4 wheel drive will not engage

[gs12jdg]

Hello,
I have a Mahindra 2810 and I cannot get the 4 wheel drive to engage. It was working one day and then the next it was not. I can move the lever from 2wd to 4wd and it kinda feel like it goes in, but the front wheels do not spin. Does anyone have any suggestions for possible quick fixes?

 

[PHPaul]

Coupled with your post below about the noise in the front end, I'd expect you have a mechanical failure in your front axle.

Not familiar with Mahindra's 4WD system, so I can't really say beyond that.

 

[Mattt2778]

Check the front driveshaft, I had the circlip holding the sliding pins on the shaft come free on my emax25. There was another thread with the same issue as well. See if you can observe the driveshaft while someone else operates the tractor with the lever in the fwd position, you'll at least know whether it's a transmission problem or a front axle problem if not somewhere in between. Also mine has a plastic shroud covering the shaft that had to be removed first.

 

[Kernopelli]

I read your first post about this problem and I suggest you start with the easiest things. As Matt2778 said, check the coupler sleeve that slides on the ends of the drive shaft. You may get lucky and that's all it is.

However, it sounds like the issue is either in the differential or the gear case at the ends of the front axle. If you are going to tackle gear or bearing issues, you really need a service/repair manual. The next best thing is a parts diagram and they are available on many Mahindra dealers websites. Mahindrapartsonline.com has online diagrams for your model.

 

[gs12jdg]

I looked at the drive shaft today. Boy was I surprised at what I found. If you look at the picture below I will try to explain what I saw. The metal tubing that is over the shaft is not going into the casing thing on the right (is this called the transfer case)? The reason for this is because the case is supposed to have 2 bolts on top attaching it to the frame (one of the bolts goes where the red circle is and the other goes on the other side of the case). Neither of these bolts are there!!! Also the end of the shaft cover has a broken weld. It looks like there was a small bracket welded to the end of the tube that bolts into the case, that is broken so there is nothing holding it there. I pushed the tube back into the case and bolted the top of the case to the frame. It was late, so I will check tomorrow to see if the 4X4 is now working.

Question: How exactly does the rear drive shaft connect to the front drive shaft when I move the lever to put in 4wd? It looks like the rear shaft and the front shaft now line up perfectly, but what exactly links these 2 things together when I move the lever?

 

[gs12jdg]

I tested the tractor out today after fixing the drive shaft cover last night, and the 4 wheel drive worked great. I also previously posted about a grinding/squealing noise coming from the front of my tractor. Apparently this was something to do with the drive shaft, as the noise is not there any more. I am a very happy guy. Thank you everyone for your help.
I am still unsure how exactly the rear drive shaft and front drive shaft connect. Can any one explain this to me?

 

[Kernopelli]

I am a little confused by what you are referring to as rear drive shaft. The rear tires are driven from the rear of the transmission. Your rear differential is located in the transmission case and transfer power through the rear axle to the rear wheels. When you shift into 4WD, the transmission engages a gear that is attached to a shaft that exits the front of the transmission. The front wheels are driven from a drive shaft (The one in your picture) that attaches to that front transmission shaft. The rear end of the drive shaft connects to the front of the transmission, the front end of that drive shaft attaches to the front differential and transmits power through the front axle to the front wheels. Hope that is a good explanation.....

 

[gs12jdg]

I am a little confused by what you are referring to as rear drive shaft. The rear tires are driven from the rear of the transmission. Your rear differential is located in the transmission case and transfer power through the rear axle to the rear wheels. When you shift into 4WD, the transmission engages a gear that is attached to a shaft that exits the front of the transmission. The front wheels are driven from a drive shaft (The one in your picture) that attaches to that front transmission shaft. The rear end of the drive shaft connects to the front of the transmission, the front end of that drive shaft attaches to the front differential and transmits power through the front axle to the front wheels. Hope that is a good explanation.....

Thank for the reply. Sorry, I didn't mean to say rear drive shaft. What I see is the front drive shaft coming from the transmission. It appears to line up with another shaft that is the same diameter that comes from the front differential or transfer case?? How do these 2 shafts lock together?

 

[Mattt2778]

The driveshaft on my emax is a telescopic type in which the inner shaft has groves that six one inch long dowels sit in and are laterally held in place by two circlips. The outer shaft (or female shaft) has longer corresponding grooves that allow the inner shaft and dowel assembly to slide back and forth while still being keyed together. In my situation the outer circlip on the inner shaft came free allowing the dowels to fall out and thusly the driveshaft became un keyed causing my front wheel drive to fail. I've looked at the schematics for your machine and there wasn't enough detail to see the specifics, however with the floating front axel I'm guessing you have a similar telescoping shaft, that is in someway keyed together, particularly since I can see that it is a two piece drive shaft.

 

[gs12jdg]

The driveshaft on my emax is a telescopic type in which the inner shaft has groves that six one inch long dowels sit in and are laterally held in place by two circlips. The outer shaft (or female shaft) has longer corresponding grooves that allow the inner shaft and dowel assembly to slide back and forth while still being keyed together. In my situation the outer circlip on the inner shaft came free allowing the dowels to fall out and thusly the driveshaft became un keyed causing my front wheel drive to fail. I've looked at the schematics for your machine and there wasn't enough detail to see the specifics, however with the floating front axel I'm guessing you have a similar telescoping shaft, that is in someway keyed together, particularly since I can see that it is a two piece drive shaft.

Thank you. Yes it looks like there are 2 small spined inner shafts. I was just wondering how these 2 shafts get linked together. Are they always inked together or do they only link up when I push the lever to put it in 4 wheel drive?