Please help troubleshoot possible prob. w/ 7710

pharmvet · Nov 22, 2009

Ok, I now am in posession of a 1990 model Ford 7710 w/ FWA. I have driven it only a little from the dealer to my shop which is about 2 miles. While driving it this distance, I noticed a couple of things Ive not experienced with other tractors. Please note that this is the first 4WD tractor I have ever driven. What I noticed is that at certain speeds the entire hood shakes pretty bad, and I feel some pretty serious vibration through the steering wheel. I can move the throttle a bit and it will smooth out. I also noticed that i can hear a sound after pushing the clutch in only about 1/3 the way. Is this common, or does it sound like I have a problem.

dave1949 · Nov 23, 2009

The sound you hear with the clutch 1/3 in, is probably the throw-out bearing. I wouldn't worry about unless it gets really loud and sounds like bearings with grit in them.

The tires could account for a lot of the vibration at transport speed. Changing the throttle setting also changes the tire rotation speed. I wouldn't worry much about that either.

Dave.

jinman · Nov 24, 2009

Mike, I certainly can't speak with experience on the 7710, but my tractor sure vibrates some when I drive it on a gravel road, and it has industrial tires. Your 7710 with big MFWD AG tires will surely set up a vibration when driving on a hard surface. The abnormal vibrations you see and hear are probably related to the age of the tractor and loose hinges and latches as much as anything else. If you are not getting front wheel wobble in addition to vibration, then I'd think what you are experiencing is normal. Certainly big ol' tractor tires are not balanced like auto tires, and any imbalance is magnified at full road speed.

The 1/3 clutch pedal sound change sure sounds like the throwout bearing engaging the clutch fingers to me, just as Dave suggested. I guess it could also be that you have a 2-stage clutch; however, I'm thinking that the 7710 probably has a full independent PTO that doesn't require a 2-stage clutch. So, you may have some throwout noise that you need to pay attention to. If the tractor has not been used much recently, this noise may change with use. You can only hope that it decreases instead of increases.

Again, maybe someone with specific 7710 experience will see your post and respond. In the meantime, you'll have to tolerate guys like me who can only guess at its symptoms.

pharmvet · Nov 24, 2009

Thanks guys, I think you are correct about this.

dave1949 · Nov 24, 2009

pharmvet said:
Thanks guys, I think you are correct about this.

You will probably want to replace the throw-out nearing eventually if it doesn't quiet down, or gets worse. I would expect it to take a long time from 'getting noisy' to total failure under normal usage. At least you should be able to pick your time to do it and combine it with a general overhaul of the clutch. Depends on how much you use the tractor and how long you intend to keep it too.

Dave.

Soundguy · Nov 26, 2009

I know when i road my 7610s that I have to hunt to find good rpm that doesn't rattle me around.. just depends ont he raod, tire tread.. and how long they've been setting getting a flat spot on them. depends on the fit of the tin too.. a loose hood will rattle easilly.

soundguy

RickB · Nov 27, 2009

Be sure to shift out of 4WD when on hard, dry surfaces.

allenr · Nov 27, 2009

I'm not familiar with a 7710, or any Ford/New Holland.

I don't suppose there is a plate under the the clutch housing which, when removed, might reveal a grease nipple on the clutch thrust bearing?

Sadly, grease nipples are no longer common on thrust bearings. IMHO all manual trans tractors should have them.