Owners manual language.

[LibTimothy]

I just bought the set of Repair, Parts, and Operators manuals. They arrived yesterday afternoon. I read them all cover to cover last night. I am puzzled by some of the translations.

For example in the operators manual on (blatently assuming we all have the same books) page 48 under the topic "Control Lever For Reduction Gear Box (fig. 26)" I found this verbage:

"... Whilst driving a change over from road to off the road operation must take place only in the 5th or 4th gear...
Danger to damage synchronization. With vehicle stationary, reduction gear may be shifted in at all speeds."

This is perplexing to me. What does this mean? It sounds contradictory.

Thanks!

Timothy

[Jimm391730]

When you shift the transfercase to low range, the transmission has to speed up to account for the slower ratio (assuming the truck is going a steady speed). If the transmission is in the lower gears then the syncros in the transfer case have a lot of work to do to get the clutch disk spun up to a faster speed, this is much harder to do if the transmission ratio at the lower gears is trying to increase the clutch speed much faster than the short shaft.

If the transmission is in neutral then the clutch disk doesn't have to turn at all, and it is not in any gear, so that works well for me. You can certainly tell how hard the syncros are working if you need to "force" the lever with gusto, if it gently and smoothly shifts to the other range then everything is OK.

Shifting from low range to high ("off road" to "road") the clutch disk must slow, and natural friction does that for us anyway, so the transfercase synros don't work as hard regardless of the transmisison gear (or being in neutral).

Jim M.
712W and 710M

[pinzinator]

I've shifted my transfer case at all speeds in all the gears at one time or another, I was never aware of a correct proceedure. This is upshifting and downshifting. I always depress the clutch first and never force the lever, and have never had a problem of any kind. Am I asking for problems in the future?

[LibTimothy]

Thanks guys!

This now makes perfect sense.

And, since I have fresh snow this morning, I think an experiment is in order.

Timothy

[LibTimothy]

Wow.

What a difference this makes. I shifted the transmission into neutral and the then shifted the transfercase. Wow. It was super easy when in neutral. It was very difficult to shift into low range when in second gear.

I learned a lot today. I can't wait to try this off road.

Timothy