Missing First gear on M817

[TurboJoe]

I just picked up my 817 yesterday, and discovered that I have no first gear. Reverse works, 2nd and the rest of the gears seem to also work. My friend has been checking the TMs, and we both searched a lot here and on google. This seems to be a very rare problem.

I'm afraid it looks like I have to drop a 800lb transmission. Has anyone else had experience with missing a gear?

The good part is she is home in my driveway now, and I get to look at it all the time.

Joe

 

[porkysplace]

You should be able to pull the floor pan and the top of the tranny off to inspect it and see what the problem is.

 

[162tcat]

It's actually very easy to pull the tranny. I used a 2 ton shop crane through the driver door with a chain hoist attached to it. Once loose, start letting chain out until it's on the floor. I had a movers dolly under the truck to catch it, roll the old out and new in.

 

[73m819]

I just looked at some pictures of the open trans, there is about no way to drop 1st in the box and still have everything ealse, I would look at the shift tower and shift rails, my guess is that the far right rail has worked loose from the set screw, a allowing it to move BACK, there by not enough throw to go into first, you can pull the box top while the trans in the truck, just pull the floor panels.

 

[TurboJoe]

Thats good to know. Going from the top changes my whole mindset, seems much easier that way. I can just hoist it down onto a pallet, and pull it out with the skid steer forks.

 

[TurboJoe]

I just looked at some pictures of the open trans, there is about no way to drop 1st in the box and still have everything ealse, I would look at the shift tower and shift rails, my guess is that the far right rail has worked loose from the set screw, a allowing it to move BACK, there by not enough throw to go into first, you can pull the box top while the trans in the truck, just pull the floor panels.

I was leaning that way, and now that I know I can pull the floor I can actually inspect that. I was curious if even if its just the rails if that still meant pulling the transmission anyway.

 

[73m819]

CALL ME, I do not type well ect, 703-389-=6705

 

[avc8130]

I found what I think is the proper parts manual from Spicer:

http://partsmanuals.org/spicerpartsmanuals/Spicer-6000-Series-Parts-Manual.pdf

ac

 

[TurboJoe]

I called Ron on my lunch break, and he was a huge help.

Apparently first and reverse share the same gear, reverse adds in the reversing idler. Therefore the only thing it can be is a broken/misaligned shifter rail. I will pull apart the top of the transmission next time working on the truck and start there.

 

[TurboJoe]

Life and other priorities came in front of the truck, so I finally got to tare into my 1st gear problem 2 years later. My plan was to start by pulling the top of the transmission off as a bent fork was the most likely scenario. I was unable to get the top completely off with the cab on the truck, but I was able to peak inside. What I saw was the first 1/4 inch of the 1st gear on the main shaft ground away. Not sure what happened first. Maybe the fork bent and then the driver couldn't engage all the way, and thus destroyed the small engagement area? Or if the broken gear cause the problem to start with.

Either way it looks like I need a transmission. Anyone have any leads on a used take out?

 

[TurboJoe]

More information for anyone curious:

The 1st and reverse function use the same gear on the main shaft. If the gear is slid to the front (1st position) it engages a gear on the lower counter shaft and drives the truck forward. If that gear is slid backwards, it engages the reverse idler gear, and then a different gear on the counter shaft. So reverse and forward share the same main gear but not the other one.

The 1st gear on the counter shaft is forged/cut into it, and thus the whole shaft would need replacing in my case.