WD45 Jumping Out of Gear Fix Question

Spent a little time tonight reading the sticky on 3rd gear jumping out of gear.

Replacing gears to fix worn down gears to fix the problem sounds pretty expensive, but if one avoids grinding gears, it's a long term fix - understood.

Question is - is the problem of jumping put of gear totally fixed?

Reason I ask is we have hills and while I really like the WD45, I am concerned from a safety standpoint with my kids driving, the tractor jumping out of gear - especially when being pushed with a baler or wagon with some hay on it.

When you replace these gears, how close to factory original is the tranny? Out of the box, would a new WD45 back in the day jump out of gear for any reason or was it only after operator abuse grinding gears that the problem arises?

On another note, if you rebuild/refurb the brakes, will they slide the tires or are brakes just a weak point on the WD45 - like my old MF50?

I'm considering other tractors in leu of the WD45 because of the jumping out of gear deal - but as I mentioned above, really like this design tractor for the era they were made and would like to add one to my fleet.

Any info is much appreciated.

Thanks!
Bill

I drove a 15 year old WD when I was a whippersnapper and I don't recall having it ever jump out of gear. Ask Ted what the hills are like in Western Wisconsin.



Edited by DougS - 15 Nov 2015 at 7:58pm

WDs with the strait shift lever have a sliding gear transmission which did not have the jumping out of gear problem.  The late WDs and WD45s had the collar shift transmission which can jump out of gear caused mainly by grinding of gears over an amount of time.  

A new 200 would jump out of gear test driving it around the dealers lot

As far as the brakes go when they are in good shape they work great. and yes you should be able to slide the wheels. The down side as far as I am concerned is when you need to install new brakes, that can become a full day's job even for an experienced wrench turner.

First off guys we are talking about the WD45 with the last of tractors rolling off the line in 1957 and it's 2015 now, so you look back at all color tractors that age and they have had and might have again trans trouble. Next just installing a set of 226 pistons in a 201 will not gain HP but will lower the HP, it takes more than just pistons to get more horse power. I work on AC tractors day in and day out and can tell you fist hand I do less trans work and more engine work on them. Yes there's trans out running around with trouble but in my shop right now I have three WD45, one WD with a bent shifter trans, and a D19 and of them have good trans in them, In my barn I own three WD45's and a D19 with good trans in them too and have owned one D19 with gear trouble, so I think if you look around and do your home-work you will find a lot of good WD45 tractors still able to work on hills and not jump out of gear.

Thanks again everyone - I appreciate your replies!!!!!!!

DougS wrote: I drove a 15 year old WD when I was a whippersnapper and I don't recall having it ever jump out of gear. Ask Ted what the hills are like in Western Wisconsin.

We call them bluffs, but a lot of people who see them call them mountains.  You go STRAIGHT UP or DOWN, NEVER SIDEWAYS!!  You can hardly stand on them.  NOT fun at all.
If you want to check out a tractor to buy and want to see if it slips out of gear, just get it going down hill at full throttle and then push the throttle closed.  If it slips, you can fix it pretty easily, or you can just pass on that tractor.