New to me March 63 Super Major

[Miles]

Good morning all...

I picked up my next rescue project last week and the first problem to deal with is problem in transmission. It will only roll freely when in neutral with clutch depressed.

What is stuck? Where should I look first?

FYI - Casting date codes from Feb-20 to Mar-27 1963 and painted cream and blue with Ford 5000 decals

Thanks in advance

Miles

[AdrianNPMajor]

In neutral it should roll freely with clutch engaged (pedal not depressed). If it doesn't, and depressing the clutch pedal frees things up, it must be a failure of the clutch. The single stage clutch comprises three fingers pressing on the release bearing. The release bearing can fail, in which case the ends of the clutch fingers get chewed up. This does not explain your issue. Gearbox and transmission failures can be ruled out. Engine seizure can also be ruled out. We're back to the clutch.
I have no experience of the double clutch (Live Drive), but I'm guessing the tractor is fitted with this and that it has failed.
Could easily be wrong!
Best, Adrian.

[shepp]

This seems like a strange issue, you would have to provide more detail.

Is the tractor running and driving? If so then presumably it must be moving when the clutch is engaged but the gear shift lever is apparently in neutral. If it is not running then presumably what you are saying is that you can only roll it with the clutch pedal depressed even with the main gear lever apparently in neutral.

In either case the tractor is likely to be stuck in gear with several possible causes.
Remove the main gear lever with it's housing and check that the end has not broken off but is there and engaging in the socket. Check that the socket is firmly locked to the shift rod and is not sliding along it or can rotate on it. If everything appears in order here replace the gear lever ensuring that the ball on the end of the gear lever engages with the socket.

Turn to the shift cover assembly, which is the circular cover on the left side of the gearbox with the oil filler plug in it. You will have to drain the gearbox oil first. Remove the filler plug and have someone operate the gear lever whilst you look inside the gearbox with a pen torch and see if you can see anything obvious with the shift forks which are attached to shafts on the back of the shift cover. Then undo the bolts and remove this assembly, noting how the selector arm on the end of the shift rod which remains in the gearbox engages with the slots in the selector forks which are attached to the cover you are removing, and also noting how the upper shift fork and the lower shift fork engages with the flanges on the respective gears in the gearbox. It is possible that due to excess wear the selector arm might have jumped out of the slot that is formed when the selector forks are in the disengaged position, similar to what happens on the Dexta, leaving the tractor stuck in gear. It is also possible that the selector arm might be loose on the shift rod so that it does not rotate with the rod or move with the rod to move the selector forks and disengage the gear. Operate the main gear lever to observe the action of the shift rod and selector arm. It is possible that a shift fork might have broken, leaving the gearbox in gear. It is also possible that someone might have removed the cover at some point and refitted it without making sure that the selector arm is engaged with the slots in the selector forks or that the selector forks are engaged with the flanges on the respective gears.

Plenty to go at there, can't see how the clutch could be implicated, but post more details. When you have got the shift cover off, slide one or the other of the flanges on the gears you can see to put the gearbox into neutral and then see if you can roll the tractor without depressing the clutch.

[AdrianNPMajor]

Sensible points. More sensible than mine!
Best, Adrian.