Understanding WH transmission terminology

[njdpo 6]

Hello all,

I was flipping through the master list and decided I would post a question about WH transmissions.

This question is regarding manual transmissions ( I am not making any reference to automatic transmissions in this posting)

For a while now Ive been seeing the term WH 4 speed transmissions... While out at the local tractor junk yards this weekend I could not find a WH with a 4 speed transmission. All I saw were 3 speeds forward + reverse.

Questions:

1) Is my Commando 800 with the 3 speed forward + reverse ... Typically refereed to as a 4 speed? Or did WH actually make a 4 speed forward + reverse ?

2) I see references to 8 speed transmissions ... Is this a tranny with 6 forward speeds and 2 reverse speeds - broken up with a secondary hi low range lever? I saw what appeared to be a B-100 with a 3sp+R with what appeared to be a hi-low... I guess this is an 8 speed ?

Sorry, The answer may be obvious, to everyone except me...

[WheelHorse58 1]

1.)4 speed = forward gears 1,2,3 reverse gear R (1)

2.)8 speed= high/low gears featuring 3 forward (1,2,3) in high and also low. With also 2 reverse gears

[TT-(Moderator) 1,145]

It's all a matter of "my tractor has more speeds than yours".

Some explanations:

http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/index.php?showtopic=21069

http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/index.php?showtopic=13009

My interpretation:

Uni-Drives with the brake drum mounted to the pinion shaft are 3 speeds - and if the brake drum is mounted to the countershaft, I call them a 4 speed.

Uni-Drives with high/low range built prior to 1973 are 6 speeds, and everything newer are 8 speeds. :woohoo:

[Wheel Horse Kid 105]

Some people say that they are 6 speeds because they do not count the reverse. I think that it should be counted as a gear, so with hi/lo I would say that it would be an eight speed tractor.

[Martin 2,133]

i think it was all a marketing thing. i guess it sounds better with the 'extra speed'........ oohhh, look, the tractor now has 4 speeds instead of 3......

or, 8 speeds instead of 6. i guess because of the physical differences, (brake location) they are a 'different' trans, but having an extra gear, come on!!!!

did suddenly find out they had an extra gear (or two)in there and didnt know it?

update: i just went out and drove around on my 1054 and 1057 '4 speeds'........man, that extra gear was great.......

maybe i need to do this now...... :D

[stevasaurus 22,863]

TT is right about the 3 speed versus 4 speeds. The main difference is the hole which the brake shaft comes through on the deeper side of the case. If it comes out of the hole that is closer to the axle...it is a 3 speed uni-drive. If it comes out of the hole that is farther from the axle...it is a 4 speed. Same number of gears and the same ratio, but they will not interchange with out brake drum modifications and brake linkage modifications also. I have a feeling that it is the same with the 6 speeds and the 8 speeds, but I have not verified that as yet. Check out this video, I explain this at the end. Just click on the video...this is a 5085...4 speed.

[url=http://s419.photobucket.com/albums/pp278/stevasaurus/5085%20videos/?action=view

[TT-(Moderator) 1,145]

I have a feeling that it is the same with the 6 speeds and the 8 speeds

In short, no.

The 5060 & 5071 Uni-Drives ('67 - '69) have the brake drum mounted to the pinion shaft, but the drum is mounted to the countershaft on the 5073 ('71 - early '73)

All three of these transaxles have the 10 pinion Transpower differential - which is what I associate with a 6 speed.

An 8 speed (to me, anyhow) has the 4 or 8 pinion "open" differential.

[stevasaurus 22,863]

OK TT, pick your brain for a minute. Am I correct in what I said about the 3 & 4 speeds? It is what I see in the manual. As far as the 6 & 8 speeds, I knew there had to be a difference...if it is the number of pinions and slip differential being the difference and not where the brake shaft comes out of the case then I learned something I did not know...let me know what you think. I know it is not as simple as all that, but is it kind of a rule of thumb??

[TT-(Moderator) 1,145]

It's actually the sticker on the side of the tractor that I'm basing it on, Steve.

1967 through 1972 were called six speeds by Wheel Horse. Starting with the "no-name" models in 1973, they called them 8 speeds - and coincidentally changed the differential.