Hello guys, Hoping you can help me out. I'm in a bit of a pickle with this machine. Bought it a year ago and High range was out. Low and Reverse worked fine. About 30% of the pins in the tracks were rusted tight. Tried everything to break them free. Ended up replacing the tracks. I was using the machine a few weeks ago and all of a sudden I lose reverse with no warning. Well I figure it's time for an HLR rebuild. Bought a complete rebuilt unit and rebuilt manifold. Ouch that hit the wallet. Well it took me about 2 weeks by myself to pull the engine, bellhousing, and HLR. Finally get it all back together today and reverse still doesn't work. Now I'm more than upset. Checked manifold pressure and I have 150 psi in all three HLR ranges. High and Low work like they should. Only reverse does not work. I'm getting desperate. Please help.
Seems like no matter the forum (car, truck, tractor, dozer, etc.) I always have to figure it out on my own. Too many people behind keyboards and not enough turning wrenches. Turned out to be a sheared woodruff key on the reverse gear on the input shaft...
Ouch. To bad you didn't find the sheared key before you replaced everything.
Gee, forty year old machine that you failed to diagnose properly before dropping coin on a rebuild you didn't need and you're blaming us? Perhaps a minute or two to ponder the common denominator in your failure to garner usefuladvice on said forums might lead you to a free clue. Glad you got it figured out, and sorry we weren't more help.
Old-iron-habit - yes too bad I didn't catch that the first time it was opened up. But at least I've got it down to where I can pull the engine and trans in under 5 hours now. Lantraxco - considering I've been posting to several different forums since I acquired the machine a year ago and the only response I've ever gotten (until the previous two posts above) was "good luck" if any response at all. I was told JDcrawers was a good forum for older machines but I didn't find any value out of that site. The administrator sells parts, but never returned any of my emails wanting to buy parts. I've found most forums are more about posting pictures and random chatting but not so much about technical info. I did my best to find out as much info as I could before I tore into it and spent any money. I received zero help or pointers. After tearing it down the first time, the large snap ring that holds the clutch pack together (for the high range pack) had come un-clipped and allowed the pack to grenade itself. Low and reverse packs were fine and checked to specs. I decided to replace all three packs thereby eliminating my possible human error of rebuilding the 46 year old HLR unit. Got a rebuilt unit from place called PVE in Pennsylvania I believe. After install of new HLR and new shift manifold, I had no reverse. I called several times to PVE and all they could say was that I "probably cracked a cast ring" that the manifold slides over. Which didn't make sense because I would have a pressure drop in whichever range was bleeding over. And I did not have a drop in pressure. I finally found a mobile mechanic in Kentucky that had at least seen an HLR unit before but never rebuilt one. He also assumed a broken cast ring. I was sure that the o-rings for the piston of reverse range were broken or damaged (a part I didn't rebuild). Either way, they HLR had to come back out again. Once out, I noticed reverse gear spun on the shaft. Not easily, but by using a pry bar it could be moved. High and Low gears could not be moved. After ordering a new woodruff and gear snap ring, I shoved it all back in. As of a few days ago, it now moves in all ranges like it should. So to say it was not properly diagnosed before dropping coin into it, in my opinion, is you behind a keyboard. You did not contribute to the original post by any measure. I did as much to diagnose the problem as much as possibly feasible before spending my hard earned, and harder taxed, dollars on it. I was not able to find a single person that had rebuilt or replaced an HLR unit. And if they did, they weren't willing to help. I found zero people that even had any idea what could be wrong - they all just wanted to sell a $2500 HLR unit. I didn't blame you personally for not providing any input. I actually wasn't blaming anyone, but simply making a statement. To which you decided to reply. But like I said, I was forced to figure it out and I got the problem solved. You're more than welcome to come work on or "properly diagnose" the next problem should it have one. The HLR unit is a fairly simple unit to work on once you've looked at it in pieces. I don't understand why no one has any advice on the process. I know it's an old machine, but there's still plenty of them out there. That's all I have to say about that - Forrest Gump