600 Case-O-Matic Won't Stay In 1st/Reverse

[CaseSC611b]

Title say it all mostly. This is a 1959 611B. It was disassembled and restored a few years ago including a professional motor rebuild and is just a show tractor now. If I start it in 1st gear, I have to hold it hard with my hand to keep it there. The shifter does not seem to snap totally forward like it should. Same with reverse. If the tractor is already running, I can't get it into 1st or reverse with grinding. The other gears work fine. I have not removed the shift cover to see what is going on there. First wanted to get some opinions before I take the cover off. Hope it is not related to something wrong with the torque converter sysytem.

Thanks...Gary

 

[DJ54]

Sounds more like the shifting forks aren't getting the gears to full mesh, whether due to being bent, out of adjustment on the shaft, just plain worn, or the screws holding them to the shifting mechanism are loose, and not getting into the full detent.

Here is an exploded view of the shifting mechanism on the Case 600 series, at the Case/IH online parts store. Official Case IH Online Parts Store and Case IH Catalog for Best Parts Search and Best Parts Look Up. Case IH Parts for Case IH Tractors, Case IH Combines, Case IH Tractors, Case IH Manuals, Case IH Parts

If in it's previous life it was a loader tractor, first and reverse were more then likely used most. And if it were not brought to a full stop, before changing directions could put a lot of extra stress on the shift mechanism, causing bent, or worn parts.

I'd pop the cover, put the shifter in those two gear positions, then see if you can move the fork beyond where they stop, or to see if they are loose. The shaft should also show how far it has travelled through the trunnion holding it, being shinier than the rest of the shaft, beyond the contact point, if for some reason it's not going into full detent position.