how to shift a 56 series and newer

After reading post after post of wobbly shift on the large frame and jammed gears on small frame (656/666/686), I wonder how many people are shifing with the correct motion?

I would not be surprised if sometime in the tractor"s past someone was shifting hard in a diagonal motion.

Our 656 was owned since new (6300hrs) and still shifts nice and crisp sideways betwen gates, although a little loose within each fore and aft throw (r-1, 2-3, 4-5). I think we all have shifted it in 2 or 3 seperate motions, prolonging the shift mechanism.

The 1256 was purchased used with about 7000 hours on it, the shift was wobbled out in the levers and quadrant (dash parts) and got progressively worse in 15 years, where the range lever would flop around while the trans was actually in gear, and you could put it in forward and reverse at the same time. I put better used parts in it and it is much better now.

although different designs, my experience still leads me to believe that improper shifting technique causes a lot of shift problems.

When you get your shifters rebuilt, make sure you are shifting in deliberate motions in each direction needed to reach the desired gear so that you won"t have to rebuild the shift in a long long time.

hope this helps some
karl f

The biggest problem with any I H tractor with shifting problems stems from clutch and T/A adjustments . I have covered this more then one time on here .When things get out of adjustmen people start tugging and slamming the shifters Don't care if it is a 300 all the way up thru a 1586 .

Well said TV, I've seen it more than once where people were cussing about a TA being out or the tractor was crap and couldn't/wouldn't shift. It's amazing how taking either an IT or Service Manual and adjusting the settings as required fixed them. One of my bosses at a garage I worked at sure got torqued off at me. A customer brought in a tractor for a TA being out and needing replacement. I adjusted it up and sent it back out the door. Boss was mad because he didn't get the pay for the un-needed parts and labor. Oh well, that was sure one happy farmer that he didn't have to spend more money than he had.

Jim