Pete - Owen

what to look for with a shifting problem on a 50-5488 two speed ? as here i have no idea and dumber then a box of rocks on the 88 sires . BUT i do have a book.

Observe the sentry light. That little guy will tell you a lot. If it does not come on but tractor stops moving in one side when shifting from odd to even or vis versa, then put a pressure gauge in each clutch pack right test port right next to the pressure switches under floor board. If you got pressure but don't move in that side, you have internal clutch problem. Stripped out splines. Now if sentry light comes on, you have electrical problem. If it does not move at all, you might have power to sentry problems. Early tractors, most actually, got their power off left battery and that connector corroded away. Connect power to cab relay to get away from that. Pressure switch's are a big problem also. They leak internally, pressure balances on both sides of contacts, they close and you don't move in that range. Oh, man, many more things. Some place to start though.

Ok , i took my handydandy book a Ohm meter and test lite down to the tractor. Checked the resistance on both solenoids and they are within range at 4.2 0n the ft. one and 4.3 on the back one . NOW since this is the first and this one is poppen my cherry i am a long way from figuren this one out as i have done all the tests sofar all but the pressure tests as for the life of me i can not find the fitting . Years back i bought out a I H dealers shop equipment everything BUT the hyd sleeve puller and installer and the engine stand . Dumb mistake there but what ever . When the auctioneer said he was selling the tools on the wall being a smart arres i said the whole wall , he said yes everything one the wall . That wall had the painted pegboard with all the special tools marked on it . YEP i got the whole wall pegboard and hooks and all the tools I got all the FES tools for the 88 sires along with all the tools but one clean back to the H_M sires Any way i got all the test fittings for everything and now i can not find the one for the 88's . Now this tractor DOES NOT have the sentry module it has two CV relays and a mickymouse fuse holder with a 20 amp fuse . The tractor Drives but does not shift. all grounds that i have FOUND are good Key switch is good on all poles . Got 12.4 volts with out the engine running to the solenoids . Not sure what range it is in , it just does not shift. IMHO a cable shift would have been better or linkage . To much PLUMBING and now the drain is stopped up.

If you do not have a senty, sounds like someone replaced it with the aftermarket kit. But, all you need to test the clutch pressure of the odd, even clutch packs is a 600psi gauge and a 1/8 inch pipe threaded fitting. There is a pipe plug right next to the pressure switch's. If it carries regulated pressure, probably between 240 and 280psi in each clutch pack you know your solenoids are directing the pressure where it belongs. If you get no pressure on one of the clutch packs you of course know you will have to trace back to find out if solenoids are powered up both sides, low and high. Yes, way toooooooo many pipes and hoses on those tractors. Put the wrong one back on first and then take them all off again to get the right one in place. I remember when they came with the 560 and they had eleminated so darn many external pipes I thought boy this is great. Little hyd pump leak, who cares inside. They kept that going all the way through the 86 series. Then, switched everything outside. Sure we had some internal leaks that were hard to find and repair sometimes but I still preffered to keep more passages internal. Good luck.

Thanks . I will see what i can find. I never had to work on them before . I was just getting the 86 sires down when i closed up shop due to the economy with the low milk prices and such.Plus the fact that the 88's were out of my price range at the sales . This tractor belongs to my old friends boy and he got hung with it so he is trying to use it . Several have looked at it and they did not figure it out either and i told Mikey that i was going in blind but i would try. I know i am missing something but have no idea YET. Thanks Pete

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