T/A question

Lyle Knight · Sep 8, 2015

I have a 1962 Farmall 560 diesel and was plowing over the weekend with a Rieten 5-14 plow. It pulls ok in second high but better in 3rd low. Question, is it hard on T/A pulling in low all the time ore is it better to go second high?

Nebraska Kirk · Sep 8, 2015

It is better to stay in 2nd high and only use the TA when you need to get through an extra tough spot.

rustred · Sep 8, 2015

those old T.A.'S where designed for use when u needed the extra power for a short burst. not for prolonged use. if the plow is a load use second gear direct. if it handles third gear then use ta as required in the tough spots. others argue it don't matter but this it what ihc designed the torque amplifier for. so you dont have to stop and shift to a lower gear in tough going. it was not designed as a steady working gear reduction.

D Slater · Sep 8, 2015

May be remembering wrong but think the standard and heavy tillage 3rd gear in low T/A results in a slower ground speed than 2nd direct T/A. Are you lugging in 2nd sometimes? With clean good oil at the proper level it won't hurt to run it, maybe plowing for long distances under load without rollers having a chance to roll to a different spot may make indentations after months of continued use. But if the tractor coasts the least little bit at the end of furrow the rollers will move.

JRSutton · Sep 8, 2015

Can't say for sure, but I've always heard "only use it when you need it". They were designed to help you out when you start bogging down so you don't have to come to a complete stop to select a lower gear.

Janicholson · Sep 8, 2015

With no malace, the TA and associated gears and clutches work about equally in low or direct. Use it in either as long as needed. Nt using them is the killer. This applies to all TAs both mechanical, and hydraulic. Ask TA users. The lever should be snapped into and out of Low TA like you were mad at it. (this reply is to all who say use it for tough spots only. Jim

Aces · Sep 8, 2015

All this TA stuf is crap if you need it use it, when you shift shift like you mean it. Don't didle.

d282 · Sep 8, 2015

If that was the case, IH would have advertised them with five forward speeds, with a helper handle on the left side for tough spots, but wait- they were not. Ten forward speeds to match the correct speed and power to the implement. I have plowed plenty of ground, and my father thousands of acres on a 560 and 660 both in third with the TA back. Not one single TA problem ever. Now the guys that put LP gas injectors on their diesel tractors were told only to use it to get through a tough spot, and not very long, but very few listened until they started blowing up their tractors. I think this is what most are thinking of when talking about TA's. Use your TA and do a good job plowing.

sd pete · Sep 8, 2015

I have done a lot of plowing with a 560D and 4x16's a lot was done in low 3rd.

d282 · Sep 8, 2015

Check out the information in the literature from the link below.
560 Lit

Allan in NE · Sep 8, 2015

Doesn't hurt it a bit.

Allan

Hayfarmer · Sep 8, 2015

If you check out the speeds in each gear, 3rd low is slower than 2nd high.I have also used 3rd low when 2nd high is a little too fast

rustred · Sep 8, 2015

what i said came right from the ihc dealers long time ago in the 1960's when these tractors came out. the ta lever goes itself back into direct drive once you release the latch, so i don't see how you can make it go faster back into direct. the lever just returns its self and you cannot make it go faster. its just a clutch so i don't know what all the hipe is about. you don't pop the main clutch on take off. its just as long as you don't ride the clutch. ihc has that part all under control.
what actually happens by not using them, curious on that. if the sun gear and planet carrier are rotating as one unit what is wearing? i sure cant see the sun gears being rotated for 12 hrs. each day on a heavy pull.

pete 23 · Sep 8, 2015

When ever I repaired a TA it was pretty easy to tell if the guy was using low range under heavy load. The planetary gears would wear out. They would also oblong the holes in the carrier the planetary gear pins went through. TA's that failed to pull in low range but were seldom used in low range would flatten the rollers from overrunning all the time. Sooooooooo, six of one, half a dozen the other under light loads, but heavy loads will cause more wear using the low side. And I am not a believer in slamming that ta lever ahead. It puts shock loads on every component. Treat it like any dry clutch, don't jam it but don't baby it either. Repaired a whole lot of those planetary mechanical TA's. Also, on the hydraulic TA's. The drive selector valve has a spring loaded poppet valve for engaging direct drive to soften the engagement.

Janicholson · Sep 8, 2015

The rollers (or sprags) in the one way clutch are dragging 100% of the time in direct. In reduction, the TA throwout bearing is just pushing on stationary fingers, holding the TA Pressure plate open. The gears in the TA housing are designed to be operated for the same reliability as the gears in the entire drive train. most mechanical TA failures are one way clutches, followed by direct clutch issues. Following way back in trouble are bearings and gears. The wear on those is usually from lack of Hytran in the trans, or a failed bearing in some other location providing metal particles for dinner. Some do get destroyed from overspeeding in a low gear down hill, but rare. The TA lever has been used to feather between low and high range by idiot farm hands. This will toast the TA direct clutch easily in a few hours. We have a 350U that has seen nothing but hard use to this day, and the TA has about 50% of the time on task. Wide open 1st gear in weeds higher than the radiator cap with a 6 foot hog, the TA was used in the sawgrass and sedge. Jim

kub6040 · Sep 8, 2015

Well I am no wizard on t/a but if you got it use it if you don't you maybe on one of my factory delete tractors . I have a few with it and believe in using them and I don't or have never worried about how long they stayed in low or how hard they pulled in low if the engine don't die watch the smoke fly.

rustred · Sep 9, 2015

well maybe that's why ihc told customers its for tough spots, to prevent idiots from abusing the ta. but yes i can see using it as nesessary even when baling, but to use it as a normal working field gear in reduction all day long don't make sense to me.and i don't think ihc intended it to be either. im just saying what i know and was told by actual ih mechanics. there must be some sort of ih service bulletins that came out during that time , but could be hard to find now. not trying to be an idiot but just looking for reasons why there is two stories on ta use.

rustred · Sep 9, 2015

your hands on experience makes sense to me . i do agree with what you are saying. and i do believe extended low use causes more wear than than in direct drive. you just proved what i was trying to get across, that the planetary gears with not take that much use. so i will keep doing as doing and use when needed. i also am not one to be hard on equipment or abuse it.
one place the planetary's do their job and hold out, is in the rear wheels of the 660. everything is turning slowly in there , not 100 m. p. h. as in the ta. thanks pete.

RAW in · Sep 9, 2015

Dad bought a 350 new and we run it in low side most of the time plowing. Seemed to be better speeds for the load. Either 3rd or fourth low side. Never did have any TA problems with it. Had 3-16's fast hitch, and later a 3-16 trailing plow.

RAW in · Sep 9, 2015

Exactly!

Andy Martin · Sep 10, 2015

Great discussion. And it was cordial with differing viewpoints. It's good time to reflect on the fact that not everyone's experiences are the same, we do have valid differing opinions. Often when you disagree with someone you think they must be guessing, or are just flat wrong. Could be their experience is different than yours. No amount of discussion will convince someone their actual experience did not happen.

T/A question

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Similar threads