[AT] Shift on the go - (was)Ramble: I broke a MF 255 into 2 pieces

[carl gogol]

The AC "Power Director" was probably the most versatile and reliable of all 
of the tractor range splitters.  It consists of two clutches running in oil 
that will engage one of two drive shafts from the engine.  With this 
arrangement there is a possibility for directly coupling the engine drive 
shaft to the transmission with one of the clutch packs, an in-between 
position where neither clutch is engaged, but the PTO and hydraulics are 
still operating.  The third possibility is to engage the second clutch that 
is driven by a second concentric engine drive shaft that has been geared 
down by about 30%. to provide the low range.  The clutches are independent 
and fully engage the transmission to the engine so there is no free 
wheeling - unless you switch to the middle position without either clutch 
engaged.  You could pickup a few miles per hour down hill with a load of hay 
behind you - so as a reliable and conscientious 16 year old  it was only 
done when my father wasn't watching.  On the latest derivatives of the D 
series tractors like the 190 XT and 180 / 185 - maybe the 200 series, the 
same basic powerdirector was used, but the clutches were engaged with power 
from a small hydraulic piston slaved to a control lever.  I can imagine that 
the engagement force for a wet clutch of sufficient size for the available 
power may have made manual engagement less desirable or nearly impossible. 
I always liked the ability to ease a load from start in low range and as 
soon as you got some momentum snapping the power director into high range. 
I think that it save a lot of wear on the main clutch.

I have some experience with the Oliver high low setup on both an 1850 and 
1950 during my bean farming experiences.  If I remember right, they were 
free wheeling in low range and were operated with just a knob that was 
pulled out of the dash about 4" for low range.  The Oliver 6 speed 
transmission was easy to shift on the move, unlike the AC 4 speed.  Always 
thought that AC really blew it by not adding more than 4 gears on the D 
series.

Carl Gogol
Manlius, NY
(2) AC D-14, AC 914H
Simplicity 3112 & 7116
Kubota F-2400

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <robinson at svs.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2005 3:10 PM
Subject: [AT] Shift on the go - (was)Ramble: I broke a MF 255 into 2 pieces


> farmer, Esq.
>      Wealth beyond belief, just no money...
>
>
> Francis Robinson
> Central Indiana USA
> robinson at svs.net
>
> On 8 Jan 2005 at 0:08, Dudley Rupert wrote:
>
>> I am not familiar with the MF Multi-power option but it sounds like
>> its' braking capability in low range is similar to that of the Farmall
>> Torque Amplifier when the TA is engaged - that is, it has none.  I'd
>> be interested in hearing someone who is familiar with both compare and
>> contrast them  - Thanks in advance.
>>
>
>
> It is much alike except the MF multipower is all hydraulic and the
> IHC TA (at least on all older ones) is mechanical shift. I think the
> later TA's are hydraulic. My tractors except for the #$%& CUB all
> have good brakes. The MF-165D has excellent brakes and a very good
> brake lock.
> The thing I like least about both is the free wheeling in low range.
> I don't have a lot of big hills but all have enough rolling slopes
> that when using wheeled implements like a baler for example the free
> wheeling is a problem. I often have to run pretty slow when baling
> since I usually end up with heavier windrows than intended.   :-)
> If I am running in low gear and low range there are always places
> where I have to drag the brakes on hills to hold everything back.
>
> I have not used any of the "new fangled" AC's from the D series up
> :-)    but I understand that their "Power Director" system uses a
> mechanical clutch in a center position between low range and high
> range which avoids the free wheeling problem. I believe it also
> replaced the hand clutch as used on the older WD, WD-45 and CA to
> give a live PTO. Perhaps someone like Charlie or Cecil or others can
> give us a better run down on them.
> I seem to recall that MM had a TA available in the late 1950's. Did
> any others? Did Deere ever have a shift on the go before the power
> shift transmissions? Scotts 1755 Oliver has an "under, direct and
> over" hydraulic shift. How early did Oliver (or any of the others for
> that matter) have a shift on the go of some kind?
>
>
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