F2100 wont engage 4wd

[Basket Range Farm]

Help!!-I'm a new owner of an old and somewhat tired F2100. 4wd wont engage. I cant get the lever to move to the 4wd position. Dont want to force it-might break something. Ive tried with the engine running and stopped, clutch depressed, rolled the mower back and forth a bit. No go. Any ideas?
Thanks

 

[Basket Range Farm]

Hey I fixed it! Turned out it was just the little,detente ball bearing which sits between the base of the shift lever and the side of the gearbox. The PO never used 4wd and the ball had frozen up. Gave it a good squirt of WD40, jiggled it about a bit and Voila! It works. Seems to be a great little machine.,very happy.

 

[85Hokie]

Hey I fixed it! Turned out it was just the little,detente ball bearing which sits between the base of the shift lever and the side of the gearbox. The PO never used 4wd and the ball had frozen up. Gave it a good squirt of WD40, jiggled it about a bit and Voila! It works. Seems to be a great little machine.,very happy.

Not to bust your bubble.....but WD40 is not a "great" lubricate, it was designed by its maker to repel water, now true i have used it thousands of places to free something, a good penetrating oil will do it a lot better and last longer....go to your local walmart and get a can of another lubricate>

this is other info :

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=776806

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WD-40

Over the years, different people have created lots of tests to see what is the best penetrating oil for, "rusted stuck nuts" ......the people that know swear by 50-50 acetone/UTF....... I have used PB blaster and Kroil and others, and if you let them soak in long enough those nuts will come off with your hand !

The WD 40 will attract dust and then it will lock up again over time. my twp cents.

 

[skeets]

G'day mate and welcome to the orange, well its good you fixed her,, and you learned something about your tractor, WD 40 is ol for a bit, now that you got it all freed up give it a shot of even some engine oil, and make that part of your routine when you go over it checking oil and such. There's a few other of your mates that pop in once in a while, so enjoy your stay and one more thing pictures man we love pictures ,,tractor porn ,,,,

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

go to your local walmart.

I think it's going to be a long trip for him unless walmart has gone Aussie!

HAHAHA

 

[Basket Range Farm]

Yeah all true. I'll post a pic shortly. There's a bit of deferred maintenance to catch up on. Pretty much everything on the mower deck is badly worn, idler gears, wheels, mounting balls. The engine cut out solenoid has been replaced by a bit of fencing wire. The seat is shot. The bonnet looks like its been ina roll over. Needs new glow plugs and/or ignition switch. Foot plate is pretty rusty.

But geez she eats grass, and steep hills.

 

[Basket Range Farm]

Here she is, arriving at her new home

 

[Basket Range Farm]

So another problem was the PO was using ether to start her when cold, due to a problem with the glow plugs. I isolated them, and put power into one at a time-found the 2nd one has a short in it. So I've bypassed that one, and wired it so that only 1 and 3 get power-now she starts up like a new one after 45 seconds or so on glow plugs. Happy days!

Also sorted out the cutter belt tension-again just a bit seized through a lack of love and care.

Next I've got to deal with the leaky radiator-I think its just rubbed through where the bottom tank rests on a bit of metal. Hoping a bit of brazing or solder will sort that out. Maybe I should shift across to the "what did you do to your Kubota today?" thread!