[Caseman2]

I just picked up this 79" 224, the PO repainted the hood, fenders and wheels.

When put in neutral on flat ground it sounds/feels just like it would if you were going down a hill using the retard feature, any ideas?

Other than that I also believe it may need a governor and carb adjustment, it does run well enough.

 

[Hydriv]

Remove the trans-axle, replace the broken bolts.

 

[GoldenCove]

nice looking little rig :thumbsup:

 

[Caseman2]

Remove the trans-axle, replace the broken bolts.

Hhmm you think - it sounds more like a hydraulic issue? I will drain the rear axle and see if I see anything in the oil.

 

[Hydriv]

If the tractor is truly in neutral, then the trans-axle cannot spin the drive motor. Therefore, there is no way to duplicate the hydraulic cavitation that takes place when gravity forces the drive motor to spin.

Noises come from bolts that have backed out, bent in an L-shape and caress the top cover and the housing. Right now you probably have at least one unbroken bolt and that's why you still have high and low range. That won't last for long and if a nut gets trapped, I don't have to tell you what might happen.

 

[Caseman2]

Tom,

I removed the rear end on this Sunday night and well... nothing, the carrier bolts are ok?

 

[Hydriv]

You reported that you could hear a strange sound when the tractor’s trans-axle was placed in neutral and you pushed the tractor. So…if you removed the trans-axle and opened it up, did you rotate both axles forward (need lady friend on one side) to determine if the noise was still there? After all, the noise presumably would not go away just because you removed the trans-axle. Something must be causing it and you identified the sound as coming from that area. The only moving parts are inside the trans-axle.

And is the gear that slides back and forth between the high gear and the low gear actually going into neutral when the selector lever is parked on the neutral pin? Is it possible that the shift lever is bent and that you were still in one gear or the other? You have been around these tractors long enough to know the difference between normal and abnormal. Don’t just pull the cover, peek inside and think everything is OK. At the very least, you should be checking the torque on those four bolts.

Your turn, Frank.

 

[Rockdog]

Rear end not in gear or in neutral all the way. Sure the range lever isnt bent or not in the correct position?

 

[eBoyDog]

I will throw in my thought on this, how about checking the spool valve linkage?

The prior owner re-painted it and let's assume that it was fairly dismantled, if the linkage wasn't properly adjusted when it was put back together then could that be the problem?

My 446 retard'ed when the travel lever was in neutral and it didn't coast on a downhill slope (with the engine running). Both the linkage was mis-adjusted and the springs on the lever to the parking brake was binding,

 

[Hydriv]

Dog,
Think about this. Frank said that he put the tractor in neutral. If the trans-axle shift mechanism is not defective in some way, then the drive motor is disconnected from the trans-axle when the shift lever is in neutral. The shift lever slides a cluster gear along the drive motor's long input shaft to select either the high range gear or the low range gear. If the lever is in neutral, then that cluster gear should not come in contact with either of the range gears.

If the cluster gear is not engaged with one of the range gears, then it won't be spun when the tractor is pushed by a person or towed with something. The only thing that will spin is the differential center section with the two range gears and the axles. The only way the travel valve would come into play is if he drive motor was being spun, thus making it act like pump.

 

[Caseman2]

You reported that you could hear a strange sound when the tractor's trans-axle was placed in neutral and you pushed the tractor...

No, you must have misunderstood me, its when you put the tcv in the nuetral position it makes the noise (keeping mind it happens when it coasts to a stop), it makes no unusal noises when driving it. I really didn't mind pulling the rear end just to give me a piece of mind, I did hoist the rear end and spin the wheels and all I hear is the motor gurgling a little oil :mrgreen: .
The PO said that he plowed snow with it all last winter like that.

 

[Hydriv]

Yes.... I totally did misunderstand you. However, at least you now know that you do not have a disaster in the making. Just be sure to check the torque on those bolts prior to buttoning it all up.

So getting back to the alleged problem, it now sounds like you are hearing this noise when you are driving along on flat ground and immediately pulling the travel lever to the neutral position prior to coming to a stop. The tractor is coasting in neutral and you hear that noise. When you put the travel lever in neutral, you effectively shut off the oil flow in and out of the travel motor but the travel motor then tries to become a pump because the weight of the tractor (mass in motion) tries to spin the motor. The oil tries to resist this but if you have some free play in the travel linkage, the pressure from the motor may be opening the spool just enough to make the sound you hear. If you installed a holding valve kit on the tractor, I bet that the noise would go away because the holding valve would prevent this by totally shutting off any flow to or from the drive motor.

 

[Caseman2]

...travel motor then tries to become a pump because the weight of the tractor (mass in motion) tries to spin the motor...

Okay, okay - Tom your not the first one to tell me I need to go on a diet, but it does have its good points - I don't need weights in the back for winter snowblowing. :sidelaugh: :mrgreen: