Ford 8730 powershift issue

Hey all.
I bought an 8730 recently with trans issues. It's shifting hard.. I mean hard. I tried to run the trans calibration but it jumps into gear. If you hold the creeper pedal down it stays in place but fails cal with code EL. I assume that makes sense because the creeper clutch is engaged.

I have scoured the service manual and can't find this scenario anywhere..

Has anyone run into this before? The tractor was really cheap so I'm not afraid to throw some money at it if need be.
 
It's in the service manual - look in chapter 6 under "clutch torque calibration".

EL stands for "error low". It means that the clutch pack did not pull the RPM of the engine down at its highest attainable
pressure for calibration. This is most likely a fault with a clutch modulation solenoid. This is easy to prove by swapping the
solenoid in question (depending on whether you're calibrating F1, F2, or R) with a known good one.

You might find the video linked below of interest. In it, I was doing a clutch calibration while monitoring average voltage
and duty cycle going to the modulation solenoid, as well as the actual pressure in the clutch pack.
Video of calibration test
 
The modulator valves spools probably need to be
cleaned. I’ve run into this on the 70 series. If you
move the shifter forward or backwards and the
tractor lurches this is most likely the problem.
 
Thanks I'll take a look at the video when I get back to the house.. I reread the manual and think it's the modulating valves as well. It does it when doing any cal r f1 or f2.

Side question does anyone know if the trans pressure sender switch on the valve body does anything besides trip a low press light on the dash? I can't find much about it in the book.. someone removed it and caped the port off.
 
If it won't calibrate in any of the 3 ranges, that points more towards a low pressure issue rather than an individual
solenoid. The fact that the low pressure switch has been removed and plugged is troubling as well. All it does is turn on the
light.

First thing I'd do if it were mine is a thorough system pressure check. Make sure you get it up to operating temp.
 
I cleaned the valve spools for mc1 and 2 last night. I'll plug it in this morning and give it a go. There was some crap in them and they were a bit gritty when I pulled the spool out. Here's hoping. I hope that the missing sensor was a field fix for when they knocked the right side steps off.

Otherwise I will cobble together a pressure gauge and hook it up.
 
Good news.. f2 and r are back and will calibrate. I couldn't get the filter out of mc1 last night. I'm gonna pull it tonight and maybe the spool again to double check it's perfectly clean. F2 and reverse all shift quite nicely now.. whole new tractor lol. I am going to get a pressure check done as soon as all the new filters arrive.
 
(quoted from post at 09:16:11 01/06/21) Awesome. Thanks for the follow-up.

Thanks for the help. Just putting it back together now. I'll try running it in the morning. Was a bit of fuzz in the filter on mc1.
 
That was it. All calibrated and shifting nicely. Just some small things to fix up and give it a service for the spring.

Thanks for the help.
Mike
 

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