john deere 310c Borgwarner shuttle rebuild for beginners

[mg2361]

Am I correct that the pump in the reverser is driven directly by the engine through the torque converter (straight mechanical connection

Correct.

At this point a gauge needs to be installed and check system pressure.

If this is a fresh rebuild, whoever rebuilt it should offer a warranty and possibly send someone out to check it (if they are close by)?

 

[emmett518]

I just recently completed a shuttle rebuild on my john deere 310c and I thought I would post some information that I learned during this process.This post is for people like me who have no mechanical experience with this type of project but possess some basic tools and some mechanical aptitude and I know that I would have appreciated reading a post like this when I started to research the possibility of doing the work myself.
First of all you should have a service manual that shows disassembly/reassembly,torque and tolerance values. A shop manual for your specific model is highly recommended but if you don't want to buy one you can find a free pdf you can down load if you google Borgwarner shuttle transmission.You can also find a detailed exploded diagram with part #s on John Deere's web site under parts search.The Borgwarner pdf contains most of the information required to complete the rebuild but you would have to make sure that the torque and tolerance values match the shuttle in your hoe.
Next you should have a caliper for measuring clearance and tolerances and a clip lock pliers for removing the type of clips that don't have any holes drilled in them for a standard type of clip remover.Both items are available on e-bay for under $30.00 ea. You will also need some type of press (I used my bench vise and a C clamp) to install the forward clutch cylinder/piston in the ring gear and drivers to set the bearings,any local machine shop can make drivers for a reasonable price or you can get creative and figure out an alternative.If you replace the needle bearing in the planetary housing you will need a pilot bearing puller with a slide hammer(for removal)which you can usually rent from a local auto parts store. You will also need a torque wrench.
I had a cement floor to work on and I also have a rolling floor jack so I made a bracket that mounted on my jack and bolted to the shuttle(there are two bolt holes on the rear of the shuttle for that purpose) to aid in the removal and reinstall.I also removed the fill tube and clutch disconnect solenoid before I removed the shuttle to make it easier to drop.
If you're going to do a complete rebuild you will be replacing all the bearings and the front brass bushing.Make sure you measure and take notes on the depth to which they are mounted in their housing and which end(they are different) is up before you remove them.Also take note of where the seam of the brass bushing is located in relation to the front cover when you remove it.The brass bushing will have to be bored out to no more than .002" larger than the shaft.Bring the front cover,the shaft and the bushing to a local machine shop and make certain they bore it perpendicular to the front cover with the seam in the correct place.I brought mine to a local auto parts store that had a machine shop in the back and they honed the bushing but(unknown to me at the time) it was not done perpendicular to the cover.When I tried to reassemble the case the shaft would bind up.I thought it was something I had assembled incorrectly so I tore everything back down and spent several hours trying to figure out what I had done wrong.After many hours of stressful head scratching I figured it had to be the bushing.So I ordered a new bushing and brought it to a different shop that bored it properly and the cover slid together like a dang.
The trickiest part for me was inserting/aligning the shaft with the forward clutch hub into the ring gear with the forward clutch plates.I found that if you put the ring gear in a vise(I used a wood vise to prevent damage to the ring gear) up to the raised part on the ring gear and then wiggle and turn the shaft while putting slight downward pressure on the shaft it would drop slowly one ring at a time until it was seated.Do this before you install the bearing in the forward clutch cylinder to give you more wiggle room for the shaft.The rest of the reassembly is pretty straight forward.
When reinstalling the shuttle you have to have the splines and drive tangs line up properly with the torque converter.To make this easier, before I had completely reassembled the shuttle I temporarily mounted the new charge pump to the front cover of the shuttle and then inserted that into the torque converter and spun the shuttle cover with attached pump so the bolt holes lined up then carefully removed it.I took care not to spin the pump during the final reassembly When I reinstalled the shuttle it slid on the converter nicely.
With all the help and information you can get from forums like HEF this is a project that is definitely doable by the average guy and with a price of$2,500-$3,000 to have it done professionally it makes sense to at least try.

Yeah. You have basic mechanical aptitude. Like Michelangelo had basic artistic skills. Or Henry Kissinger had basic negotiating skills. And Pavarotti had basic singing skills.

You sell yourself way too short.

 

[Bryan Wichmann]

Correct.

At this point a gauge needs to be installed and check system pressure.

If this is a fresh rebuild, whoever rebuilt it should offer a warranty and possibly send someone out to check it (if they are close by)?

Well - took it apart after I spoke with the dealer who sold me the shuttle and reverser. The tangs on the reverser were not fully seated into the pump drive on the reverser. The tangs are worn / melted down so a new converter is my price to pay for the "education"! I can't really see beyond the seal on the reverser pump but I'm hoping that there's no damage to where the tangs on the TC were rubbing on the pump drive gear.

Here's the rub - I don't know how this happened or how to prevent it from happening again. I did install the TC onto the flywheel, then installed the bell housing and then inserted the reverser input shaft(s) into the TC. We made sure that the tangs on the TC were "offset" 90 degrees from the pump drive gear and everything went together (with only a little rotation on the input shaft to line up the splines).

Vendor says I need to push the TC onto the reverser until it "snaps in" and can turn the pump. Then install the reverser/bell/TC assembly onto the engine block and then use the drain access hole in the bell housing to bolt the TC to the flywheel. I can do this with everything "on the bench" but it will be a struggle to get the whole assembly into the unit instead of doing it in three pieces. In the end, there's no "play" in the connections between the TC and flywheel, between the bell housing and engine block and between the reverser body and bell housing - SO - how can the tangs of the TC not be engaged far enough into the pump drive gear?

Anyone run into this issue? Thanks so much for the help thus far!

 

[Tinkerer]

Your vendor gave you good advice.
Bolt it all together before installing it. That way you cannot destroy the tangs again.
Beg, borrow or steal a transmission jack to reinstall it.
I have never bolted a convertor to a flywheel or flex plate without the reverser or shuttle on it. .

 

[Bryan Wichmann]

Your vendor gave you good advice.
Bolt it all together before installing it. That way you cannot destroy the tangs again.
Beg, borrow or steal a transmission jack to reinstall it.
I have never bolted a convertor to a flywheel or flex plate without the reverser or shuttle on it. .

I did purchase a transmission jack. Worth EVERY PENNY!!
Thanks for your advice!

 

[Bryan Wichmann]

Ok - update! I installed the replacement Torque Converter this past weekend. I did see that there were spacers (thicker than washers) that should have been between the TC and the flywheel mounting plate. That "moves" the TC further into the reverser pump connection.

We measured out 2 gallons of new hydraulic fluid per capacity spec. Cold reverser with empty TC doesn't take all of this right away. Upon startup, my buddy was watching fluid level and added balance as level went down (good sign that the pump was now working!). The reverser was a little overfilled, but I had torque in FWD like I never had before. For about 25 seconds...

Worked in FWD and REV great for just a short time and then we set about adjusting fluid level correct on dipstick. Had to drain a quart or two.
So - I took one shortcut: I did not flush the cooler. I think this may have bit me?
Now the unit barely works again! does not move FWD and has only the smallest amount of torque in REV, won't go up any sort of slight incline.

Question (asking your opinion...). Did I fry the reverser with some sort of old fluid from the cooler or maybe is the cooler just blocked and restricting flow back to the sump? Maybe did I clog up a channel on the spool valve? I dropped the sump and checked the pickup screen. Clean, new and the O-Ring is present.

I checked and verified mechanical linkage adjustment already. took shifter off and manually moved the shifter on the reverser. In Neutral, the output shaft just barely spins clockwise. When in REV, it comes to a stop and takes off at a much higher RPM. Shift to FWD and the output shaft stops spinning counterclockwise and goes clockwise but very slow.

Any ideas on what to try next? Some have suggested putting a gauge on some sort of port on the reverser to measure PSI and I think they said it should be "about 200 PSI". Anyone have a diagram on where this port is? I have the service manual, but I don't see a pressure check port called out anywhere.

Thanks in Advance - your help is very valuable!

 

[MarcNH]

I sent you a PM

 

[Bryan Wichmann]

I sent you a PM

MarcNH - Thank you for the alternative manuals. I didn't rebuild the one I installed, but these are certainly more informative than the JD 310 service manual! Will certainly keep for future reference.

 

[MarcNH]

I do have a relevant question regarding the Front Clutch Piston and the retainer housing.

When I disassembled mine, it was more than a bear getting these pieces apart. At first (before looking at the full parts diagrams and the studying the assembly procedure from the shop manual) I thought this was one piece. It took significant force to separate these pieces, though the seal on the piston did not look to be in great shape. The piston was resting at the fully retracted position in the housing.

I am not even sure if this had been fully activating.

Is this supposed to be a very-tight fit? It just seemed way-way to tight.

The Borg Warner manual that I found does a better job at showing this. And I believe it has pressure specs, and shows you where you can measure. I actually broke down and got a set of gauges to measure everything when it gets re-installed.

 

[MarcNH]

There is what I believe to be a filter of sorts that appears to be on the hydraulic return line from the cooler, something that appears to look like a John Deere LVA12726 inline filter.

I do not seem to see this mentioned much with respect to posts, but it appears that mine is completely mucked-up. Not sure what the heck is in this (just a screen?) but I am not able to get any flow through this whatsoever. It looks to be an $80 part. Looks like it is used in many applications. This is inline from the oil cooler return to a solid T connector on the reverser.

Not the easiest to access filter on an assembled machine, but me thinks this is a rather critical element of the entire reverser system. I was unaware of this when I have gone through the main pickup screen filter on the lower part of the reverser.

None of my warning lights are working yet, so I am adding an oil temperature sensor/gauge to mine. I have a feeling that this has led to failure of the reverser (clutch plates in particular) and denaturing the oil. This is all relatively low pressure, so I am not too worried about the plumbing.

I do check everything before starting her up every time, but this is clearly not enough. Better start working on the indicator panel system.

 

[Tinkerer]

It looks like a hydraulic oil check valve to me.
If it is some times they can be taken apart for cleaning and inspection.

 

[MarcNH]

It looks like a hydraulic oil check valve to me.
If it is some times they can be taken apart for cleaning and inspection.

You Are Correct! (I bet you get that a lot);

A beautiful new (used) manual (PC2068) was just delivered. Why FedEx is working on Sunday, I don't know. Quite nice to have a real book. I have engine books, but not this one.

This is a check valve P/N AT101369.
Air won't go through it (in the arrow direction) and I can't imagine much hydraulic fluid was going through it. The assembly lists for over $500 so I guess I will see the spring/ball/o-ring, and seat when I pull it apart.

 

[melben]

If you had enough pressure on the converter drive lugs to wear them blue and destroyed, your pump was receiving all that end pressure and is surely wiped out, I hope not for your sake but do not see how the pumps internal gear and casting where it runs could have survived.