The Classic Machinery Network

Hi could anyone tell me the correct way to select a gear and change on the move with a powertrain 3c? Ours seems to block you from selecting a gear unless you have the revs right down and cycle the 4wd/rev until it jumps in. Every now and then it will just slip in. Getting awkward now as you can sit there for ten mins sometimes until itl select a gear. Just unsure if its my fault or its in need of some adjustment somewhere cheers

Can you confirm what you mean. Is the forward reverse shuttle not selecting or are you having a problem with selection of the manual gears?

Hi, selecting manually. Say i want to drive off, i start it with fwd/rev in fwd, engine ticking over. I go to select a gear and it just blocks you. I have to hold weight against the lever and cycle the fwd rev lever back and to an itl slot in. Also if i place the fwd rev in the middle almost as a neutral position it will go in on times. This doesn't happen all the time and is usually better when warm

Check oil level and quality in the transmission (correct oil - original or automatic transmission fluid). Inspect the filter element and the filter mesh. When you force the gear does it make a sound? The correct procedure of changing gears in your machine is: If you are out of gear, hold down the brake, put in shuffle into fwd/rev, press and hold the clutch, select gear, remove foot from clutch, remove foot from brake now you are in gear. When changing the gears on the move, get the required speed, put your foot off the throttle, push the clutch, select next gear, put your foot off the clutch, add throttle. Two large mistakes made with powertrain transmission:

- adding throttle when selecting gears (you have a torque converter not a regular clutch)
- slowly depressing the clutch (the clutch in powertrain is actually transmission dump switch, same operation as selecting neutral via the hand shuffle, and it only has on/off and not like with regular clutch when you can intensify or slacken the clutch grip)

It sounds to me that you have difficulties changing gears because your transmission is under load, for example the clutch is not working properly. The problem with this can only rest in the connections between the clutch pedal and the transmission. Check those. Other thing that comes to my mind is a faulty bearing in the transmission, but that is a remote possibility.

Thanks for that reply, does shed some light on things for me as i didn't realise it had a clutch dump pedal! Is that the one that looks like a throttle pedal just in front of the brake pedals?? The round pedal part is missing off ours i always just pressuned that was difflock!

Do not use the dump pedal as a clutch for normal shuttling or moving off. Select the gear needed for moving, generally 1st or 2nd although it will move off in 3rd if on the level and hard. Apply footbrake let go hand brake push shuttle lever for direction. You should feel the transmission engage and try to move and at that point release brakes and apply accelerator. Once rolling you can use the dump pedal to disconnect the transmission as you shift up and down the manual gearbox much the way you would with a clutch. Do not attempt to feather or slip the transmission with the dump pedal as this will quickly damage the clutch plates. Also do not work in a gear that makes everything labour or continuously stall the transmission as this will cause overheating. When changing direction move the shuttle to neutral and allow the machine to stop (apply brakes if necessary) before selecting the opposite direction. Sorry if that states the obvious. The powertrain was the best by far of the 3C models.

Thanks for the replies, the first bit is what im struggling with though, the bit about selecting the gear you want bit, i have the fwd rev in the middle but it just blocks you when you go for a gear. The same if its in fwd was just wandering if there was any adjustments to be made to make it clear into gear easier

Sounds to me like the transmission is dragging and it can't select as the gearbox is still turning under load ,as for the oil you should be using engine oil in a power train transmission 10-30w will do.

Just to confirm Gaz, only try to select a gear with the shuttle lever in neutral or dump pedal depressed. Even when moving,the shuttle must be pulled into the middle,select the next gear and shuttle foward again.Or dump pedal depressed instead of moving the lever. Perhaps that's what you are doing but I noticed in your 2nd post that you were having the shuttle foward and then trying to select a gear.Check that the dump pedal is actually working too.

Thanks for the replies, how do i check the oil level in the transmission? Iv checked the dipstick which is on the mark with atf but i was under the impression that was the whole gearbox . I do always try to select the neutral position with the shuttle but its a little stiff so trying to find exact neutral is fun. Will have to have a play