Just bought a Massey Ferguson 4355......

tom_tarbucket

Hello

My father recently bought a 2004 Massey Fergsuon 4355 2wd.
Was home at the weekend and was driving it, getting used to it etc.
According to the manual it has a 12 x 12 Shuttle gearbox, like in the attached picture.


So the handle on the left of the steering wheel is for Neutral, forwards and backwards.
The gear lever on the right of the picture with the orange top has 2 functions

1 ) Selecting gear 1,2,3,4
2 ) Changing the "range" between "L" "M" and "H"

There are no other buttons or anything on the gear lever


My question relates to the " range" section of L, M and H. In order to change the range you have to move the gear lever over to the very right as far as it can go and either push forwards or backwards. Seems to be when moving between these you have to be very forceful, Moving from H to M is not too bad, moving from M to H is not too bad, but moving from M to L is a bit iffy, you have to give the gear lever an almighty jerk backwards to get it to go to L. Sometimes you try and do it and it dosent engage in L ( the "L" light does not show in the dash, in fact nothing is lit, neither L. M or H so its in no mans land ) and then you have to try it again and use a lot of force to get it to go to L.


Im a bit worried that im using too much force to change between L, M and H, especially when trying to select L. The manual does not really say how much force is needed.

Is it normal that you have to use a lot of force when moving between H, M and L or should this realy be just a gentle manoeuvre, im worried there may be something wrong here and just wondering if alot of force is needed for the H, M and L stuff ?

simx

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Hello

My father recently bought a 2004 Massey Fergsuon 4355 2wd.
Was home at the weekend and was driving it, getting used to it etc.
According to the manual it has a 12 x 12 Shuttle gearbox, like in the attached picture.


So the handle on the left of the steering wheel is for Neutral, forwards and backwards.
The gear lever on the right of the picture with the orange top has 2 functions

1 ) Selecting gear 1,2,3,4
2 ) Changing the "range" between "L" "M" and "H"

There are no other buttons or anything on the gear lever


My question relates to the " range" section of L, M and H. In order to change the range you have to move the gear lever over to the very right as far as it can go and either push forwards or backwards. Seems to be when moving between these you have to be very forceful, Moving from H to M is not too bad, moving from M to H is not too bad, but moving from M to L is a bit iffy, you have to give the gear lever an almighty jerk backwards to get it to go to L. Sometimes you try and do it and it dosent engage in L ( the "L" light does not show in the dash, in fact nothing is lit, neither L. M or H so its in no mans land ) and then you have to try it again and use a lot of force to get it to go to L.


Im a bit worried that im using too much force to change between L, M and H, especially when trying to select L. The manual does not really say how much force is needed.

Is it normal that you have to use a lot of force when moving between H, M and L or should this realy be just a gentle manoeuvre, im worried there may be something wrong here and just wondering if alot of force is needed for the H, M and L stuff ?

Should be relatively gently enough, your linkages could be half seized, was it parked up a good while? I know on 40 series nh there is grease nipples and should be done regularly, and it does help a lot to do them regular

mengele

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Hello

My father recently bought a 2004 Massey Fergsuon 4355 2wd.
Was home at the weekend and was driving it, getting used to it etc.
According to the manual it has a 12 x 12 Shuttle gearbox, like in the attached picture.


So the handle on the left of the steering wheel is for Neutral, forwards and backwards.
The gear lever on the right of the picture with the orange top has 2 functions

1 ) Selecting gear 1,2,3,4
2 ) Changing the "range" between "L" "M" and "H"

There are no other buttons or anything on the gear lever


My question relates to the " range" section of L, M and H. In order to change the range you have to move the gear lever over to the very right as far as it can go and either push forwards or backwards. Seems to be when moving between these you have to be very forceful, Moving from H to M is not too bad, moving from M to H is not too bad, but moving from M to L is a bit iffy, you have to give the gear lever an almighty jerk backwards to get it to go to L. Sometimes you try and do it and it dosent engage in L ( the "L" light does not show in the dash, in fact nothing is lit, neither L. M or H so its in no mans land ) and then you have to try it again and use a lot of force to get it to go to L.


Im a bit worried that im using too much force to change between L, M and H, especially when trying to select L. The manual does not really say how much force is needed.

Is it normal that you have to use a lot of force when moving between H, M and L or should this realy be just a gentle manoeuvre, im worried there may be something wrong here and just wondering if alot of force is needed for the H, M and L stuff ?

more than likely stiff from never been used. the tractor probably spent most of its life in medium or high box.

tom_tarbucket

simx wrote: »

Should be relatively gently enough, your linkages could be half seized, was it parked up a good while? I know on 40 series nh there is grease nipples and should be done regularly, and it does help a lot to do them regular

Im not sure on this.

It only has 2900 hours so not a lot of use in 10 years so maybe it has been parked up.

tom_tarbucket

mengele wrote: »

more than likely stiff from never been used. the tractor probably spent most of its life in medium or high box.

Get ya, so would something need to be done to resolve or will it just loosen up over time

Do you think its any harm ?

limerick farmer

id say when you get used to it you will never use the low range my 390 is similar and hardly ever use the low box

mengele

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Get ya, so would something need to be done to resolve or will it just loosen up over time

Do you think its any harm ?

if ye bought it off a dealer you could always ask him. if its private you will just have to lump it.

probably just stiff from not being used but doubt you will get much use for than box anyway only maybe just dung spreading (if your plastering the field) or hedge cutting.

I wouldn't be trying it too much to get it free but maybe just put it into that box once a month to keep it going.

micraX

There is grease nipples on the gear linkage under the cab. Try that first and see is any better.

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

we have a 4245, the gear ranges are changed in the same way. I wouldn't worry about it, ours is the exact same, can be hard to get it into L at times. we have close to 4k hours on it. it probably spends 30 mins a year in the low box, and even at that, im probably over estimating.

tom_tarbucket

micraX wrote: »

There is grease nipples on the gear linkage under the cab. Try that first and see is any better.

Thanks, are they hidden under a cover or are they fairly evident to find.

How do you get to them, from inside the tractor, from under the tractor etc

simx

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Thanks, are they hidden under a cover or are they fairly evident to find.

How do you get to them, from inside the tractor, from under the tractor etc

With 40 series nh ya get at them from underneath

weatherbyfoxer

Could be the selector pin in the gearbox on the way out either..happend here with a 390 with that 12x12 gearbox also a friends 4355 with the 24x24 powershuttle box

hope im wrong because it involves splitting the tractor to replace a small part quiet costly if your paying a garage to do it

jimmy G M

mengele wrote: »

more than likely stiff from never been used. the tractor probably spent most of its life in medium or high box.

+1
Have a 4255 here, similar gear pattern, have never used L range in the 2 years since we got it. Must try it out later to see if it is stiff to move like yours.

tom_tarbucket

jimmy G M wrote: »

+1
Have a 4255 here, similar gear pattern, have never used L range in the 2 years since we got it. Must try it out later to see if it is stiff to move like yours.

Do and let me know

tom_tarbucket

weatherbyfoxer wrote: »

Could be the selector pin in the gearbox on the way out either..happend here with a 390 with that 12x12 gearbox also a friends 4355 with the 24x24 powershuttle box

hope im wrong because it involves splitting the tractor to replace a small part quiet costly if your paying a garage to do it

Jaysus, this has me worried

micraX

I'm not to sure we got rid of our 4335 in 08. Our 4315 and 6260 can be greased from under the cab. And there set up is fairly similar.

have2flushtwice

I had a jcb last year, not one linkage or lever would move easily. An hour with a blotorch, oilcan, and someoe inside moving the handles got a lot of it freed up, so dont panic yet.

Reggie.

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Jaysus, this has me worried

It's a famous fix on the masseys. Started with the 300 series

tom_tarbucket

Reggie. wrote: »

It's a famous fix on the masseys. Started with the 300 series

So is this selector pin thing a well know issue ?

Based on what I say and with going from
H to M ok and M to H ok, do you think its a selector pin issue.........or just that it's the fact that it may rarely have been in L and it's just a bit stiff ?

Reggie.

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

So is this selector pin thing a well know issue ?

Based on what I say and with going from
H to M ok and M to H ok, do you think its a selector pin issue.........or just that it's the fact that it may rarely have been in L and it's just a bit stiff ?

I'd reckon it's just the lower selection is stiff as when all the ranges get stiff it's the pin in my knowledge

case956tom

weatherbyfoxer wrote: »

Could be the selector pin in the gearbox on the way out either

you mean the spring that controls the range selector mechanisim

tomwaterford

Reggie. wrote: »

It's a famous fix on the masseys. Started with the 300 series

relatively cheap to do,if your willing to split it your self and jus bring the box to a dealer to install said spring
a day(less if no loader) will have you nearly done

Nekarsulm

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Hello

My father recently bought a Massey Ferguson .
?

See, there is your problem, right there! :D

Reggie.

Nekarsulm wrote: »

See, there is your problem, right there! :D

Behave yourself you :pac:

weatherbyfoxer

case956tom wrote: »

you mean the spring that controls the range selector mechanisim

yea....that yoke

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Jaysus, this has me worried

I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. our 4245 has been like that since we got it in 2004 (second hand, its a 00 reg tractor).

tom_tarbucket

Harry Beautiful Circus wrote: »

I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. our 4245 has been like that since we got it in 2004 (second hand, its a 00 reg tractor).

Thanks

jay gatsby

It's just lack of use. Any of them I've ever driven have been awkward to get into Low. It's simple not used on ninety percent of tractors.

Even on loader tractors lads stick with medium 1 or 2 for heavy work so you can get into a fast reverse gear on the move.

I certainly wouldn't worry about it though of course grease is your friend on any moving part so checking out linkage is a good plan too.

tom_tarbucket

jay gatsby wrote: »

It's just lack of use. Any of them I've ever driven have been awkward to get into Low. It's simple not used on ninety percent of tractors.

Even on loader tractors lads stick with medium 1 or 2 for heavy work so you can get into a fast reverse gear on the move.

I certainly wouldn't worry about it though of course grease is your friend on any moving part so checking out linkage is a good plan too.

Thanks for that.

What do you mean exactly by checking out linkage ?

agriman27

I have a 4355 and the low box is harder to select aswell I think it's just from lack of use its no harm, 390t was always the same way too, I wouldn't be worried about the famous pin at all:pac:

micraX

agriman27 wrote: »

I have a 4355 and the low box is harder to select aswell I think it's just from lack of use its no harm, 390t was always the same way too, I wouldn't be worried about the famous pin at all:pac:

*Infamous

tomwaterford

agriman27 wrote: »

I have a 4355 and the low box is harder to select aswell I think it's just from lack of use its no harm, 390t was always the same way too, I wouldn't be worried about the famous pin at all:pac:

when it goes you will

agriman27

tomwaterford wrote: »

when it goes you will

I know all about the spring had it done in my 390t costly fix but I don't think there is any sign that the spring is goin to go, it just goes and that's it no warning. I don't think it's fair to be making the lad afraid about an expensive repair that hasn't even broke yet on his new tractor, I just don't think it's fair. Just because the gear selector is stiff from seldom use of very low gears on a 2wd tractor with 2900 hrs done, it might never go! # rant over #

tanko

agriman27 wrote: »

I know all about the spring had it done in my 390t costly fix but I don't think there is any sign that the spring is goin to go, it just goes and that's it no warning. I don't think it's fair to be making the lad afraid about an expensive repair that hasn't even broke yet on his new tractor, I just don't think it's fair. Just because the gear selector is stiff from seldom use of very low gears on a 2wd tractor with 2900 hrs done, it might never go! # rant over #

Which other Massey tractors apart from the 390T have that spring problem? Did all 390T's have it or was it just those built in certain years?

Bactidiaryl

Had the spring go in my 4200 series. Just went out of the blue. I use all the ranges. The spring I think only cost about a euro but the splitting and putting back together was another €999. When a tractor is split it's no harm to do any thing else that is possible to give trouble later.

tom_tarbucket

OP here.

So do you think that I may have a possible pin issue.

Or is the pin issue just something that can happen regardless of difficulty with the range selection.

agriman27

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

OP here.

So do you think that I may have a possible pin issue.

Or is the pin issue just something that can happen regardless of difficulty with the range selection.

The difficulty selecting the range has no relevance to the spring breaking. There is no way of knowing when it's going to go ping. If I was you I'd just forget about the spring and work away, there is no point worrying about something that mightn't happen for a couple of thousand hours. If it does go so what cross that bridge when ya come to it:pac:

Reggie.

agriman27 wrote: »

The difficulty selecting the range has no relevance to the spring breaking. There is no way of knowing when it's going to go ping. If I was you I'd just forget about the spring and work away, there is no point worrying about something that mightn't happen for a couple of thousand hours. If it does go so what cross that bridge when ya come to it:pac:

+1 the gears are more than likely only stiff so power away

have2flushtwice

Il tell u what to do. Get thepin and spring, put em in a safe place, and save up or put aside the cash to replace it.
It mite never happen, but if it does, your prepared.

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

OP here.

So do you think that I may have a possible pin issue.

Or is the pin issue just something that can happen regardless of difficulty with the range selection.

Reggie.

have2flushtwice wrote: »

Il tell u what to do. Get thepin and spring, put em in a safe place, and save up or put aside the cash to replace it.
It mite never happen, but if it does, your prepared.

This is true but I've my 398 for the last 7 years now and it never went and no sign of it going either. Horse on lad and a bit of work will free her up well.

tom_tarbucket

Reggie. wrote: »

This is true but I've my 398 for the last 7 years now and it never went and no sign of it going either. Horse on lad and a bit of work will free her up well.

Good to hear. Thanks ; )