1950 John deere A transmission issues???

mikewood869

Well-known Member
Had a friend drive home the John Deere A today from a event today and the tractor just stopped in its tracks from 6th gear. The tractor won't work in any gears. We pulled off the fork and got down to this gear (we removed the clutch plates). We need a smaller puller. The gear where the fork goes, has no chips or anything. Any ideas? We pulled the tractor in home in neutral for at least four miles and the engine still runs.
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Sorry for the upside down photos.
 
I'll take off the transmission cover tomorrow if it doesn't rain. Right now the tractor is sitting in the driveway. I was told that the clutch disks were still good. When pulling the tractor home, the brakes turned orange from riding them.
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I had a 1950 A that did the same thing. I tore off the first reduction cover to find the teeth were worn out on the center of the first reduction gear.
 
(quoted from post at 05:28:04 10/15/18) I had a 1950 A that did the same thing. I tore off the first reduction cover to find the teeth were worn out on the center of the first reduction gear.
I haven’t had a chance to pull off that gear or take off the shift cover. Just got the tractor into cover.
 
We pulled off the shift cover. The transmission gears seem to be alright. The problem seems to be inside the cover were the belt pulley is. In the video, if the tractor is in neutral the gear spins but if the tractor is in gear, the gear won't turn. We could not get the gear on the outside of the clutch off (picture with the gear), while trying to get it off, we broke a puller. Any other ideas for getting the gear off besides heat?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7u-i4fvX9Q
 
We pulled off the gear and cover tonight and found the first reduction gear stripped. The picture of the first reduction gear was taken from the back side of the gear. The first reduction spins like a wheel and the bearing that goes into the casting is loose. Is there a way to take out the bearing on the shaft and how thick are the splines supposed to be? The shaft for the first reduction shakes too.
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Sorry for the upside photos.
 
Does any one know how many teeth are on the first reduction gear? The part number that I got off is: A3695R. In the picture the gear has a little bit of teeth but there is nothing there (not even a half of inch) and the rest is smooth.
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I would check for movement in the crankshaft....now having said that another tractor with matching drive and reduction gear would be in order however I doubt that you will find any without wear. As a matter of fact these wear to the point where the heal and toe wear down and the teeth meet up flat, this causes a ringing or high pitch sound. I suppose you got the last out of this tractor...probably lopping along in 6 put the final torque to it....proably 60-70 years of use is pretty good though....
 
(quoted from post at 05:28:04 10/15/18) I had a 1950 A that did the same thing. I tore off the first reduction cover to find the teeth were worn out on the center of the first reduction gear.
What did you do for that? Just get another gear and wield the gear on?
 
Depending on the extent of damage you could very well have a parts tractor...but lets say you don't. Welding is out on this you will need a drive gear and possibly others....I would evaluate the the full extent of repairs....make sure there is not another problem inside the transmission...however this would require a tear down. But this is all your call....
 
I'm still trying to figure how this happened. I wondered if your friend was familiar with the tractor. The A has enough power that if it was slowed to the point where you would be calling on the governor it would start a type of lopping....and thus unless you disengaged the clutch and went to a lower gear it would be jarring or excessively be torqueing the transmission. 6th gear is the outside engaged gear allowing power to go directly to the drive gear. I had a similar experience with a person who purchased a B from me and he was bushogging at a slow speed...the lopping inside the transmission stripped the cluster gear. Now I am not trying to lay blame but the nature of the incident would tell you more about possible other damages. I would say if there is any other damages it might be the outside drive gear. Personally I would find a used reduction gear and just replace and see how it works. Maybe this is the extent of the problem.
 
That's what my plan was to get another gear and bearings. The crank shaft doesn't seem to be loose. The bearing (A538R I'm guessing or is that the wrong part number) behind the first reduction gear seem dead (unless the shaft is suppose to be loose) and we can't pull out the gear. The tractor was pulling a baler (almost around 3000 pounds) around a turn when driving home. I guess the tractor wouldn't move in 6th so he shifted into 3rd and made it a quarter of a mile. We also did a tractor pull with it and it pulled between 5,800 and 6,600 pounds before it sank into the ground.
The first reduction gear part number is a3695r. I noticed that the part number are different on the PDF.

Pg. 82
http://jdpc.deere.com/jdpc/pdfs/PC0675.pdf
 
that shaft coming out is also part of the main drive gear inside transmission...I think the bearing outside has a round lock ring and this bearing may come out to the outside but there is a center shaft bearing where the other part of the upper countershaft spins inside the other gear and shaft. It has a locking or sliding gear that also comes over to lock for hi range. Pretty simple set up...but there is normally movement in the big reduction gear when the cover is removed. It is held in line with a bearing in the reduction gear cover which is bad about going out. Sounds like you did some damage in the pull and then coupled it with a load going home and finally metal fatique took it out....I'm surprised that it didn't strip the gears on the clutch pully...a good rule of thumb is when things aren't right to just stop...but understand the new operator maybe didn't realize what was happening...maybe you can recover from this one...good luck
 
I bought a gear for the tractor and the gear seems to be the wrong one (the gear seems a tad small or one size too small). The number that I was able to get off the gear are; A1680R (ring gear it looks like) and A12R (the inner one). The original gear numbers are; A4027R (ring gear) and *A3695R (the inner one). Could I change out the ring gear on the broken gear to the used one that I bought or do I need to keep looking?
 
(quoted from post at 13:54:33 11/13/18) Anyone have one for sale?
Mike: None of these tractor parts will interchange and there were two different late Model A tractors. Suggest you consult a parts book for the correct items. There should be many salvage yards and parts should be common.
 
(quoted from post at 13:22:53 11/13/18)
(quoted from post at 13:54:33 11/13/18) Anyone have one for sale?
Mike: None of these tractor parts will interchange and there were two different late Model A tractors. Suggest you consult a parts book for the correct items. There should be many salvage yards and parts should be common.

I've been calling up salvages yards left and right, I'm on number 25 salvage yard right now. I've been using the numbers on the gear and got a gear that was a little too small (that yard went through 5 other tractors after I called them about the wrong gear). Sadly I don't have a parts book only the IT manual.
 
Mike: Some numbers on the parts are casting numbers and John Deere has assigned an exact parts number to the item. Without a parts book you're trying to sail your boat without a compass. Invest in a good manual and parts book before proceeding. A the current you're in a guessing game.
 
(quoted from post at 04:16:44 11/14/18) Mike: Some numbers on the parts are casting numbers and John Deere has assigned an exact parts number to the item. Without a parts book you're trying to sail your boat without a compass. Invest in a good manual and parts book before proceeding. A the current you're in a guessing game.

Sadly all I could get is the IT manual and I've been using jdparts. I found a parts pdf on jd website

http://jdpc.deere.com/jdpc/pdfs/PC0675.pdf
All I know on the serial number is the tractor is between a 1950 or 1951 (no water pump)
 
I doubt that any salvage yard is going to tear down a tractor to check parts. I've spent many hours physically going to yards to get the right part. You're looking at casting numbers not parts numbers as previously posted.
 
(quoted from post at 05:11:30 11/14/18) I doubt that any salvage yard is going to tear down a tractor to check parts. I've spent many hours physically going to yards to get the right part. You're looking at casting numbers not parts numbers as previously posted.

Basically the number I found on the ring gear A4027R, there could be a A4028R out there. There are no salvage yards near me (closets near me is 6 + hours).
 
(quoted from post at 09:27:14 11/14/18)
(quoted from post at 05:11:30 11/14/18) I doubt that any salvage yard is going to tear down a tractor to check parts. I've spent many hours physically going to yards to get the right part. You're looking at casting numbers not parts numbers as previously posted.

Basically the number I found on the ring gear A4027R, there could be a A4028R out there. There are no salvage yards near me (closets near me is 6 + hours).

Take it from experience it's a beach to match up some of these parts...a lot of time yards want allow pulling one part as they want to keep it matched up....you're at the mercy of a fellow member or tractor club member who has a parts tractor or what ever....like I posted earlier that's why a lot of these are going by the wayside...
 
(quoted from post at 09:36:46 11/14/18)
(quoted from post at 09:27:14 11/14/18)
(quoted from post at 05:11:30 11/14/18) I doubt that any salvage yard is going to tear down a tractor to check parts. I've spent many hours physically going to yards to get the right part. You're looking at casting numbers not parts numbers as previously posted.

Basically the number I found on the ring gear A4027R, there could be a A4028R out there. There are no salvage yards near me (closets near me is 6 + hours).

Take it from experience it's a beach to match up some of these parts...a lot of time yards want allow pulling one part as they want to keep it matched up....you're at the mercy of a fellow member or tractor club member who has a parts tractor or what ever....like I posted earlier that's why a lot of these are going by the wayside...

okay a simple search on Ebay has yielded 3-4 of those reduction gear rings...see if that works for you...get your pocketbook ready
 
(quoted from post at 05:45:24 11/14/18)
(quoted from post at 09:36:46 11/14/18)
(quoted from post at 09:27:14 11/14/18)
(quoted from post at 05:11:30 11/14/18) I doubt that any salvage yard is going to tear down a tractor to check parts. I've spent many hours physically going to yards to get the right part. You're looking at casting numbers not parts numbers as previously posted.

Basically the number I found on the ring gear A4027R, there could be a A4028R out there. There are no salvage yards near me (closets near me is 6 + hours).

Take it from experience it's a beach to match up some of these parts...a lot of time yards want allow pulling one part as they want to keep it matched up....you're at the mercy of a fellow member or tractor club member who has a parts tractor or what ever....like I posted earlier that's why a lot of these are going by the wayside...

okay a simple search on Ebay has yielded 3-4 of those reduction gear rings...see if that works for you...get your pocketbook ready
Ya I've been looking, one has a key instead the one I have. Then you have different styles too.

The tractor that I got the gear from doesn't even look like the one I have.
https://www.external_link.com/listings/farm-equipment/for-sale/10703347/john-deere-a
 
(quoted from post at 05:45:24 11/14/18)
(quoted from post at 09:36:46 11/14/18)
(quoted from post at 09:27:14 11/14/18)
(quoted from post at 05:11:30 11/14/18) I doubt that any salvage yard is going to tear down a tractor to check parts. I've spent many hours physically going to yards to get the right part. You're looking at casting numbers not parts numbers as previously posted.

Basically the number I found on the ring gear A4027R, there could be a A4028R out there. There are no salvage yards near me (closets near me is 6 + hours).

Take it from experience it's a beach to match up some of these parts...a lot of time yards want allow pulling one part as they want to keep it matched up....you're at the mercy of a fellow member or tractor club member who has a parts tractor or what ever....like I posted earlier that's why a lot of these are going by the wayside...

okay a simple search on Ebay has yielded 3-4 of those reduction gear rings...see if that works for you...get your pocketbook ready

I've been looking. There's one that looks like the right one, but has a key instead of the splines. Then I guess I found the wrong tractor when getting the gear.
 
Link to the salvage tractor with the wrong gear:
https://www.external_link.com/listings/farm-equipment/for-sale/10703347/john-deere-a
 
A buddy and I were trying to sell a lot of these parts of his without much luck so he hauled a truck load or two of these old A parts to scrapyard. A lot of the yards are cleaned out now....that photo doesn't show which year it is...as there were two models...a break of the models shows the quadrant(later) and the two shifters earlier. Not many of the club members wanted the A's due to their lack of rariety and I suppose that why they got scrapped.
 
We saw a good amount of later style A’s up here, that place salvage yard you listed . Supposedly they have one for $200. We’ll see how it works out. Should arrive in a week.
 
After getting the right gear in we realized that the oil collar is bad and the part number is a4162r.
 
Does the oil collar do anything? Ours is in ruff shape kind of but we were thinking of using it again
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Those pictures were of the wrong thing. We ended up using a a 1 1/2 inch pipe for the oil collar because Deere doesn't sell a new oil collar and the pipe fits well. We mostly have the tractor together. We ended up putting the shiftier rails in wrong last night so we switched them tonight. The tractor rocks bad and forth now. We put the first reduction on and had it in gear and turned the gears back and forth. R - 6.
 
(quoted from post at 17:00:02 11/23/18) Those pictures were of the wrong thing. We ended up using a a 1 1/2 inch pipe for the oil collar because Deere doesn't sell a new oil collar and the pipe fits well. We mostly have the tractor together. We ended up putting the shiftier rails in wrong last night so we switched them tonight. The tractor rocks bad and forth now. We put the first reduction on and had it in gear and turned the gears back and forth. R - 6.

I forget threaded 1 1/2 pipe
 

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