New 127 - badly slipping dif
 

Hello all - I hope everyone is safe and sound.
As I mentioned in my introductory post, I've recently picked up a 127 for my mother who can't push the foot pedals on her JD any more. I bought the tractor sight unseen - knowing that there would be some problems (battery, points, steering slop, bad fuel, etc). However, I didn't anticipate a very loose differential. On a flat, smooth concrete floor, I can't turn in reverse! One tire just spins. I can't back up in grass either. Again, one just spins. It seems ok in forward. My first thought was the fluid - and low and behold, it wasn't low, however it wasn't red and didn't smell "right". It looks like someone filled it with engine oil or something like that. I don't have a IH Case dealer anywhere near me, so I'm going to flush and refill with something like Traveler to see if there is an improvement while I source Hy-Tran.
If anyone has other ideas, I'd love to hear them! Can the diff loosen up?

One tire spins as if you are stuck? If one of 2 the axles break, tractor would not move at all. So, my hunch is the brakes may be the culprit.... The one on the side which the tire does not spin. That is, if you have external brakes.

Gonna need some more information, Like you cannot drive in reverse but can drive forward? Or does one wheel end lock up while trying to back-up?

"wasn't red and didn't smell 'right'" Last time I checked hy-trans isn't red, so it wouldn't smell like ATF. Hy-trans does look kinda like new engine oil.

Thanks for the replies - I'll try to fill in the gaps and even get a video posted. When I'm in my garage, which has a flat smooth concrete floor, and I try to reverse out, the tractor will roll backward normally. However, if I try to turn while in reverse, one tire spins as if I was on wet grass. I can't back up any kind of an incline either. One tire spins and spins. Forward works normally and strong. I just bought all of things I needed to do a temp fluid change with something closer to Hy-Tran. I won't be doing any work with this cub until it's right, so I'm not too worried about the close-enough fluid.

Thanks again for your suggestions. I'm headed out to check the brakes now.
Joe

Ok - I didn't know that. Thanks. I hope I'm not dumping the good stuff to put in a substitute.

That was it! The left brake was getting hung in reverse. I readjusted the brakes and she's back in business! Thank you! I'll post a video anyway because it was a circus stunt to take the video on my own - and everyone likes videos.

Oh well, looks like I can't upload a video. Thanks again - it seems so obvious now.

Does the front axle pivot? If not any contours in the yard will cause the rear wheel(s) to break traction and not allow tractor to move. :bigthink:

Hello - yes the front axle pivots. After freeing up the left brake that was hanging up, she runs great.

Thanks again for all the suggestions!

Good job :IH Trusted Hand:

I think we still would like a video, or at least a few photo's