The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Guys
On my way home today from doing a couple of hours of slashing, I stopped to talk to someone on the side of the road, and found the tractor was stuck in gear. Tractor had been going fine and showing no signs of a problem.
I was in high 3rd at the time.
Clutch still works fine, high/low still work fine, just stuck in gear(my guess is 1st gear). Have pulled the gear lever off, but did not reveal anything. Drove rest of way home
Any ideas of where to look first
Thanks
Kiwi Kev

Hi Kev,
I think I'd pull the gear change plate off first and see what's going on with the forks and the linkage from the gear shift.
Good luck!

I'm with JC. That is a pretty rare problem though, usually the bottom wears off the gear lever and it comes out of the socket. see my repair job in pictures.

I have'nt had a chance to look at it yet. It's still parked part way down my driveway, as it only has forward drive, so will only get one go at getting it in the shed.
Pony Club most of today, so hopefully will get to it tonight.
Kiwi Kev

Brian wrote:I'm with JC. That is a pretty rare problem though, usually the bottom wears off the gear lever and it comes out of the socket. see my repair job in pictures.

Brian
I found a post by you about welding on the gear lever on the old forum, you don't have a few more pictures of that do you? My shifter is very "floppy" so I think I'll pull it and do something like that to it but a picture or two more wouldn't hurt(pictures of what will fall out when disassembling it for example)... and what problems might arise when pulling it apart

Sorry, I do not have any other pictures but it is really a simple job.

Remove the gear lever and housing. Nothing to fall out.

Remove the circlip and spring from the gear lever. Remove gear lever knob.

Gear lever will then come out of the housing. Check the locating pin in the side of the housing. Replace if badly worn. You will have to make one.

Build up groove in gear lever with weld and machine to size. I used angle grinder and file.

Reassemble housing/gear lever. Drop spring and circlip over lever. Using a ring spanner the exact size of the circlip, slip this down the lever shaft until it rests on the circlip. Drive circlip home with a sharp tap on the ring spanner with a hammer.

Refit housing to tractor.

Brian wrote:Sorry, I do not have any other pictures but it is really a simple job.

Remove the gear lever and housing. Nothing to fall out.

Remove the circlip and spring from the gear lever. Remove gear lever knob.

Gear lever will then come out of the housing. Check the locating pin in the side of the housing. Replace if badly worn. You will have to make one.

Build up groove in gear lever with weld and machine to size. I used angle grinder and file.

Reassemble housing/gear lever. Drop spring and circlip over lever. Using a ring spanner the exact size of the circlip, slip this down the lever shaft until it rests on the circlip. Drive circlip home with a sharp tap on the ring spanner with a hammer.

Refit housing to tractor.

Excellente!
Going to my dad's cousin tomorrow to pick up a less worn gear lever and housing from a Power Major and will fix that one up, it should drop straight in on my 62 super major, correct?

Hey Kev, have you found out why your Major is stuck in gear yet?Cheers TSG.

TSG
No not yet.
I've had a look in the side cover, and everything looked good. Will have another better look soon, as anything else other than whats inside the cover, will probably mean lots of work.
Will keep you posted.
Kiwi Kev

I have a1937 John Deere B Orchard, (Now I will be tared, feathered, and band for life for admitting owning something of the green and yellow breed...but...) ...and the gear shifter was getting stuck and hard to shift a number of years ago. I pulled the lever out and found that the shifting rails and rods were dry and in need of lubrication. Even though the transmission throws oil around, it does not throw it far enough to reach the shifting mechanizum. I oiled it up, and it worked fine after that. I'm wondering if the Fordsons share the same problem? Hence, things wear, or seize for lack of lube. I do not run the John Deere much as it is on iron and was restored for a parade and show tractor. If I need to get some real work done, I get out the Power Major. Dandy Dave!

I do not speak to John Deere owners!

Dodo, please tell Kev when you next see him that, unlike that green scrap, Major selectors should run in the oil (if you keep the gearbox full). There is very little to go wrong as you also move the gears on the shafts.

Selector rails and interlocks can jam or bearings can fail. Hope it is something simple.

Of course, it could be a virus, caught from the JD.

Brian wrote:I do not speak to John Deere owners!

Dodo, please tell Kev when you next see him that, unlike that green scrap, Major selectors should run in the oil (if you keep the gearbox full). There is very little to go wrong as you also move the gears on the shafts.

Selector rails and interlocks can jam or bearings can fail. Hope it is something simple.

Of course, it could be a virus, caught from the JD.

Oh, Forgive me almighty powerful one and master of thy Blue and Orange, for thou not know'est what thy self do'ist. LOL Dandy Dave!

Just thinking out loud here before I do anything.
I do have another gearbox, but I think it may have a stuck or broken handbrake.
If I was to strip that gearbox (to check it before installing in tractor) can I just remove handbrake section and then use gearbox or is that not possible.

Will still have another look at selectors though.
Kiwi Kev

Yes you can take the handbrake off as long as you press the shaft the gear runs on further into the housing. Otherwise the reverse idler gear will be floating around a bit.

You could also transfer the handbrake over (if you have one).

Just another thought. Its not a live drive is it? If so, go in through the pulley plate and check that the pulley drive gear retaining nut has not come loose. Can also happen on a standard box but more usual on a livedrive.

Sorry for jacking the thread, but do the hand brake equipment from a live drive box fit inside a standard box? My handbrake has been removed because someone tried to run the tractor with it engaged(and broke off the two pins), they then fished the parts out through the hi/lo shifter hole and the hole from the steering box... I guess it will mean splitting the tractor and removing the gearbox, not something I neccessary want to do right now but if I ever need to rebuild the engine I will get to that as well...

Dandy Dave, the only green and yellow tractor worthy of being mentioned in this forum would be a Roadless 6/4 Ploughmaster. Has anyone got a picture of one , so Dandy Dave can show other people what a quality green and yellow tractor looks like! TSG.

The Swanndri Guy wrote:Dandy Dave, the only green and yellow tractor worthy of being mentioned in this forum would be a Roadless 6/4 Ploughmaster. Has anyone got a picture of one , so Dandy Dave can show other people what a quality green and yellow tractor looks like! TSG.

No, I don't have a picture of one of those, but I could take a picture of my 1947 JD Model B

Brian wrote:
check that the pulley drive gear retaining nut has not come loose.

Brian
How loose is too loose. The nut is move-able by fingers, but still restrained from undoing by the lock tabs.
No aparant movement to the gear by the "loose'' nut.
All sliding gears ok and shafts appear ok.

I think I will have to clear a space in the shed for a "major" operation.
Kiwi Kev

JC wrote:

The Swanndri Guy wrote:Dandy Dave, the only green and yellow tractor worthy of being mentioned in this forum would be a Roadless 6/4 Ploughmaster. Has anyone got a picture of one , so Dandy Dave can show other people what a quality green and yellow tractor looks like! TSG.

No, I don't have a picture of one of those, but I could take a picture of my 1947 JD Model B

Oh no... ... Another one on Brians black list. Will the Great and powerful one of thy Blue and Orange ever speak to us again Dandy Dave!

Brian, you wrote: 'see my repair job in pictures'.

I am not able to find it. Anybody have a link?


Kjetil

Here it is Kjetil
http://www.fordsontractorpages.nl/ubb/F ... 01123.html

Hello all. The shifter on my power major has always turned one way or the other if you do not shift it straight forward,backwards or sideways. Always figured there was some pin worn or fell out of place.
Gerald

Gman wrote:Hello all. The shifter on my power major has always turned one way or the other if you do not shift it straight forward,backwards or sideways. Always figured there was some pin worn or fell out of place.
Gerald

On the "extra" one I got from dad's cousins power major the pin had almost fallen out and had rotated a bit which gave the lever quite some room to spin sideways while the groove in the lever ball was virtually free from wear...

Anybody know of where I can find an exploded view of the FMD gearbox.
My manuals only show the cut away view.
Kiwi Kev

Doesn't the spare parts catalogue show the gearbox in exploded view?