[powerlifter405]

It's 20* today and we screwed around the neighborhood and lake. We got around 18" probably total in the last 24 hours on top of what was already on the ground so we decided to head out for a bit.

Most of the lake/park roads had been driven on but there were a few areas that were untouched. We only were out for abour 30 min slow riding and we stopped to watch the sunset.

We headed home, nearly got high centered getting in the back yard but when I pulled up to my garage I was trying to compact the snow by going back/forth and engagement from High to reverse was slow. The first time I shifted, the dash light showed "R", I gave it some gas it there was a god awful racket and the dash indicator went nuts. I've heard transfer cases not being fully engaged so I knew it was an engagement issue. Revs came down, R showed up and I felt the engagement and was able to pack it down like I wanted.

We were out a few weeks ago, in snow again, and 4hi engagement was clunky. We were going up a slippery hill, I flipped 4wd and I got a little grind and a clunk. I stopped, hesitantly, while going up this slippery hill as I didn't want to get stranded by breaking something. 4wd showed on the dash, I gassed it some and it started climbing then a few more clunkys, it felt like it was disengaging/engaging and once topping the hill. I stopped, went 2wd, then back to 4wd and it proceeded to work fine.

Whats the deal w/ what I'm presuming are delayed engagements. Dean had the AC shop change fluids before I picked it up, and I did read a few thread of folks complaining about AC fluid quality. Do I need to change to Mobil or a better fluid? Is this a common issue in very cold temps?

The engaging/disengaging is hard on parts = potential breakage. I got this to wheel. I looked at the Kawi but its too wide for local trails, litterally, the XX rubbed the tires going between several trees on a local 64" trail so a 64" machine was our goal and the suspension is solidly built.

Any thoughts or ideas? S[email protected] you're a trans/diff guy, what say you?

 

[Boondogger]

Too much snow in shifter linkage. It's not a snowmobile! Leave it parked in the winter!

 

[[email protected]]

Gears grinding could have been from incomplete engagement, possibly from a mis-adjusted shifter cable. The dogs will skip over the gears instead of drop into the pockets and engage once throttle is applied. Not a total death sentence for the trans on occasion, but not great to have it happen regularly.

4WD is engaged by slipping a splined sleeve over the input shaft and onto the splines for the pinion shaft. If these splines are not lined up, you will get the grinding noise. 4WD should only be engaged when fully stopped, and very light throttle applied to allow the sleeve to slip over the splines. The sleeve is spring loaded to be forced over the pinion shaft splines, but if too much throttle is applied, the sleeve just skips over the splines. Too much of this will knock the splines down on the sleeve and makes the problem worse.

Always best to drain the factory oil and use a higher quality 75/140 (or the 75/190wt Maxima that we sell) for the front diff and trans. Ok to use a 90wt oil in the winter time for colder climates (under 32º).

 

[Sam I Am]

Too much snow in shifter linkage. It's not a snowmobile! Leave it parked in the winter!

You are missing out

 

[Total Loss]

Gears grinding could have been from incomplete engagement, possibly from a mis-adjusted shifter cable. The dogs will skip over the gears instead of drop into the pockets and engage once throttle is applied. Not a total death sentence for the trans on occasion, but not great to have it happen regularly.

4WD is engaged by slipping a splined sleeve over the input shaft and onto the splines for the pinion shaft. If these splines are not lined up, you will get the grinding noise. 4WD should only be engaged when fully stopped, and very light throttle applied to allow the sleeve to slip over the splines. The sleeve is spring loaded to be forced over the pinion shaft splines, but if too much throttle is applied, the sleeve just skips over the splines. Too much of this will knock the splines down on the sleeve and makes the problem worse.

Always best to drain the factory oil and use a higher quality 75/140 (or the 75/190wt Maxima that we sell) for the front diff and trans. Ok to use a 90wt oil in the winter time for colder climates (under 32º).

I noticed the shifter was 'notchier' with your recommended 75/190 Maxima. I've have gotten caught between gears before...very unsettling. Now I tap the trottle lightly after shifting before mashing it.

 

[Se[email protected]]

I noticed the shifter was 'notchier' with your recommended 75/190 Maxima. I've have gotten caught between gears before...very unsettling. Now I tap the trottle lightly after shifting before mashing it.

Not trying to say you are wrong, but the heavier oil should not affect how the shifter feels in these. There are no synchronizers in these gearboxes that would act this way with a thicker oil. These are dog engagement gears being forced into position by a shift drum and springs. There is most likely something else happening that is causing the "notchy" shifting feel.

The shift drum is not supported by any bearings or bushings, it is simply positioned in the housing bores. If there is any debris that gets caught in those bores, this could be a cause of the notchy shifting feel. The rail that supports the shift forks is also a likely culprit, as we do see these shift rails get pretty scarred up from the shift forks pressing into them under hard loads. I would say this this the most likely culprit. An external shift cable could also cause this.

 

[st96badboy]

Cold weather holding stuff in place? See if it happens when things warm up. Clutch might not full disengage... drags a little?