555C Ford Backhoe Transmission "jumping" out of gear

[AlanB]

Probably not the proper terminology but close enough. My Backhoe has developed the nasty habit if the transmission "disengaging" at the most inopportune moments. I will be doing something, and it just feels like I kicked the forward reverse stick into neutral. I will move it back and forth, try different gears, etc. etc. and at some point, of its own volition it will decide it wants to work again. I have not narrowed it down to a particular action I am doing to cause it, it just seems random. And it seems just as random as to when it resumes operation.

I have checked all the fluids and they look ok, but they do need to be changed, so I am thinking that may be a logical easy troubleshooting step to insure that the fluids are not the problem

I do have the manual, and have not read through the troubleshooting procedures, but guessing it starts out with some high dollar super pressure gauge with a fitting made from unobtanium unless you are a listed ford backhoe dealer so was hoping maybe someone here had stumbled into a similar situation before and could lend some insight.

Thanks

 

[boggen]

on the unit i have, there is a "clutch" button on the shuttle shifter (located at or around steering wheel), then another "clutch button" on the gear shifter 1-4. and then another "clutch button" on the FEL (front end loader) joystick.

perhaps one of them buttons are broken and allowing a short to happen. *shrugs*

the shuttle shifter wire goes through steering column and connects to one of the wiring harnesses in the mess of wires right below steering wheel.

the gear shifter wire i want to say is under the cab floor board and about 1 foot length of cable.(you can see it outside of the cab if ya really looked hard) though getting to it. i think i had to pull back the floor padding and remove some covers to get to it.

the FEL. i think just pulling back the floor pad and a couple panels in the cab. and connection is right there near the hoses for the heater for the cab. i want to say the FEL "clutch" button. is wired into the circuit different. i just remember not using the FEL joystick clutch button for trying to "inch" my way forward or reverse.

figure pull a couple connections and keep one of the buttons operational. and see what happens.
though not sure if you can easily disconnect button going to shuttle leveler without cutting the specific wire. i do not remember the "ends" for type of plugs used. if everything works, after, it might give some clue if one of the levers or buttons are broken and/or shorting out.

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if its not the switches, or the servo / electrical actuator / solenoid that the switches are connected to actually engage/disengage the clutch. then ya down to hydraulics... and it means pressure gauges to clue in on what may be wrong.

i suppose a rely might have went bad. but i honestly do not remember what other things are ran off the same relay. if other things are working that run off same relay when it disengages randomly. i would think you could mark rely off the list.

*rubs chin* if you think it is the actual shuttle shift lever itself. just going back into neutral. (something broken inside the lever itself) you might try unplugging lever from wire harness. and set the "multi meter" to ohms. and see if you can read resistance / continuity. when lever is placed in forward / reverse.

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not a mechanic, hopefully others will chime in, and narrow things down to a more known problem.

 

[AlanB]

Yeah that makes sense. It does feel just like when I hit the stick button and because I use it in the woods a lot my wiring gets thrashed occasionally. That would seem very plausible. Thanks.

 

[Guys]

Probably not the proper terminology but close enough. My Backhoe has developed the nasty habit if the transmission "disengaging" at the most inopportune moments. I will be doing something, and it just feels like I kicked the forward reverse stick into neutral. I will move it back and forth, try different gears, etc. etc. and at some point, of its own volition it will decide it wants to work again. I have not narrowed it down to a particular action I am doing to cause it, it just seems random. And it seems just as random as to when it resumes operation.

I have checked all the fluids and they look ok, but they do need to be changed, so I am thinking that may be a logical easy troubleshooting step to insure that the fluids are not the problem

I do have the manual, and have not read through the troubleshooting procedures, but guessing it starts out with some high dollar super pressure gauge with a fitting made from unobtanium unless you are a listed ford backhoe dealer so was hoping maybe someone here had stumbled into a similar situation before and could lend some insight.

Thanks

I had the exact same problem. I found it to be in the shifter on the steering wheel. I took it apart and cleaned the contacts with emery cloth and lubed it with fluid film. Has worked great for a couple years now.