GC2410 TACH DRIVE STILL A PROBLEM IN SUB ZERO

[rjmack]

I have finally given up on having the tach/hr meter working in the winter. The tractor is always stored inside heated garage, I take it outside and within 10 minutes the tach buries itself and starts howling. Stop machine, restart, rev up, tach buries and howls, repeat procedure until pissed off enough to break something.

I have put methyl hydrate and light oil down the drive cable, had it to the dealer where they re-routed it claiming the problem had been solved... nada.

The only thing that seems to work is just disconnecting the drive cable from the tach head and leaving it at that.

I am beginning to suspect the problem is water in the tach head rather than moisture in the drive cable.

btw, just had a glimpse of the 'new' gc1700... I dont see anything different regarding the tach head or drive.

I still love my gc, but not really impressed with disorganization/incompetence at massey ferguson/agco. There is no excuse for this problem not to have been solved yet.

 

[MFRED]

Have you tried to lube the tach head itself with a bit of WD-40 or the likes? Does your tach panel fog up when using? Has the tachometer cable been inspected or replaced?

I've had good sucess with other machines removing the cables, blowing compressed air through and working lube through. Some I've even made an adapter to push grease through with a grease gun.

I would hold off on shunning AGCO just yet. I'm not sure disorganization & incompetence really has anything to do with your tachometer freezing. They probably aren't aware of the handful of issues in the extreme cold. Your dealer should be the one to help you with cold weather experience and knowledge.

 

[Gator6x4]

I would suggest removing the cable, clean the cable of all oil and grease, flush or wash the inside of the cable housing out with brake clean and blow out everything with compressed air. Then lubricate the cable with graphite lubricant. I would suggest wearing rubber gloves when applying. It is black and will stain. You also need to inject some lubricant into the tach head where the cable enters. Check both ends of the cable. Insure they are square. It does not take much to round one of the ends and then a small temperature drop will actually make grease or oil provide enough friction to cause the cable to start slipping.

 

[radioman]

I would suggest removing the cable, clean the cable of all oil and grease, flush or wash the inside of the cable housing out with brake clean and blow out everything with compressed air. Then lubricate the cable with graphite lubricant. I would suggest wearing rubber gloves when applying. It is black and will stain. You also need to inject some lubricant into the tach head where the cable enters. Check both ends of the cable. Insure they are square. It does not take much to round one of the ends and then a small temperature drop will actually make grease or oil provide enough friction to cause the cable to start slipping.

I'm gonna do one better then this advice -- follow gator steps and THEN wrap the cable with foam. Perhaps with one of those large weatherstripping gaskets that is hollow inside. Reason is the foam should help reduce about of condensation from forming.

 

[ray66v]

Definitely graphite, it can't be affected by the cold.

WD-40 evaporates too quickly to be an effective lubricant.

The only other thing I would try is here is Lubriplate Aero grease. It's good to -70*F

Aero - Lubriplate

Still not wishing I had a tach on mine.

 

[rjmack]

I appreciate the responses, but I'm done screwing around with the cable, it has already been off, cleaned out, lubed up enough times. The cable seems to spin just fine anyways, it's only when I connect it to the tach head that the problem starts. and that only happens when it has been outside long enough to freeze up.

I think it is most likely a poor seal or complete lack of a seal somewhere in the tach head/ dash assembly. this is a very common problem with gc2410/gc2610 series tractors. I have let it slide patiently waiting for mf/agco to come up with a fix... evidently the 'fix' involves bs'ing owners into thinking it is just the cable, long enough to get them out the door of the dealership, while mf/agco waits until enough time has passed to declare it an obsolete issue so they don't ever have to fix it. I wish they would just figure it out and make things right.

far as wd40 goes, I learned 25 years ago that it is a solvent, not a lubricant. it is basically the same as diesel fuel and though it may have some minimal lubrication properties, so does water, and here we are, back at the beginning of the problem again as soon as that water gets taken outside and freezes.

 

[Don87]

I appreciate the responses, but I'm done screwing around with the cable, it has already been off, cleaned out, lubed up enough times. The cable seems to spin just fine anyways, it's only when I connect it to the tach head that the problem starts. and that only happens when it has been outside long enough to freeze up.

I think it is most likely a poor seal or complete lack of a seal somewhere in the tach head/ dash assembly. this is a very common problem with gc2410/gc2610 series tractors. I have let it slide patiently waiting for mf/agco to come up with a fix... evidently the 'fix' involves bs'ing owners into thinking it is just the cable, long enough to get them out the door of the dealership, while mf/agco waits until enough time has passed to declare it an obsolete issue so they don't ever have to fix it. I wish they would just figure it out and make things right.

far as wd40 goes, I learned 25 years ago that it is a solvent, not a lubricant. it is basically the same as diesel fuel and though it may have some minimal lubrication properties, so does water, and here we are, back at the beginning of the problem again as soon as that water gets taken outside and freezes.

My tach cable has started acting up again also. I tried 80/90 gear oil........no good. I tried chain lube, and it appears to have quit working now. ( but it did work most of last winter).

Mine acts up when it's cold. It appears that the engine fan pulls the air thru and 'freezes' up the cable. I get no condensation im the tach head as was asked earlier.

 

[rjmack]

I get no condensation im the tach head as was asked earlier.

Whatever the reason, the problem stops when I disconnect the cable from the tach head.

Maybe the problem is too small a drive cable diameter? maybe something else, but whatever it is, mf/agco should have come up with a fix by now.

How many other tractors only work when it's warm out? (and are still in business)

I think what I'm going to do is post a video of a howling gc2410 tach doing a conniption on youtube and then prospective gc2400 and gc1700 series owners decide if they want to put up with the same sort of problems.

btw, if you guessed that my dissatisfaction with mf/agco is a result of seeing that mf/agco has rebadged the 2400 without fixing the problem on my machine, a problem common to these machines, a problem that has existed since I bought it new, then you are right.

 

[Rob2310]

On my gc2610, I had the same problem. The problem was behind the tach where the cable comes in and the gears comes together. There would be enough moisture in the "grease" to cause it to freeze up. I would lube it with a very light weight grease and would have no problems.

 

[radioman]

looks like you might want to convert to a digital tach like the BX kubota's

 

[rjmack]

On my gc2610, I had the same problem. The problem was behind the tach where the cable comes in and the gears comes together. There would be enough moisture in the "grease" to cause it to freeze up. I would lube it with a very light weight grease and would have no problems.

I already squirted some 3n1 oil in there, no effect. I guess I could take one of those needle fittings on a grease gun and force some grease in there.

looks like you might want to convert to a digital tach like the BX kubota's

I don't like digital tachs. Also, (imho) I think the tractor I already own is better than a bx, that's why I bought it. On the other hand, Kubota may be a vastly superior company to deal with regarding warranty and support but I have never dealt with them so I just don't know. In the tractor sizes above the gc/bx I would seriously consider Kubota.

 

[duke7595]

I appreciate the responses, but I'm done screwing around with the cable, it has already been off, cleaned out, lubed up enough times. The cable seems to spin just fine anyways, it's only when I connect it to the tach head that the problem starts. and that only happens when it has been outside long enough to freeze up.

I think it is most likely a poor seal or complete lack of a seal somewhere in the tach head/ dash assembly. this is a very common problem with gc2410/gc2610 series tractors. I have let it slide patiently waiting for mf/agco to come up with a fix... evidently the 'fix' involves bs'ing owners into thinking it is just the cable, long enough to get them out the door of the dealership, while mf/agco waits until enough time has passed to declare it an obsolete issue so they don't ever have to fix it. I wish they would just figure it out and make things right.

far as wd40 goes, I learned 25 years ago that it is a solvent, not a lubricant. it is basically the same as diesel fuel and though it may have some minimal lubrication properties, so does water, and here we are, back at the beginning of the problem again as soon as that water gets taken outside and freezes.

WD-40 company has also changed the composition, if you recall it was flammable, not anymore ..

 

[ray66v]

WD-40 company has also changed the composition, if you recall it was flammable, not anymore ..

That was the only thing good about it. It was a great starting fluid.

 

[Don87]

I already squirted some 3n1 oil in there, no effect. I guess I could take one of those needle fittings on a grease gun and force some grease in there.




I don't like digital tachs. Also, (imho) I think the tractor I already own is better than a bx, that's why I bought it. On the other hand, Kubota may be a vastly superior company to deal with regarding warranty and support but I have never dealt with them so I just don't know. In the tractor sizes above the gc/bx I would seriously consider Kubota.

Grease may be too heavy for in there. When it gets real cold, it may stiffen up enough to damage the tach head.

Try motorcycle chain lube, it worked on mine for a year. Spray the cable, and use the 'straw' to spray up into the tach head.

 

[ray66v]

Grease may be too heavy for in there. When it gets real cold, it may stiffen up enough to damage the tach head.

Try motorcycle chain lube, it worked on mine for a year. Spray the cable, and use the 'straw' to spray up into the tach head.

Has anyone checked if it's possible to pull the shaft out of the tach cable?

We had this problem with speedometer cables in the 70's, and we used to pull the shaft out of the jacket, and coat them with graphite.

Ordinary grease and oil are not going to work in the long haul, or the cold temps.

You want to use Lubriplate Aero. It's a white lithium grease that is very light, and does not get thick, no matter how cold it gets. The reason, people pay $5 for a 3/8 ounce tube of it, is because it's not like everything else. You might check at a local garage door company for it, they use it a lot in that industry. It won't do much good though, if you can't get it in there.

 

[cdaigle430]

Just wondering if those who have the same tach problem pressure wash their tractors to clean them off? The first year I owned it I pressure washed it and had the same tac issue as the OP but I ignored it. For other reasons I stopped pressure washing the tractor itself and since then my only issue is the tac is not accurate when its sub zero outside. I also keep mine in a garage but its not heated.

 

[rjmack]

The dealer I bought the machine off 'repaired' a nasty hydraulic leak (19.6hrs) by pressure washing the machine, and the decals off one side of the loader, it has not seen a pressure washer since. I do hose it off fairly regularly as a heavy layer of dust makes the paint look faded, and frankly, I prefer it to be shiny.

btw, name of the dealer was Selmac Sales in Stony Plain Alberta. They knew that I was taking the machine 550 miles home directly after they made the repairs so another 20 machine hours after I got it home I had to take it to another dealer 55 miles away to have the same leak 'repaired' again... but that's another story...

 

[whoodle]

I had the same problem today. Dealer said it is moisture in the magnetic coupling between the cable and tack head as you all have said. He recommended detaching the tach. Machine only has 28 hrs. seems like the tach is a good way to keep the engine within breakin parameters..

I seem to remember a similar howl after mowing for a while in the summer, but no tach pinned max.

 

[Don87]

Has anyone checked if it's possible to pull the shaft out of the tach cable?

We had this problem with speedometer cables in the 70's, and we used to pull the shaft out of the jacket, and coat them with graphite.

Ordinary grease and oil are not going to work in the long haul, or the cold temps.

You want to use Lubriplate Aero. It's a white lithium grease that is very light, and does not get thick, no matter how cold it gets. The reason, people pay $5 for a 3/8 ounce tube of it, is because it's not like everything else. You might check at a local garage door company for it, they use it a lot in that industry. It won't do much good though, if you can't get it in there.

Yes, it will come out, but only from one direction(IIRC).

 

[SDT]

I would suggest removing the cable, clean the cable of all oil and grease, flush or wash the inside of the cable housing out with brake clean and blow out everything with compressed air. Then lubricate the cable with graphite lubricant. I would suggest wearing rubber gloves when applying. It is black and will stain. You also need to inject some lubricant into the tach head where the cable enters. Check both ends of the cable. Insure they are square. It does not take much to round one of the ends and then a small temperature drop will actually make grease or oil provide enough friction to cause the cable to start slipping.

Agreed.

Never lube a tach or speedometer cable with oil, even light oil if you do not live in a temperate climate.

Always use graphite.

SDT