Hello, does it have a filter on the trans? Could be a clogged filter. I would try changing the filter and fluid before getting too worried.

 

I'm not sure if it has a filter or not. I will check.

 

I looked through my manual and it does not list a trans filter. Could my drive belt cause it to do that? I would have thought that if it was the drive belt that it would have made it so that the tractor would not move at all.

 

Here is a capture of the parts breakdown showing the filter #22. Also check out the areas outlined in the other picture to make sure there is no slop and everything is tight allowing full travel of the linkage. Check the small roll pin in the back of the diagram to make sure it is not missng, backed out, or sheared.

Also, if you have air trapped in the system due to low fluids, support the rear of the tractor on jackstands, and run the tractor till warm, shifting from forwards to reverse several times to help work air out of the system. Allow it to stop in neutral before changing directions. Recheck fluid levels after this procedure.

hope this helps you out some.

 

Mike thanks for the suggestions and the diagram. I think that air being trapped is my most likely problem. When the problem first arose I checked and my trans fluid was very low, so I filled it up to where it should be, that is why I think that the problem may be air, as you suggested. I did try going between forward and reverse several times while the wheels were still on the ground; to no avail. But I did not try it with the wheels off the ground. I will try that tonight (as long as I get a chance). Again, thanks for the help!

Frank

 

Pretty funny...I stumbled on this forum and the first Simplicity thread I read is one I can answer! I just had to join and help you out with this one.

Bad News: After you check all of the fluid/filter stuff, your problem probably won't go away. (Simplelife's answer was on the right track, though - and the diagram he gave is invaluable!)

Good News: I been there and done that and I got the answer if it isn't fluid.

First, I'll describe the problem: Simplicity messed up the hydro linkage (See parts 24 thru 28) engineering by not allowing for enough travel to fully actuate the Forward/Reverse valve which is a small shaft in the side of the hydrostatic unit actuated ultimately by part # 36. They all worked fine on this era tractor until the tractors got several years old and the valve (and linkage) wore a bit. Further, the control lever (#1) is limited in its travel by the stop on the mounting plate (#12). You may have had the feeling that "If I could just pull this lever back a little more I could back up" and you would be correct.

The test:
Jack up rear of tractor so drive wheels hang free and chock front wheels (safety first!). Open seat deck and disconnect link #35 or some other part of the linkage so you can manually operate lever #36. Fire up the engine and then operate #36 manually to both ends of its travel. If the wheels move forward and reverse, your tranny is still good (Hooray!) and we are on our way to a fix. I recommend that you use a pliers or something to do this action...there are a lot of moving parts back there which could cost you a finger or two. Also, I think #36 is internally spring-loaded, so you may have the wheels start spinning on you as you start the engine -- be careful!

Now, the fix:
Hmmmm... can't simply make the link (#24-28) longer....it has to be adjusted for zero "creep" in the neutral position -- it needs to be a fixed length. Can't re-drill part 34, either. So, how do we get more travel outta this mess? The answer is that you need to re-make part #18 (see the red box in the bottom right corner). You will need to get a piece of metal the same thickness and width as that part from the local home improvement store. You or a handy friend/neighbor/shop will need to cut it and drill it. The round hole that ties to part #24 is easy but the slot which fits on lever #1 will be a bit trickier. It's been 15 or 20 years since I did this to my dad's '76 Sovereign but as I recall, I drilled 2 holes side-by-side and then used a small file to flatten the sides and create a slot. Now, the $64 question is: how long do you make it? Disconnect Pin and cotter (#'s 22 & 23) from linkage 24. Shove the Hydro control lever all the way to its stop in reverse and then push linkage #24 in the same direction of travel and see how much more travel it is capable of. As I recall, you should only have to make the new part #18 about 1/4" longer (and, thus, the hole spacing will be 1/4" greater) and you will have all the travel you will need. I seem to remember that there was not a whole lotta room under the frame to make the part any longer than that anyway. Besides, if you did, small movements in the Hydro control lever would cause big speed changes.

This additional valve travel will not only make reverse come back but also increase your forward speed as it will now more fully open the valving inside the tranny.

This job requires removing deck and getting under the tractor and a bit of knuckle bleeding so you may want a shop to do it if you are not handy. Disconnecting part #24 of the linkage requires a bit of finesse and a lot of swearing --- keep the kids in the house!

Have fun and let me know how you make out.

Oops: I forgot one more thing: Be sure that the arm that tensions the idler pulley on the hydro drive belt travels fully. I recall that mine got a bit rusty at one point and that a little lube on its pivot and contact surfaces got it to travel more and tighten the drive belt, thus assuring full pump power. See if that belt has a lot of slop in it or seems tight.

 

Great post City farmer!

 

Wow thanks for the reply! I definitely have a lot to check out now. I was kind of hoping to find that my repair wouldn't be as difficult to fix as that but I guess I should be able to manage if it is. I really appreciate all of the help.

- Frank

 

Oh yeah,

Welcome to the forum!

 

City Farmer,
Excellent reply :trink40: and heck of a way to make a first impression. Sounds like we have another knowledgable tractor enthusiast on board.
Welcome to MTF!!!
I like the little projects that get the blood (on the knuckles) flowing.:sidelaugh

 

Where has the farmer been all my life. I have a conquest and its been a great machine. Do you have any recommendations for an old guy in taking care of the thing. It's been trouble free for the first 3 years. Knock on wood.

 

CityFarmer, great to have you on the forum. Excellent post!!

 

Wow, City Farmer. Welcome to Simplicity. Just Awesome.:congrats:

 

Okay, I had a chance to work on the Simplicity a little bit over the weekend. And this is what happened:

I jacked up the rear of the tractor and then blocked it up. I disconnected the forward / reverse linkage by removing parts 2 & 5. Doing that allowed me to move the forward / reverse lever (part 1) to full forward and full reverse positions. I found that by doing this, while having the tractor blocked up off the ground, I could get the tires to spin about 50 rpm which worked out to around 3.4mph. The problem is that it was going the same speed in forward as it was in reverse. So I believe that City Farmer was correct for the reverse part; however, I think there must still be a different problem as well.

Since the tractor was running both forward and reverse while blocked up I decided to bring it down and see what would happen when I went to drive it. Well, I found that I could go about the same speed in forward as in reverse. But, it seemed that in reverse the tractor actually was a little bit stronger. I don't think I mentioned it yet but this tractor should be going about twice the speed it is in forward. And it seems to be lacking the power it should have both in forward and reverse.

Any more suggestions?

Thanks,

-Frank

 

Nope -- Sounds like you are fine and the valving is okay. 3.4 MPH is probably a reasonable forward ground speed. These models were built for power, not speed -- I am tall and I can remember being able to walk at a brisk pace and beat this tractor's speed. Look at your hydro control lever on the steering tower. Notice that the reverse travel is about 1/2 of the forward travel? That is your reverse speed limiter! I believe that you should now fabricate the part and get that baby rolling.

Still not sure about your perceived "power" issue, though. Maybe you are expecting too much from a 30 +/- year old tractor? Maybe it is an engine issue?

Get it going and put it to work on some strenuous task...you should be able to chain drag a 300-400 pound log up an incline with that toy....I did a few times!

 

I guess I should have been more descriptive when I said that it seems to be lacking power. For example I backed into some soft clay soil and the tractor was hardly able to pull out of it even with the engine at close to full throttle; and it wasn't due to a lack of traction either (in other words the tires weren't spinning).
Before I experienced the problem this tractor would spin its tires if it came up against something with more resistance than it had traction. For example if I was plowing snow and it got too deep the tractor would stop moving but its tires would be spinning. The way it is right now it stops dead in its tracks ... no tire spin; however, the engine doesn't seem to bog down at all.

As far as speed goes I would be okay with it only going 3.4mph if it could do it at full power. Another problem here is that it now goes the same speed forward and reverse where it used to go twice as fast in forward as it did in reverse (forward was about ~ 7.5mph).

I hope that this provides a little bit more helpful information.

Thanks for all of the help so far! I had no idea even where to start before.

I'm really hoping that I will be able to repair this thing as I just purchased it a short while ago and don't want to be left with an expensive piece of junk.

-Frank

Oh yeah, you were pretty close on its age ...it's about 35 years old! I bought an older one in hopes that its durability would bee more than that of a lot of the newer ones. .....maybe I went too old?...

 

As perhaps another option I just saw a 7018 Transaxle & pump for sale on Ebay. Does anyone know if that would fit in my 3415?

Thanks,

Frank

 

Ah ha...the story deepens. Well, at this point, I can only think of 2 things....either an internal problem in the trans or loose belts since engine is not faltering. Are you SURE belts are tight and all clutch idler mechanisms are fully functional as I suggested before? That's the one that caught me a while back. Disconnect clutch linkage from the pedal somewhere and remove the hydrostatic drive belt. and check the rotation of the clutch pully mounting shaft....it should move very freely beyond a point where it currently stops against the belt. Mine was deceiving...it appeared to be tensioning the belt but, in fact, was just tight enough against it to give me SOME friction. When I removed the belt, I discovered that the shaft had rusted somewhat so that it allowed for no more rotation (and, hence, idler travel) beyond a "snug" belt vs. a tight one. And, the belt never squealed to hint at slippage. Also be sure that your clutch spring is good...the pedal should have to require a fairly good push to disengage....much more so than a modern automobile clutch.

Q: Did you ever check the hydro fluid and/or pull the filter? Was the fluid clean or black? Any shiny metal sparkles on the filter?

As I write, I now remember another possible culprit!! I believe the lid in the fluid reservoir (#25 in the diagram) has a plastic fill plug in it. If so, is that plug fully drilled through? It is not supposed to be but it should be! The lid is gasketed, as is the jamb nut which retains it. A perfect closed system. But here is the problem: as this fully-closed hydraulic system runs and heats, stuff expands. Great..there is air over the fluid in the reservoir and that should accomodate the expansion. As things cool, the air pressure should return to normal. But, what if a bit of air -- or fluid -- escapes? Then, as things cool, you get negative pressure in the fluid tank. Can you say "pump cavitation?" Yep, as I recall, I once opened that lid only to hear a definite HISSSS as air rushed in -- and my problem went away thereafter. Simplicity's arrangement was so air-tight that the vacuum over the fluid would starve the pump! Sooo......make sure that there is a 1/8" hole bored FULLY THROUGH that little plug. To test this theory, just loosen the lid enough to let air in and see how the tractor performs.

If it is not that, I am out of ideas and would guess you have an internal valving or relief valve problem in the hydro trans.

When I consider how many hundreds of miles I plowed and blew snow, how many tons of soil and manure I moved, how many small stumps and brush and vines I removed and how many logs I dragged without hydro probs, I find it hard to believe that your rear is bad on that model unless some greater idiot than I figured out its limit! Those boxes are cast iron behemoths!!

I expect another full report of your progress....... ;-)

 

I will continue to update as I get deeper into this project. I wish I had a digital camera so I could also give visual updates as to what I am talking about. But, my digital went through the laundry and is junk now.isgus:

Okay, I have not yet checked out the clutch ...must of forgot about that part... (and I not even old yet!)
As for the belt. I just picked one up last night and am going to try and get it on tonight.

When I consider how many hundreds of miles I plowed and blew snow, how many tons of soil and manure I moved, how many small stumps and brush and vines I removed and how many logs I dragged without hydro probs, I find it hard to believe that your rear is bad on that model unless some greater idiot than I figured out its limit! Those boxes are cast iron behemoths!!

Well I don't know what the people that had it before me put it through!

I have to go for now and will post the rest of my reply latter.

Again Thanks,

Frank

 

Last night I replaced the belt and made sure that the clutch pulley / assembly wasn't stuck or sticking. No problems there. I did notice though that there seems to be more "in between" space in the selection of forward and reverse. Before this problem came up I would have to have the forward / reverse lever in just the right spot to keep the tractor form moving; where as now it seems like there is quite a decent gap (in between the forward and reverse). I think tonight I am going to (as long as I have time) try pulling something to re-test its power. I will also try the fluid pressure thing ....time permitting.

If I can not find my problem in these last few things is it possible and reasonable to re-build the Hydrostatic rear?

Thanks,

Frank

 

Before this problem came up I would have to have the forward / reverse lever in just the right spot to keep the tractor form moving

That "creep" is adjustable. There is a turnbuckle adjuster on the hydro control rod under the seat deck. Raise rear wheels, fire it up, make sure the hydro lever on the dash is in the neutral position and adjust it. You'll have to loosen the locknut on one end of it and access is tight. Turn the adjuster until wheels begin turning in one direction. Then, turn it the other way until they begin turning the other. Then, turn to the midpoint of those 2 positions and tighten the locknut.

Let me know how she drags....

 

Well, it seems to have the proper amount of drag power....pulls till it loses traction and spins its wheels (old, hard, turf tires aren't the greatest traction getters). I noticed that now with the new belt on the "creep" seems to be close to where it used to be. So I think that the belt must have been at least part of my problem.

I went to a simplicity dealer to see about getting a new trans filter and found out that it would be over $50 + tax! I was expecting like $25.00 at most.

My next step is to find out where I am leaking trans fluid from. It looks like part of the leakage may be from where the hydraulic lines tie into the trans fluid cooler; so, I am going to replace all of the hydraulic lines (as they seem to have lost much of their flexibility and then go from there.

I just wanted to give you an update to let you know how things are shaping up.

-Frank

 

Simplicity's arrangement was so air-tight that the vacuum over the fluid would starve the pump! Sooo......make sure that there is a 1/8" hole bored FULLY THROUGH that little plug.

The lid on mine is solid steel. Do you think it would hurt anything to still go ahead and drill the hole through it? Because I have been noticing (now that you mentioned it) that every time I open that cannister up I hear the air rush in. The only thing that makes me hesitant is that drilling the hole could allow debris to get in.

I finally had a chance to measure my Hydraulic hose. It's .5" I.D. So I am probably going to stop and pick that up today. Then I will be able to change my hose and flush my fluid so I can try to see if I can find out where my hydro trans is leaking.

I also still have to make the part for my linkage. I'm just so busy right now as It has only been a short while since my wife, my son (11months) & I have moved into our first house (which needs a little work too). ...that's why I've been saying that I would do this or that "if I had time".
Back to the linkage; I have just been using the mower with parts 2 & 3 (from the diagram) removed. I still have all the rest of the linkage hooked up it just allows me full range movement of the selector (part 1).

Well, because of all of the help I have been able to get my tractor back to usable at least. I have been using it to drag logs (trees) for my fire wood cutting. And I have been using it to plow snow; no major snow since it broke though, only the real fluffy stuff.

Thanks,

Frank

 

Back to the linkage; I have just been using the mower with parts 2 & 3 (from the diagram) removed. I still have all the rest of the linkage hooked up it just allows me full range movement of the selector (part 1).

That's gotta be a pain to hold that lever all the time...but I guess it'll work for now.

The lid on mine is solid steel. Do you think it would hurt anything to still go ahead and drill the hole through it?

Hmmmm....that lid collects a lot of chaff and stuff. Here is an idea:
Remove the lid retainer nut and get rid of the nylon seal. Put an external-star lockwasher in its place and just tighten to snug. Perhaps the air pressure can enter/escape around the mounting rod and through the teeth of the lockwasher. Alternatively, you could use a flat washer and just cut through it with a hacksaw. This will give you a little breather slot and accomplish the same goal.

I'm glad you are functioning at present. With a pair of tire chains, you should have no problem dragging those logs! By the way, when dragging logs, hook your chain onto those upper hitch mounting rings on the back, not the trailer hitch plate at the bottom. This will give you a little lift on the front of the log, reducing drag, and a little more downward force on your tires.

 

Thanks for the tips about where to hook the chain...it makes good sense...and I've just been hooking it down at the trailer hitch.

I've got an Idea for keeping the lid from making a tight seal: With the lid off I can put on a nut (which can be adjusted latter) then put on the lid and then the final nut. With the lid being sandwiched in between the two nuts I should be able to get it where it will be able to leave just enough space for air to flow .... without allowing contaminates in. I drew a rough sketch to try and show what I mean. (See attached)

I was able to pick up the hydraulic line this afternoon; so, I should be able to get that replaced soon.

Thanks for the suggestions and help.

Frank