Re: Shifting gears...

Posted by john d on February 10, 2002 at 19:34:40 from (152.163.204.206):

In Reply to: Shifting gears... posted by Newbie... on February 10, 2002 at 18:19:23:

Antique tractor transmissions are not often easy to shift on-the-go. Some, due to the manner in which the gear positions are laid out, are nearly impossible to shift on the move.

The speed of the tractor in most gears will be relatively slow, and the tractor will likely have no difficulty in moving under it's own power in any gear other than road gear. Road gear can be pretty fast on some models. If you're pulling a load behind the tractor, starting in road gear may not be an option unless you're going downhill!

Essentially you have three choices....(1) rev the engine and slip the clutch to get things moving. Over a period of time, you'll end up replacing the clutch if you do this often, or with a load behind the tractor. (2) push in the clutch and force the gearshift into the desired gear inspite of whatever noise you hear. This option will lead you into the adventure of a transmission re-build. (3) get someone to show you the art of "double-clutching" and shifting that non-sychromesh transmission. This will require demonstration by someone who knows what he's doing, and some dedicated practice on your part!
This practice can become expensive if you are a slow learner!

Some tractors respond to this better than others. Most of my experience has been with older Farmalls. Some will cooperate, and some won't! I've got a '43 H that isn't hard to double-clutch into 5th; my '49M doesn't especially like to do that. We used to have a 300 Utility that refused to participate in that adventure without protest. The slickest one I've ever shifted that way is my '52 SM. The wider gear ratios between 2-3-4 with the closer ratio between 4-5 as compared to the M help a lot. I've actually started moving hopper wagons full of corn out of the field in 2nd, shifted to 3rd, then to 4th and never heard a tooth tick in the transmission. It shifts better than some cars I've seen! 4th to 5th is usually accomplished with a minimum of protest. This won't happen through wishful thinking though. You must be familiar enough with the tractor to time the clutch movement, shift movement, and throttle setting properly.

Follow Ups:

• Re: Re: Shifting gears... RPM shifting 10:46:00 02/11/02 (0)

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