127 Hydrostatic Drive-Not smooth through range

[proctoidpaul]

I'm putting a 127 model back into "light" duty service after receiving it from my Dad. Mostly going to use it just "around the farm" for pulling a wagon or mayby snow removal in winter.

One issue I'm seeing is that as I move the hydrostatic selector in the "forward" direction, it seems to hang up about half way through it's apparent range. If I hold it there with forward pressure, the tractor eventually seems to speed up, but not consistently. If I "force" it forward hard enough, it "jumps" into what seems to be top end speed.

I don't know if this is just a binding linkage somewhere or if it's some type of a bad wear pattern internal to the transmission.

Any ideas where to start? It works, but is kind of a nuisannce dealing with it it. Hard to find the right speed... either too slow or too fast.

Paul

P.S. Posting a separate question about the generator

[R Bedell]

Inspect the Hydro linkage from the Handle all the way back to the Hydro Unit. If you find slop, fix it. If it is dry, lubricate it.

[proctoidpaul]

Originally Posted by R Bedell

Inspect the Hydro linkage from the Handle all the way back to the Hydro Unit. If you find slop, fix it. If it is dry, lubricate it.

Thanks... will check that out.

[proctoidpaul]

This indeed was just a linkage lubrication issue. Though it was not easy to get to.

I had to pull the seat/fenders assembly and ended up having to drill out most of the slotted screws in the foot plates in the process.

Once removed, I could see, for the lack of a better term, a slotted cam in the mechanism. A little bit of oil here helped, but not completely.

As I looked further inside, I could a similar connection almost out of sight. With an extended oiling can, I was able to get some oil into it and then the majic happened. It immediately freed up. The lever now moves completely freely through forward and reverse directions! A test drive confirmed the same when under load.

As this is a "metal on metal" linkage which is very difficult to get to, I'm trying to figure out the best lubrication strategy going forward. I guess just some plain old grease is about the best I can do. It will pick up dirt/grime over time, but at least now I know where to look if this gets probelmatic in the future.

( I can't seem to get the attached image rotated in the proper direction. What appears to be "up" in the image should be to the right.")

Thanks again for all your help! It's great to see this tractor coming back to life.

[Vrobert]

not sure the best way to keep these parts lubed since they will pick up so much dirt if greasy and sticky. I opted to go with a thin spray lube like silicone. I also bought some "dry lube" spray hoping it will coat the bare metal to prevent rust and not collect as much dirt. I plan to use it on the mule drive linkage as well. Maybe others have better insight from experience and can chime in.

[dodge trucker]

I have the same exact thing going on with an Ariens S 16H that I own, the pump itself is identical, though Ariens has a slightly different trunnion/linkage setup, just been "dealing" with it, as I don't use it a whole lot.