Flu 419 Lost all gears in intersection

[Turkrypty]

Hello all

I recently purchased a 1990 FLU 419. It is in decent condition. It ran, drove, dug, cut, drilled, hammered and more! I drove it around the yard, to the gas station and back, dug up a few stumps, and went to take a friend for a ride. I engaged the hi/lo range selector on the 4 speed trans and lost all gears and came to a stop in the middle of an intersection. Nothing i did would make the truck move again. PTO still engages and disengages, you can hear and feel a good clutch engagement but it will not move.

Only thing i can think is its stuck in-between gears. After this happened I was struggling to maintain air pressure. Is high/low air actuated?

Any thoughts? Im VERY new to Unimog ownership (4 days) and hoped my first failure would be something much less scary.

Thanks in advace

Turk

 

[pat356jones]

Wow i just got a 1990 FLU419 2 days before you got yours (Tuesday) so I'm not much help but if it makes you feel any better I got mine stuck in the mud today. I pulled it completely around 180 degrees with the backhoe but the front wheels were so bogged down turning the Unimog around made the front sink further like a corkscrew. Let me know if you or anyone else has any suggestions on how to get it out!

 

[Pinsandpitons]

The “high / low” collar on the gear shift is indeed connected to an air solenoid, but it's really a “direct/underdrive” (more like a split shift). I think there’s a spring that keeps the transmission in direct until the solenoid works against it. The lever for that trans function is on the passenger side and can be reached from outside. You might be able to tell if its stuck. How did you evacuate the intersection?

 

[f800]

Turkrypty,
Same exact thing happened to me when I pushed clutch in to slow down around the yard. I feel good clutch engagement and the Pto engages and works the backhoe. I think (hope) its just an air solenoid, however, have been told that necessitates pulling the FROPS and the cab. Not having time yet, I pull FLU around yard and use backhoe to gimp around in position. May have to tackle it this winter (when its nice outside in SW FL).

 

[Turkrypty]

I was able to evacuate the intersection with a chain and a truck. I was not far from my house. I have to make a 30 mile road trip with this soon, so i've been testing it out around the house. glad It broke where it did because any farther away i would have had to have it towed.

Where exactly do i reach if from outside? could you elaborate on that pins?

 

[peakbagger]

FYI, I dont know how cold it was down in CT but SEEs have wet air systems with no good way of removing water. This can build up and freeze if the temps are below freezing. If you run them below freezing you need to turn the alcohol injection system on and fill the alcohol bottle. Unfortunately due to a design defect many of the alcohol bottles got smashed allowing dirt into the injection valve. The alcohol keeps the water in the air from freezing.

 

[Turkrypty]

****UPDATE*****

When checking this out before purchasing it, we found a blown fuse for the bucket up down switch. we swapped that for another fuse to test it out. turns out that other fuse has something to do with the air solenoid and hi/lo range... replaced that fuse and it has gears again. however, I Test drove it around the yard and the block... It does not seem like my high/low selector does anything. is the difference very noticeable? or kind of subtle? I can do about 30 mph at 2400 rpm which is good enough. hopefully this helps somebody.


I will be looking into the alcohol system shortly.

 

[peakbagger]

The air selector on the shifter basically splits the difference between each gear. I don't see its of great value for normal operations. I could tell the difference when its in or out. If its still has the stock Michelin tires, 30 MPH is about as fast as you want to go. Make sure you lock the loader in the travel position before driving down the road. Its in the manual. FYI, the fuse panel and location is not one of Mercedes better ideas. The contacts get corroded especially when people leave the hood off. Worth cleaning them up with steel wood. Make sure you have the right size fuses in the fuseholder.

 

[The FLU farm]

I have to make a 30 mile road trip with this soon, so i've been testing it out around the house.

I don't envy you having to do that drive. After three or four years I have now put about 30 miles on the HMMH, but it has all been on the property, with the exception of one 4-mile round trip to the post office.
During that trip I learned that the HMMH is like a sports car compared to the SEE.

For that reason, and a few others, I have tow vehicles and trailers should I ever need to take a SEE (or HMMH) more than a couple of miles from the house.