philtyler
New member
My original post was on 22nd September 2021. Although I have had many views of my post, no one has been able to recommend a way forward so this is what I have done.
I removed the left side floor panel to allow me to remove the cover on the left side of the shuttle section. This wasn’t any help at all as all I could see was a large gear.
Having removed both covers and the oil level dipstick from the shuttle section and not wanting to go down the path of splitting a tractor I purchased a flexible USB connection, mini-inspection camera from an electronics shop. I could connect this to my wife’s tablet and have a look inside the shuttle box, and hopefully locate the missing broken-off piece. Removing the left side shuttle cover had drained some oil from the shuttle/gearbox/final drive section, I decided to drain the rest of the oil. A total of 27 litres of gear oil.
I inserted the camera through the oil dipstick hole but had great difficulty manoeuvring the camera to where I needed it to be and was unable to locate the broken-off piece. So, I resorted to Plan B, which I had hoped to avoid.
Plan B was to drill a 40mm diameter inspection hole in the top of the shuttle case above where the shuttle actuator mechanism is. I cut up a piece of aluminium insulation sheet which I fed into the shuttle section. Hopefully this would stop metal debris getting into the gear mechanism. After drilling the 40mm hole through the 10mm thick casing I dragged out the aluminium sheet. Unfortunately, there was some metal residue on the gears, so I used a garden sprayer with Mineral Turpentine in it to clean all the shuttle mechanism, The turps drained off through the drain plug and left the shuttle mechanism clean. (Photo 1 shows the top of the shuttle box with the extra hole.)
By inserting the inspection camera through my new hole. I was just able to see the broken off part lying under what the parts book calls “Fork shaft of reverse gear”. It isn’t easy to see but the wobbly arrow points it out. (Photo 2). By using a bit of wire, I was able to move the broken part to where it could be clearly seen. A hook on a piece of fencing wire and out it came. (Photo 3 shows the piece retrieved alongside a wireto gauge the size)
I then fed in a length of electrical cable through my new hole and the hole in the side of the casing where the shuttle actuator fits. Tying my new part to the cable, and again using a piece of fencing wire, I was able to get new part into place. From here it was just a case of bolting everything back together, make a cover for the new hole and stick in 27 litres of new 85W-140 gear oil.
After installing the new shuttle actuator, I realised that removing floor pans etc really didn’t help. I ended up removing various bits which could have stayed put and saved lots of work.
I would have preferred not to have drilled a hole in the casing, but I don’t think the integrity of the casing has been jeopardised, and I doubt it has affected the value of a 15+ year old Chinese tractor.
Total cost for parts, camera and oil was a few cents under AU$300.
I hope my story helps someone out there in TractorByNet land.
I removed the left side floor panel to allow me to remove the cover on the left side of the shuttle section. This wasn’t any help at all as all I could see was a large gear.
Having removed both covers and the oil level dipstick from the shuttle section and not wanting to go down the path of splitting a tractor I purchased a flexible USB connection, mini-inspection camera from an electronics shop. I could connect this to my wife’s tablet and have a look inside the shuttle box, and hopefully locate the missing broken-off piece. Removing the left side shuttle cover had drained some oil from the shuttle/gearbox/final drive section, I decided to drain the rest of the oil. A total of 27 litres of gear oil.
I inserted the camera through the oil dipstick hole but had great difficulty manoeuvring the camera to where I needed it to be and was unable to locate the broken-off piece. So, I resorted to Plan B, which I had hoped to avoid.
Plan B was to drill a 40mm diameter inspection hole in the top of the shuttle case above where the shuttle actuator mechanism is. I cut up a piece of aluminium insulation sheet which I fed into the shuttle section. Hopefully this would stop metal debris getting into the gear mechanism. After drilling the 40mm hole through the 10mm thick casing I dragged out the aluminium sheet. Unfortunately, there was some metal residue on the gears, so I used a garden sprayer with Mineral Turpentine in it to clean all the shuttle mechanism, The turps drained off through the drain plug and left the shuttle mechanism clean. (Photo 1 shows the top of the shuttle box with the extra hole.)
By inserting the inspection camera through my new hole. I was just able to see the broken off part lying under what the parts book calls “Fork shaft of reverse gear”. It isn’t easy to see but the wobbly arrow points it out. (Photo 2). By using a bit of wire, I was able to move the broken part to where it could be clearly seen. A hook on a piece of fencing wire and out it came. (Photo 3 shows the piece retrieved alongside a wireto gauge the size)
I then fed in a length of electrical cable through my new hole and the hole in the side of the casing where the shuttle actuator fits. Tying my new part to the cable, and again using a piece of fencing wire, I was able to get new part into place. From here it was just a case of bolting everything back together, make a cover for the new hole and stick in 27 litres of new 85W-140 gear oil.
After installing the new shuttle actuator, I realised that removing floor pans etc really didn’t help. I ended up removing various bits which could have stayed put and saved lots of work.
I would have preferred not to have drilled a hole in the casing, but I don’t think the integrity of the casing has been jeopardised, and I doubt it has affected the value of a 15+ year old Chinese tractor.
Total cost for parts, camera and oil was a few cents under AU$300.
I hope my story helps someone out there in TractorByNet land.
