The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

During the removal of my gear sticks after the tractor got stuck in gear, one of the fixing bolts fell into the gearbox. I have tried magnets to remove it but without success. What is the likelihood of this bolt causing a problem?
Back to the reason for removing the gearstick, the selectors are worn. How easy is it to replace with new/refurbished one’s. It’s the top edges that have rounded off.

Bolt loose in the gearbox is very likely to cause terminal problems. You need a magnet on a flexible stick to give you a chance of getting it.

Selector replacement means stripping the box down. Not a bad job but time consuming. Tractor would have to be split at clutch and rear axle as well as removing the clutch housing.

Might also be the only way of getting the bolt out

Thanks for the quick reply. As I feared, no easy fix. I’ll start with the fishing for the bolt, if that fails no other answer but to remove the gearbox and then I’ll change the selectors. Thanks again.

I agree the bolt must come out. If it goes betwwen gear when running its going to do lots of damage. About the gear selector, you said it stuck in gear. Mine did this a lot when I got it but it turned out to be the wear on the ball end of the gear stick. The gear stick was coming out of the selector leaving the tractor in gear with no way of getting nuetral. A bit of welding and a tidy up with the grinder and its been fine since.

Another "Mainlander" joins the forum! As the above messages all stress that the bolt must come out, can you get a small mirror into the gearbox to see under the shaft/gears? TSG.

Hi,

I have a couple of tractors with this problem of gearstick slipping out of selectors but have not yet done anything about it, the reason for this being that a few people have mentioned that it's not a good solution to weld and re-shape the ball end of the gearstick for the simple reason that the weld can work loose and fall into the gears resulting in what Brian has already described.

I would welcome some suggestions from you guys on this subject, I'm sure some of you will have done this and found it to be a success, there may be others that have experienced the weld working loose, let me know what you think for the best.

Regards,

BarryT

I have done this welding on five or six dextas. All of them was a suksess. Never heard of welding loosing and falling into the gearbox

Barry,

I have been welding up those gearsticks for at least 45 years and never had any problems. I have never heard anyone else have a problem either. Not only have I done Dextas but truck and car sticks as well.

Mind you, I don't know if you have seagulls up there, we tend to have pigeons here

Thanks for the welcome Swanndri Guy. 23 years north of the Bombays was enough to get me to move south again, for good this time.

As far as the welding is concerned there are plenty of people who will put a weld on an oily part. Clean it with solvent and give it a light grind back to shinny metal and the weld won't fall off.

Same applies to all welding, get it back to clean sound metal before you even turn the welder on.

Happened with me also...
I drained all oil from the gear-box and saw the bolt between the gears, a magnet on a flex did the rest.
good luck

thanks for all the reply's. I'll drain the oil then see if a can remove the screw, if not guess it will be gearbox removal.