T/A lubrication

I fully understand that 90 wt. won't pour in the winter. If I use the T/A in the summertime on my M, when it is a flowing liquid, why would it make any difference? I am ( pretty sure ) that my SMTA has operated on 90 wt. its whole life. Also, is it possible that my tractor T/A has never been rebuilt since new, and is still working well? Two separate questions, I am not trying to start an argument, just get educated. Thanks, Ellis
 
My 350 had 90W/140 in it for 10 years before I swapped it out with 303 oil. But I rarely use the TA and never use it in the winter.

As for the possibility of it being original - any idea how many hours or what kind of use its had over its life?
 
It is quite possible that the 90wt oil has had the additive added to it that was created by IH engineering to allow the TA to work. That additive is not available (unless NOS was found) and Hytran is much better.
If the TA is working reliably with it and you need to change the oil, use Hytran. Yjr original issue was that the thick oil had just enough viscosity to occasionally prevent the rollers from locking up in the one way clutch.
My 350 Utility has never been split, It has had sleeves and pistons in the 80s. Jim
 
It started out on my Uncle's farm and I used it in the late 50's baling hay. He owned a large road construction company and it pulled a sheep foot roller, and at one time he had it rigged with a post driver to install guard rail posts. I don't know how much the T/A was used. Ellis
 
With that it COULD be original. I suspect mine on a 350 Farmall is original. The previous owner (25 years before me) never used it for plowing and I know he was way too cheap to fix the TA if it went out - he would have used it on the high side and forgot about it. I've owned it for 19 years and I've never replaced it and I use it about 3-5 times a year - mostly to start out in road gear. Even with that limited use I needed to adjust it a few years ago.
 
(quoted from post at 06:07:35 08/11/17) I fully understand that 90 wt. won't pour in the winter. If I use the T/A in the summertime on my M, when it is a flowing liquid, why would it make any difference? I am ( pretty sure ) that my SMTA has operated on 90 wt its whole life. Also, is it possible that my tractor T/A has never been rebuilt since new, and is still working well? Two separate questions, I am not trying to start an argument, just get educated. Thanks, Ellis
Keep in mind the T/A isnt the same on your MTA as it is on an 806 or newer. Your T/A isnt hydraulic. its all mechanical. The old ones dont run in oil, so stiff gearlube shouldnt affect old style T/A's. Your tractor was designed for gear lube not hydraulic oil. Hytran wont hurt your rear end or transmission but any marginal seals or gaskets are gonna leak like a sieve. Stick with the gearlube.
 
(quoted from post at 06:07:35 08/11/17) I fully understand that 90 wt. won't pour in the winter. If I use the T/A in the summertime on my M, when it is a flowing liquid, why would it make any difference? I am ( pretty sure ) that my SMTA has operated on 90 wt its whole life. Also, is it possible that my tractor T/A has never been rebuilt since new, and is still working well? Two separate questions, I am not trying to start an argument, just get educated. Thanks, Ellis
Keep in mind the T/A isnt the same on your MTA as it is on an 806 or newer. Your T/A isnt hydraulic. its all mechanical. The old ones dont run in oil, so stiff gearlube shouldnt affect old style T/A's. Your tractor was designed for gear lube not hydraulic oil. Hytran wont hurt your rear end or transmission but any marginal seals or gaskets are gonna leak like a sieve. Stick with the gearlube.
 
Everything except the T/A clutch is oil lubed in a SMTA. 8 pins and 8 weak springs kept rollers in contact with T/A carrier to stop carrier from spinning the other way when shifted to T/A range. Think thick oil at pins and rollers in colder temperatures slowing movement of parts was one reason for a change in oil. Pocket of oil sets under the T/A unit and unit has small needle bearings and two ball bearings. Just my opinion they are better lubed with thinner oil.
 
The Super MTA,400,450 and 460-560 had dry clutches. Starting with the 706 and 806 you had a hydraulic clutch but all the TA gear units ran in
oil. The manual of my 1958 450 says to use 20 weight oil with an additive that you get from you IH dealer. You can no longer get that
additive and Our IH dealer says to use HyTrans oil in the TA and it comes as close to the 20 weight with additive that you can get.
 
Dad bought his SM-TA spring of 1960, TA went out, no low side, at start of fieldwork in either 1961 or '62. IH dealer tech, old friend of the family, had a long one-sided discussion with Dad about taking care of a TA. Spring of '65 M-TA traded for a 450 we ran for 4 years, used the Heck out of the TA in both of them. Would adjust them once a year but no other replacements ever needed.

The TA was a great productivity booster. The tractor we had after the 450 was not another IH, no TA or similar shift on the go, and in our hills I wasted lots of time running a gear slower so I didn't have to downshift in the middle of a hill. I would not start out with the plow in the ground, if I needed to downshift, I'd raise the plow and pull out of the furrow, turn downhill, stop and downshift, turn back uphill into the furrow and drop the plow. Same maneuver to up shift at the top of the hill. Dad plowed half a day one time and the clutch needed adjusting because he started with the plow in the ground all afternoon. I'd plowed and disked over 100 acres and free play in clutch had not changed.
 

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