Stuck in gear

[hope to float]

It has happened a couple of times. If I turn the tractor off while on a hill in gear it gets stuck in gear. The shuttle shift gets very difficult to move and I don't want to break anything. Pressing the clutch or shifting the GST to neutral does not relieve the pressure and the tractor cannot be started until the shuttle is in neutral. Any suggestions, besides "stop doing it"?
Kubota L3450GST

 

[D2Cat]

Maybe set the parking brake before shutting the engine off?

 

[CGMKCM]

With clutch engaged, set parking brake hard and shut down tractor and then release clutch. It sounds like the gears are under a load (tractor and implement weight, gravity.)

 

[rc51stierhoff]

I am not sure what is correct and I don’t have same transmission…so I am helpless in terms of knowing if your transmission is acting properly or not. But my guess is there is load in the transmission and it can’t release….but I don’t really know. however I do some off-road 4WD expedition travel as well as I play with tractors…from both of those hobbies combined with living on a steep hill and rolling several things including rolling away, I am probably overly cautious…but after a couple ‘oh shit moments’, I treat parking the same whether a 4WD FJ or tractor or atv…as much as possible don’t park on a hill. That’s not always possible though. So one if I have any fear of it rolling I don’t stop there unless I have someone to chock the tire, then it’s push hard and set brake before putting in park or gear. Second as much as possible I try to park sideways (sometimes not possible so I turn wheel as much as I can)on a hill so there is no chance to roll down the hill…in general if the hill is too steep to side hill, then should not park on the hill….if you get in that habit it may change your approach and departure after a few times you will plan your trip differently. I am not sure that helps or not but I think key point is prevent the roll. (If you don’t do something different i am not sure why you would not have same result) I have hills that the parking brake isn’t enough for my atv or tractor and I just can’t park some places. With a tractor though if you have the loader on, maybe if you have no choice you can claw your way against the way tractor wants to roll to take off the load in the gears? Just my thoughts. Keep rubber side down.

 

[RCW]

Is there a way to just park the tractor such that it’s not uphill/downhill?

Sounds foolish but we parked tractors, balers and wagons all over steep fields just by orienting the stuff across the slopes such that they didn’t want to run away….

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I hate to say it, but STOP doing that!
There is no work around to this issue, well besides not doing it.
Having the same exact tractor as you, I know what happens when you leave the shuttle in gear and stall or shut off the tractor, it gets stuck in gear.
It's a mechanical shuttle that is behind the hydraulic clutch, and it's probably getting worn thus it's getting hard to release while under any reverse load.
And to complicate things even more if the safety switch is still working, you can't start it with the shuttle engaged.

 

[hope to float]

Thanks for the replies. It's a force of habit thing from only ever driving manuals. And by hill I mean gentle slope . I don't do it every time but will try to not do it again