTER. RAN FINE ALL DAY UNTIL I STEPPED ON THE LEFT PEDAL ,RAISED BUCKET AND DUMPED A LOAD OF SNOW AND THAT WAS IT. IT WOULD NOT MOVE FOR OR BCK UNTIL AFTER I HORSED AROUND WITH THE SHIFTER A BIT. RAN FINE FOR ANOTHER MONTH OR SO. BROUGHT BACK TO MY SHOP AND DROVE AROUND BUILDING TO LOAD SOME STONE. RAN ABOUT 10 MINS AND LOST FORWARD AND REVERSE. MESSED AROUND AND GOT IT PARKED WITH FORWARD ONLY. PULLED VALVE BODY OFF AND FOUND BOTH SPOOLS WORN AND SOME LIGHT CONTAMINATION LIKE DIRT.LOWER SPOOL WAS STICKING SO WE HAD VALVE BODY REBUILT LOCALLY AND REASSEMBLED. IF YOU PUT IT IN LOW FORWARD YOU HAVE TO RAISE THE THROTTLE CONSIDERABLY BEFORE IT WILL MOVE IN HIGH OR LOW WHEN COLD. REVERSE WILL NOT WORK AT ALL NO MATTER HOW HIGH YOU RAISE ENGINE SPEED. GAUGE STARTS YELLOW WITH WHITE MARK IN MIDDLE THEN YELLOW AGAIN. WHEN IN GEAR NEEDLE IS JUST ON THE EDGE OF THE LOW SIDE OF THE WHITE MARK. I AM AT A POINT WHERE I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT IS NOT SOMETHING SIMPLE BEFORE THE TRANS HAS TO COME OUT. I ALSO BYPASSED THE CLUTCH LOCK WHICH IS BELOW THE SEAT TO THE LEFT SIDE OF MACHINE. WE DISCONECTED IT AND CAPPED OF THE HOSES AND IT CHANGED NOTHING. MACHINE STILL MOVES WITH THE LINES CAPPED OFF. OIL DOES NOT SMELL BURNT. WE CHANGED THE FILTERS A FEW MONTHS BACK AND THEY WERE CLEAN. OIL WAS ALWAYS KEPT FULL. I AM NOT SURE ABOUT WHICH MODEL THE MACHINE IS OR THE YEAR. THE TAG WAS DAMAGED BUT LOOKED LIKE SERIAL NO 17226 MODEL 544HB. I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT AFTER RUNNING THE MACHINE IN ALMOST ANY TEMP WEATHER YOU WOULD NOTICE HIGH GEAR START SLIPPING AFTER ABOUT 20 TO 40 MINS OF OPERATING SINCE WE GOT THE MACHINE. THIS WAS USUALLY DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD FROM ONE PLACEW TO ANOTHER.
By Serial number I think that's a straight 544? I think they used basically the same transmission in the A and B models, but I'm not sure. Sounds like you have a problem with the disconnect spool. On the front of the transmission control valve there should be one spool with an oil line connected straight into it, either from the clutch lock valve you disconnected or the brake valve directly. Remove that line and cap it but leave the port open, start the machine and see if anything changes or if oil comes out of there. You might want to pull that spool out and recheck everything is in and correct, the return spring is good and strong and the spool moves freely. It may not be coming forward far enough to close off the dump port in the valve body. If you can get your hands on a service manual it will tell you where to make pressure checks on different oil ports. From the sound of what you're getting on your gauge the charge pump would seem to be working okay.
typically the sprag clutch gets worn and starts slipping. eventually to the point where it wont grab at all. i rebuilt a LOT of them for the same problem. :drinkup
Thank you for your information. As soon as I get the time I will pull it apart and check that out. :notworthy
that probably can only be checked by pulling the transmission out correct ?
Thank you for your help. When I get a chance to check that out I will let you know what happened.
you are correct :drinkup
I removed the valve body which we had rebuilt locally some time ago. I disassembled and checked the entire valve and spools. I was going to put it back on the transmission when i notice pt 13 in the parts manual picture of the valve bodt which is called a valve stop, was installed in the wrong place ! The picture in the manual is poor but i figured out were it went. Before i found it was in the wrong place it was really hard to move the gear selector and it was allowing the spool to go beyond reverse. It will move forward in low or high forward on the selector but no reverse still. Can anyone tell me any other reason i lost reverse before pulling the transmission out ? Would the spool going beyond reverse cause damage to anything in the transmission ? Any help would be appreciated. I also can not find out how the transmission should be removed. I assume from looking at it that it has to come out the top.