GaragePhilosopher
New Member
Bought a John Deere 310A backhoe 15 years ago. It seemed to have good fwd and reverse pwr but in high gears up hills it would get weak. The same backhoe working in good order would have no problem with the same hill. The problem worsened over the years so a mechanic and I split it apart and replaced the clutch packs. The old clutch packs didn't have much wear however. The problem of weak fwd and reverse was the same after reassembly. After a week of driving and digging, it now will just barely move. We placed a pressure gauge on the reverser control valve ports for fwd and reverse, they indicate over 150psi while on flat ground but as we drive up a hill the pressure falls to 50psi and the machine wont move further. We replaced the springs and pins in the reverser clutch control valve but it didn't help. We added shims to increase the pressure which juiced it upwards of 175psi but saw the same indications on the pressure gauge as before. It digs, steers, and brakes with problem so I'm reluctant to say the main trans pump is the culprit. The reverser clutch control valve appeared to have no wear but then again it's aluminum and tough to tell. No external leaks to speak of on the entire machine and all linkages seem clean. Tried adjusting/tightening the clutch linkage but saw no improvement. I see many others have had the same indications as I but have not seen any solutions other than one person who found a faulty seal on the clutch pack. I will reinspect mine...
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