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Spicer3053a

davidb56

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I need to replace some top cover parts such as the shifting forks, and shift plate. Im having trouble finding them at the usual places. any leads?
 

Menaces Nemesis

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Yeah I see some rounding, but doesn't look bad to me. Gringeltaube is the guy who's opinion I'd really want on the subject. Maybe PM a pic, and ask him.
 
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davidb56

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Yeah I see some rounding, but doesn't look bad to me. Gringeltaube is the guy who's opinion I'd really want on the subject. Maybe PM a pic, and ask him.
I PM'd him. he has been very helpful. I didn't know how to attach this pic to a pm, so I told him I'd post it here, so he can reply. Im not sure if the right side "lug" is supposed to match the left side. But the transmission got stuck between gears by itself. engine off, shifter in a gear, parking brake engaged on wooded mountain terrain. So Ive contacted him because, he's a expert on them. IMHO.
 

gringeltaube

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... bad or good?
Good, absolutely! I've seen that same (2-3 fork) with much more wear and still working perfectly.

But how about your shift plate; how does it look? Make sure it isn't buckled. Post pics if in doubt.

Also, in your PM you said your Spicer recently has started being difficult getting it into reverse. It can only be the shift mechanism at fault, because the large 1-R spur gear by itself slides back- and forth with no effort at all.
If you still can't find anything suspicious, disassemble- and pull out the 1st-rev shift shaft, in order to inspect & clean the poppet ball and spring and its hole.
 

davidb56

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shift plate looks good. what I did find is 3 washers on one side of the spring, and one on the other, on one shift plate bolt/shaft. On the other side, there are 2 washer on one side of the spring, and none (cover side) on the other. Is this normal? I didn't mix them up incase it should go back that way, but the TM here shows 2 in the plate end of the spring, and my book shows 3 on the plate side.
 

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Menaces Nemesis

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Perplexing... As pretty as that plate and shift fork dogs are, with none of the top plate components being obviously bent, loose, gone, or stuck, or the fork tips being excessively worn, if you can freely slide 1/R gear back and forth on the mainshaft, and can slide 2-3 and 4-5 syncros home both ways meaning the 2-3 syncro hub keys haven't sheared and bulged the hub, and the other mainshaft gears haven't seized onto the shaft. I just can't imagine what happened. I know it sounds impossible, but it makes me wonder if somehow the trans/t-case got put under tension between the clutch plate and park brake, and the park brake and/or clutch didn't fully release afterward, and that somehow caused the bind. One question... that shift fork in the pic, as well as the other shift forks and their respective square-head bolts, were all safety wired, correct?
 
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davidb56

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yes they were wired. But someone has been in this before I got it because the washers next to the shift plate springs were not correct. I got a rebuilt one on its way. I would like to keep this as a spare, but I got to find another ball detent, as the other one flew out across the field somewhere. Also I drove it home shifting through all gears with no problems. But it wouldn't shift when it was bound up, and wouldn't move under engine power. pulling it from the rear finally released it, then it seemed fine, but we know it isn't. It may do it again farther from home or higher up.
 
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gringeltaube

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.... what I did find is 3 washers on one side of the spring, and one on the other, on one shift plate bolt/shaft. On the other side, there are 2 washer on one side of the spring, and none (cover side) on the other. Is this normal?
Maybe not "normal", but it still works the same and it still doesn't explain your issue.

For a reason (which I never understood) the TMs call for three washers on each bolt, and all 3 stacked against the lock plate:

1607085465850.png


But I don't think these washers are acting as shims there, from what can be seen. At least it won't alter its compression force much. Just one washer would be sufficient, to evenly seat the spring end against the plate, IMHO.

BTW, I have found rebuilt units with 4 washers (2 on each end of the spring) and working well. And even with 4, the spring would not bottom out.
 

davidb56

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Yes. I seen that illustration in the TM's here. I thought at first that unequal spring pressure by washer shimming, would bind the shift plate. But the spring pressure isn't very much, the shift plate has almost no wear, and there is a lot of shifter leverage to overcome any "binding" there. So Im going to look down further AFTER I try a rebuilt top cover, but Im thinking I may be going deeper later.
 

Menaces Nemesis

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Yes. I seen that illustration in the TM's here. I thought at first that unequal spring pressure by washer shimming, would bind the shift plate. But the spring pressure isn't very much, the shift plate has almost no wear, and there is a lot of shifter leverage to overcome any "binding" there. So Im going to look down further AFTER I try a rebuilt top cover, but Im thinking I may be going deeper later.
With the top cover off, you're so close to "looking down further" already... if you haven't tried sliding 1/R and the syncros back and forth now is the time to do it. If you need to "look down further", IIRC, it's just a matter of taking the jackshaft loose, and removing the flange nut and bearing retainer, and you should be able to lift the whole mainshaft out if you want to check the counter and reverse shafts. Whether you look down further now or not, I'd certainly check the drain plug for chunkies (no need to drain the trans if the lube is good. If you don't have a spare drain plug to quickly swap in while you check for chunks on the original one, what I do is jam/thread a 1-1/4 to 1-1/2" foam ball into the drain hole while I'm looking at the plug to keep the lube from draining. After I clean the plug, I quickly swap it back in for the foam ball. I usually only lose about 1/4 cup of lube in the process) I'd also check that all your springs are present on your park brake, and that the zerks and cable are lubed and it's releasing the way it should.

I stole these from my cats. I've used the beejeezus out of them. The little one works for engine oil pan, diffs, and trans drain holes. I use the bigger one to plug the transfer case drain while I check the t-case plug...
IMG_20201204_115518.jpg
 

davidb56

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First and reverse are within specs. 2nd gear has waaaay too much play. I think its shot, and then theres the probability the shaft could be too...whichever is a harder material. I cant fix it until spring, as winter has arrived. The ground is frozen, and I got a JD4020 to completely service, new hoses etc so its ready to work in the spring.
 
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davidb56

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No metal in the sump. This may have been this way for a while, as I have only driven it down the highway twice, and its always on a gravel (good areas) road or worse, so I may have not noticed. If I can get the mainshaft rear bearing out, then the mainshaft should move to the rear, lifting the front up and out, and the whole assembly will come out? If that works, I should be able to replace the mainshaft and second gear without pulling the transmission. Guyfang has generously posted the TM's which has the tolerances. BTW the spell check must be a old sailor. its changed every "mainshaft" to mainsheet.
 
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