1990 312-8 Gear Shifter

['garGuyPaulie 5]

Hello all - I have a 1990 312-8 that recently started being a pain to shift, and eventually it stopped shifting into 1st and reverse and was hard to get into 2nd and 3rd. After looking at some posts on here I discovered the possibility that a loose shifter could cause this problem. My shifter definitely had a lot of play in it so I proceeded to pull the seat, rear plate and shift plate off the tractor so I could get to the area where the shifter goes into the transmission. I removed the shifter, reseated it and got the dog head screw lined up in the shifter donut and was hoping that would fix the issue, but after getting it all reassembled and trying to shift even into 2nd or 3rd the shifter, while not as sloppy, now just turns side to side - taking it back out and inspecting the shifter I have discovered that the pin which holds the donut in place on the shifter has sheered and the donut is now able to free spin on the shaft. Not too much of a problem as I plan on just pressing the old pin out and replacing, however I am concerned that the ball on the end of the shifter seems to be getting pretty flattened off on the left and right sides of the ball. I tried looking up a replacement on Toro and several other parts websites but I can't find one anywhere - I can get the boot, everyone has those, but no shifter. My question is, does anyone know where I might be able to find a new shifter and more important, is a little flattening on the ball anything to worry about? 

 

Also, with the shifter out, looking down the hole my transmission looks like it's full of mud! Definitely doesn't look like the gear oil I put in it - anyone know what could be causing the transmission gear oil to be sludging up like that? 

[pfrederi 17,738]

Welcome to Red Square

 

Check with one of the vendors here...Like A To Z Tractor for a good used shifter.  The muddy fluid is most likely due to water getting in..or several years of condensation build up.  Drain it..jack up the front of the tractor to fully drain it.  Put a couple quarts of diesel or kerosene in run it around for 5-10 minutes drain again and refill with  GO 90  (90 weight gear oil for the non military type)

Edited August 25, 2017 by pfrederi

[Achto 27,570]

21 minutes ago, 'garGuyPaulie said:

anyone know what could be causing the transmission gear oil to be sludging up like that? 

If your shifter boot is bad, water will get into the transmission. This will cause your oil to sludge up.

Edited August 25, 2017 by Achto

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,041]

The 933168 roll pin for the shifter donut 5/32" x 13/16"

Replaced by 32121-114 spirol pin

Is installed flush with the rear of the shifter as the dog-point set screw shares the same hole on the front.

 

Garry

['garGuyPaulie 5]

Paul - thank you for the tip on the vendors page, I'm sending an email to a-z to see if they might have one. I will flush the transmission as soon as I get the shifter back in order. I'm going to get this one back in working order for now and replace it when I can get my hands on one in better condition. 

 

Achto, yes the shift boot was pretty much gone, the thickest part of the boot was still seated over the hole on the transmission, but the surrounding mass has disintegrated so I have a new one on order.

 

Garry - thank you for the part number, I had planned on just getting one at the local TSC or auto parts place but if they don't have one I will place an order for it as well. 

 

I have read elsewhere that on these older shifters some people have just welded the donut in place to avoid the sheered pin in the future - anyone else ever done this or have thoughts on it?  

 

 

[tunahead72 2,412]

I wonder if pieces of the old disintegrated shifter boot are part of the muddy look you're seeing in the fluid.  You may want to do the drain and flush process more than once.

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,041]

Just a reminder.

There is a hump in the bottom of the transmission case so raise the front of the tractor so the oil at the front can get to the drain at the rear.

I also jack the left rear and then the right rear to allow oil to drain from the axle housings. May as well get it out also.

The best place to add oil is the shifter hole before it is reinstalled.

Garry

[stevasaurus 22,732]

Another thought...if you are looking for another transmission...why not just open the one you have, clean it out, replace anything that needs it and put it back together.  It would be cheaper, you would then know what you have there, and you would not have 2 bad transmissions.    The "reference section" on the main page has the transmission manual and we have threads there with videos of how to do this. 

 

BTW, Welcome to Red Square 

['garGuyPaulie 5]

So just an update, went ahead and got the shifter squared away with a new roll pin, reinstalled it and it still only shifts into 2nd and 3rd gears - I have a suspicion that perhaps the 1st/reverse shift fork is wore out because trying to shift into these gears is just a no go - the tractor is coming up on 30 years old with very little maintenance done to it in the past - it was my father in laws until last September when I got it from him and I have plans on doing a full (or as full as can be accomplished) restoration on it - I would like to get it looking (and running) like brand new again. I had planned on doing a rebuild on the engine and carb this winter (Kohler Magnum 12), but it looks like I might be starting with the transmission first!

 

Steve - thanks for the heads up on the transmission manual - this will help in my pursuit of rebuilding the transmission and I am sure the videos you mentioned will be greatly useful as well. I suppose since I'm going to be splitting it open for a rebuild there isn't much sense in doing a flush - guess I'll be back to the push mower for awhile!

 

 

[stevasaurus 22,732]

A flush is still not a bad idea, it will clean out some of the sludge and make the tear down a lot nicer to deal with.  Plenty of help here when you start to open that trans.  Here is the 1st tip.  When you start to open the case, make sure you have the input shaft side down.  You want to lift off the brake side of the case. 

['garGuyPaulie 5]

3 hours ago, stevasaurus said:

You want to lift off the brake side of the case

Thank you - that is a good piece of advice - I'll let you know when I drop the transmission - probably be next weekend before I get to it. I'll post photo's along the way.