M936A1 Transfer PTO Linkage: Oil from Bolt Hole

[nf6x]

Hey there, everybody! I'm finally tinkering with my wrecker a bit after ignoring my green truck hobby for quite a long time.

The transfer PTO on my M936A1 wrecker is very hard to engage. I think that the shift lever may not be actuating the linkage on the PTO far enough, so I crawled under there to take a look at the linkage. Lever #5 looks bent out of shape in the right direction to interfere with engaging the PTO, so I think I should take it off and give it some love before I try readjusting the cable end.

Now, when I took out bolt #8, gear oil began dribbling out of the bolt hole in the PTO housing. I put the bolt right back in, since I was just doing a bit of exploration before setting time aside to do the job right.

Should it surprise or concern me that some gear oil came out of that hole? Is there normally something like a weep hole in the bottom of that (blind?) threaded hole, or should I be taking off the whole PTO for disassembly and inspection when I next work on this?



Incidentally, there are a couple of other things I might like to address on my PTO shifter. The lock #10 on the shift lever is hard to get a grip on without using a tool, so I'm thinking about welding a little bar onto the lock to give me an easier dingus to grab on the inboard side of the shift lever. The shift lever #6 is also a bit hard to manipulate because the tip of it is cramped in next to the driver's seat belt retractor. That might not be a problem any more once I have the linkage adjusted properly and engaging/disengaging smoothly, but I'm considering adding some sort of extension to the shift lever. Assuming I can do that without constantly boofing Soldier A on the shift lever while climbing in and out of the truck, that is. If any of y'all have tinkered with your wrecker PTO shift levers to make them more awesome, I'd love to hear about it.

 

[simp5782]

It should be fairly easy to reach around behind you with your left arm while sitting in the seat and push the arm to the rear to engage the PTO arm. I never have any problem in a 936. The lock, eh i have never used it if that tells you anything. The 809 series wreckers you pull forward on the engagement arm to the lock is a little easier to manage if you need to use it.

That lower bolt should have had some type of locktite or sealant on the treads. It is normal for it to leak.

 

[nf6x]

Thanks! Yes, I saw red sealant residue on the threads. Knowing that the leakage is normal, and not a sign of a crack inside the PTO housing, is a relief.

The shifter lever crowding against the seat belt retractor might only be giving me headaches because it's so hard to get my PTO to engage without popping out as soon as I put the transmission in gear. I'm hoping that'll become a non-issue once I get the PTO to engage smoothly.

 

[simp5782]

Thanks! Yes, I saw red sealant residue on the threads. Knowing that the leakage is normal, and not a sign of a crack inside the PTO housing, is a relief.

The shifter lever crowding against the seat belt retractor might only be giving me headaches because it's so hard to get my PTO to engage without popping out as soon as I put the transmission in gear. I'm hoping that'll become a non-issue once I get the PTO to engage smoothly.

To solve this. leave the power divider disengaged. Put the transfer case to neutral. Shift the transmission to 1-5 for a split second then back to neutral. wait 2 to 3 seconds. Then push your power divider to the rear. it will engage all the way then put your transmission in 1-5 it should not kick it out or you can hold the arm back when you reengage the transmission

 

[nf6x]

My PTO shifter still usually pops out of engagement when I shift the transmission from N to 1-5, even if I blip the transmission into 1-5 for a moment as you suggest to get the gears coasting before I shift the PTO. I suspect that my PTO shift linkage isn't fully engaging the PTO, so it pops back out of partial engagement once the transmission applies some torque to it. I hope that the PTO clutch hasn't gotten too boogered up already by incomplete engagement and/or poor operator technique.

 

[simp5782]

They just need a little motivation sometimes. Built by the lowest bidder tolerances

 

[nf6x]

I'm pretty sure that my shift linkage needs a visit from the calibration hammer. The metal bar that's held on by the leaky bolt looks bent out of shape, and the PTO doesn't engage properly with the shift lever pushed back against the rear cab wall. And with the shift lever in the engaged position, the final link that shoves the shift fork looks like it has another quarter inch or so of travel left.


It's a shame that my wrecker is missing its big honkin' vise on the front bumper. That would come in handy for this delicate adjustment.