Range gear shift lever missaligned

Biotex

New member

Equipment
B7800 HST
Nov 11, 2015
13
0
0
Alpine, TX
My new to me B7800 has 550 hours and is in nice working order as best I can tell.
The only mechanical issue I have is that the shift lever doesn't align with what is printed on the fender label. I'm talking about the (L-N-M-N-H) emblem.
When the lever is pointing to the Medium range, the transmission is really in neutral. It appears to be one notch off, and as a result, the lever hits the fender when all the way forward and won't fully engage into high gear. I have had it pop out of gear a couple of times because the lever won't go forward enough.

My first thought is the lever is bent, but an inspection of the lever doesn't show it to be bent. When it is parallel to the other lever next to it, they appear to be bent exactly the same shape. I removed the rear wheel to take a closer look and see that there are no splines on the shift shaft, just a single pin, so no adjustment that I can find.

Should I try to bend the lever towards the rear until the settings match up?
 

Diydave

New member

Equipment
L2202 tractor, L185f tractor
Oct 31, 2013
1,635
7
0
Gambrills, MD USA
My new to me B7800 has 550 hours and is in nice working order as best I can tell.
The only mechanical issue I have is that the shift lever doesn't align with what is printed on the fender label. I'm talking about the (L-N-M-N-H) emblem.
When the lever is pointing to the Medium range, the transmission is really in neutral. It appears to be one notch off, and as a result, the lever hits the fender when all the way forward and won't fully engage into high gear. I have had it pop out of gear a couple of times because the lever won't go forward enough.

My first thought is the lever is bent, but an inspection of the lever doesn't show it to be bent. When it is parallel to the other lever next to it, they appear to be bent exactly the same shape. I removed the rear wheel to take a closer look and see that there are no splines on the shift shaft, just a single pin, so no adjustment that I can find.

Should I try to bend the lever towards the rear until the settings match up?
Pics would be helpful here, if you can post them.

Sounds like it has had a field expedient repair, in the past, that was close, but not quite right.

What kind of pin is in the now splineless shaft?:confused:
 

Tooljunkie

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L1501,home built carry all, mini plow blade.
May 13, 2014
4,150
27
48
59
Lac Du Bonnet, Manitoba,Canada
I recall a similar problem. Operator would depress clutch to shift ranges, it wouldnt shift and he forced it. Bent shift lever and then it wouldnt go into all ranges.

Managed to correct problem by somehow blocking and bending lever into alignment.
From that point on using hst pedal while shifting ranges to gently mesh gears was less of a problem than using clutch.
 

85Hokie

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Equipment
BX-25D ,PTB. Under Armor, '90&'92-B7100HST's, '06 BX1850 FEL
Jul 13, 2013
10,269
2,104
113
Bedford - VA
My new to me B7800 has 550 hours and is in nice working order as best I can tell.
The only mechanical issue I have is that the shift lever doesn't align with what is printed on the fender label. I'm talking about the (L-N-M-N-H) emblem.
When the lever is pointing to the Medium range, the transmission is really in neutral. It appears to be one notch off, and as a result, the lever hits the fender when all the way forward and won't fully engage into high gear. I have had it pop out of gear a couple of times because the lever won't go forward enough.

My first thought is the lever is bent, but an inspection of the lever doesn't show it to be bent. When it is parallel to the other lever next to it, they appear to be bent exactly the same shape. I removed the rear wheel to take a closer look and see that there are no splines on the shift shaft, just a single pin, so no adjustment that I can find.

Should I try to bend the lever towards the rear until the settings match up?
SO - the N closer to L/M is really the M if I understand correctly?
If not the lever bent - is something the lever connected too bent? Did you trace it all the way back to the transmission case?

Look at this diagram and see if it matches to your machine
 

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100 td

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Equipment
B21TLB (B21, TL421 & BT751) Toyota SDK4 T116 Bobcat
Aug 29, 2015
1,776
8
38
ɹǝpunuʍop
Check this out, could be similar to mine popping out of range.
My B21 had the exact same problem, while mine was/is "slightly" bent, the problem lay with the 2 bolts where the lever bolts on, loosen those bolts, pull lever back into correct position and bolt back up "tight", it now goes into all ranges.
 

lugbolt

Well-known member

Equipment
ZG127S-54
Oct 15, 2015
4,807
1,575
113
Mid, South, USA
Lever's probably bent. Could also be fender bent a little and possibly a sticker that is not quite lined up where it should be. Seen all of the above.

I can't remember which tractor it was, but one of them I dealt with at one time, the internal shift lever was bent. I think it was a B7500HSD but I can't remember for sure. Old age kicking in.
 

Biotex

New member

Equipment
B7800 HST
Nov 11, 2015
13
0
0
Alpine, TX
Pics would be helpful here, if you can post them.

Sounds like it has had a field expedient repair, in the past, that was close, but not quite right.

What kind of pin is in the now splineless shaft?:confused:
Sorry for the late reply. I was out of town.

There is a single cotter style (but beefier) pin that holds the lever to the shift shaft. There can only be one way to instal it with no adjustment.

I do not see evidence of any previous field repairs being done.
 

Biotex

New member

Equipment
B7800 HST
Nov 11, 2015
13
0
0
Alpine, TX
SO - the N closer to L/M is really the M if I understand correctly?
If not the lever bent - is something the lever connected too bent? Did you trace it all the way back to the transmission case?

Look at this diagram and see if it matches to your machine
Yes it does look like your diagram. I did trace it all the way back. I removed the rear wheel to get a close look and it really didn't look like anything amiss.

The N closer to the L/M is really L.
So it appears to me that if the lever was pressed forward very hard towards H range and it bent the lever, then that would explain it.
 

Biotex

New member

Equipment
B7800 HST
Nov 11, 2015
13
0
0
Alpine, TX
Check this out, could be similar to mine popping out of range.
My B21 had the exact same problem, while mine was/is "slightly" bent, the problem lay with the 2 bolts where the lever bolts on, loosen those bolts, pull lever back into correct position and bolt back up "tight", it now goes into all ranges.
I see no two bolts???
 

Biotex

New member

Equipment
B7800 HST
Nov 11, 2015
13
0
0
Alpine, TX
Lever's probably bent. Could also be fender bent a little and possibly a sticker that is not quite lined up where it should be. Seen all of the above.

I can't remember which tractor it was, but one of them I dealt with at one time, the internal shift lever was bent. I think it was a B7500HSD but I can't remember for sure. Old age kicking in.
I never thought about perhaps the fender being off a bit. I'll check that out. Since the lever is sooo long, it wouldn't take much of a bend to get the thing realigned. Probably what I should do.
I sure hope it is not the internal shaft being bent.
 

CountryBumkin

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BX2370 w/LA243, Bucket, Grapple, QA Pallet Forks, 60" MMM, rear blade & rake
Sep 27, 2015
568
2
0
Central FL
Just be careful bending it. You could make a small annoyance into a big problem.

Since you determined that nothing with the lever or linkage is bent or slipped, I would look at realigning the fender first. If that doesn't do it, I would either get a new label and position it as needed, of use one of those label-makers and just put new markings over the existing ones where they line up with the lever positions correctly.
 

coachgeo

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Equipment
L225 w/woods Few Mowers & Back Blade, D722 in Motorcycle (Triumph Tiger), LMTV
Nov 16, 2012
2,460
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48
Southern OH
J... If that doesn't do it, I would either get a new label and position it as needed, of use one of those label-makers and just put new markings over the existing ones where they line up with the lever positions correctly.
wont solve his problem see below

...only mechanical issue I have is that the shift lever doesn't align with what is printed on the fender label..... appears to be one notch off, and as a result, the lever hits the fender when all the way forward and won't fully engage into high gear. I have had it pop out of gear a couple of times because the lever won't go forward enough....
Keep looking!!!!! It is a brain teaser but something is misaligned, miss adjusted or bent somewhere. Get fresh eyes on it too.
 
Last edited:

Biotex

New member

Equipment
B7800 HST
Nov 11, 2015
13
0
0
Alpine, TX
I ended up tweaking the lever. I put a crescent wrench on the flat part of the lever in a way that the handle of the wrench was resting on a solid piece of metal. Then I forced the shift lever to the rear while the wrench kept the lever held in place. A couple of trial and error tweaks and I can live with it now.

Looks like someone was mowing in the mesquite brush! I sprayed soapy water on the tires and saw bubbles in at least a dozen spots and I don't like to use slime.
Time to order some new front tires to replace my pincushions.