IH T-340 transmission question

jmunday

Member
Hey everyone,
I just finished my restoration project, my T-340 drott crawler (picture attached I hope) and all works well except when I'm in the higher gears it will not pull uphill, just stalls and sounds like the engine is straining, but if i'm in the low gear it pushes fine and will spin the tracks (so no clutch issue I would think) My T-340 has the reverser shifter and 4 gears (I think). Any idea why it would be weak in the higher gears. Also motor is tuned and running perfect so no issue there. The right side hand brake works better than the left, I think the right side brake hangs every so often as well but was hoping use would resolve that.
mvphoto60495.jpg
 
That sounds like lack of power but may be a brake issue,take it to a slope and see if it will coast down freely just in case a brake is sticking,you did a grand job restoring it and that is a novel way to stop the clam shell from bowing which was a big problem with Drott buckets.
AJ
 
Hey AJ,
thanks for the advice and response, I tried it on a hill and it will roll freely, funny thing, the right brake popped and has become more free than it was before (think it was sticking). the high gears still
don't pull strong but 1 and 2 are stout. It was used and abused before, and stored for who knows how long so hopefully running it will help loosen things up some. Appreciate it regarding the restore
(it was yellow when I brought it home but red underneath), I ruined allot of clothes grinding and painting on it but now its ready to do some projects around the house. Thanks again for your advice.
 
I forget what greasing points are on the brake linkage,I would be having a look and make sure all joints are free,usually if I get a stiff pedal I tie a cord to it so I can press it down and pull it back till it's free,that engine probably has a governor if it has it should open up when a load comes on the engine have a look at that and see it's working.
AJ
 
Thanks! I enjoyed restoring it, and it's been fun to move dirt with so far. I would be interested in seeing what the parts machine looked like for sure.
 
Looks great. The adjustment of the steering levers (which is what you called the hand brake) has to be done carefully because those
levers control both the steering clutches and the brake, and the clutch has to let go before the brake engages. I assume you have
the directions for this adjustment. If not, I do have all the manuals for mine and could look something up anytime. Did you rebuild
the seals on the front idlers? I screwed that up because I didn't machine a good surface for the pressure seals. I also installed a
PTO and removable and interchangeable scarifier and backhoe. Fun!
 
Thanks Charlie,
I have a service manual, I'm going to try and go through the process. I pushed allot of dirt with the crawler today, the right side brake kept sticking (didn't do that yesterday) and eventually the right side drive became weak forward and reverse. I'm letting it sit and cool down before trying to move it, any thoughts on that, what would make it weak after probably an hr of use? Thanks for any advice, it's much appreciated.
 
The interaction between the steering clutch and the brake requires very careful adjustment in my experience because of the fact that they are controlled by the same lever, and you can't adjust one without adjusting the other. This should be detailed in the Operator's Manual as it is a regular item of adjustment. In my case (a TD340A series machine), it's on pages 40-41 of that manual. Your machine is slightly older, but I would suppose it's the same. Free play of the levers and the brake pedal are an important part of this. I found that with warn linkages, getting the right adjustment was challenging but doable. Now, another possibility is that oil is leaking into the brake compartment from the transmission, causing one to overtighten the brake and make it work against the steering clutch. At least make sure the drain hole in the bottom of the brake compartment is open and preferably has a dangling pin in it to keep it from clogging up.
 
Thanks Charlie,
I'm going to mess with it today, I appreciate the advice. Regarding your comment from an earlier post, I did rebuild one of the front idlers. I had a machine shop make and press in new bushings, I didn't machine the face however (probably should have) I just cleaned everything really well and put it back together. I did fill up the oil reservoir and it doesn't leak much, I'm hoping that once those seals get soaked again that they would hold. Time will tell.
Thanks again.
 
Yes I put in new bushings too but did not machine the face. That was the problem. Then I went to Lubriplate 5555 as in the rollers, but now I put in zerks and use regular grease. Not ideal and I can see wear. Bythe way, I now use more modern 00 grease instead of Lubriplate, which the manual called for.
 
Hey Charlie,
I think I've got it fixed, I adjusted the pivot brakes per the manual but couldn't find anything in my manual about the planetary brake pad adjustment (can see images in my manual of it but couldn't find a procedure) but found something on a chat forum, I pulled the right pivot brake lever all the way back and tightened the bolt in until it was just touching, then locked it down. Track pulls strong now, hopefully it will not fade as it gets used. Time will tell, thanks again everyone for your help
 

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