Transmission help on older 550 crawler

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Percyreid
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Transmission help on older 550 crawler

Post by Percyreid » Tue Mar 27, 2018 4:31 pm

i have what I’m assuming is a 70s-80s John Deere 550c dozer. My first question is where can I find the model number so I can order a service manual? The plate on the side of the machine don’t pull up anything. As for the problem when you first crank it it will push fine but after about 5 min it won’t go forward or backwards when you shift it. You can feel the machine torque up and the tracks move about 6” and then it stops. The funny thing is if hold the steer sticks in and then put it in gear and realease the sticks hard it will take off. I was thinking maybe the brakes was holding but then when you run up against something it will just stop. Any ideas? Thanks for the help

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gregjo1948
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Re: Transmission help on older 550 crawler

Post by gregjo1948 » Wed Mar 28, 2018 5:19 am

May be a weak pump. Try pulling both steering levers back at the same time for a few seconds, then release them. If it tries to move, I think that might indicate your pump is weak.
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amos
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Re: Transmission help on older 550 crawler

Post by amos » Wed Mar 28, 2018 5:28 am

gregjo1948 wrote:
Wed Mar 28, 2018 5:19 am
May be a weak pump. Try pulling both steering levers back at the same time for a few seconds, then release them. If it tries to move, I think that might indicate your pump is weak.
or seriously mis-adjusted linkages. Maybe? Here a 550C is considered "late mode"l :D I can't figure it out but PM Lavoy(site administrator) with a pic of the ID plate and ask him if he can post it for us to see and help(9 times out of 10 Lavoy will have the answer though).
Amos
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Re: Transmission help on older 550 crawler

Post by Jim B » Wed Mar 28, 2018 6:25 am

You say the plate is on the side of the machine. This would be a plate on the end of the battery compartment, below the transmission shifter, correct? Stan Disbrow has a post in the FAQ section that lists the 550 serial numbers by year, this may help you identify your machine using the numbers on that plate. His post notes that John Deere had a 550 series, a 550B series, then jumped to the 550G series; there were no C, D, E, or F series designations. Manuals will be a big help to you. You can view the parts manual on line at JohnDeereParts:Homepage. The introduction section for the 550 breaksdown the serial information on the plate. If your plate has 550 C on it; it likely means it is a 550 with a 6 way hydraulic blade (blade arrangement # 6405). The manuals are available for purchase from John Deere on line as printed copies or electronic versions. You can often find used ones on eBay as well.

This site has a designated picture server. You will need to send a request to Lavoy, or an administrator, to get registered on it to post pictures. Lavoy or someone may move this over to the late model section where it may get more views for you. There is a wealth of knowledge available on this site, good luck with your project.

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amos
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Re: Transmission help on older 550 crawler

Post by amos » Wed Mar 28, 2018 7:25 am

Jim B wrote:
Wed Mar 28, 2018 6:25 am
You say the plate is on the side of the machine. This would be a plate on the end of the battery compartment, below the transmission shifter, correct? Stan Disbrow has a post in the FAQ section that lists the 550 serial numbers by year, this may help you identify your machine using the numbers on that plate. His post notes that John Deere had a 550 series, a 550B series, then jumped to the 550G series; there were no C, D, E, or F series designations. Manuals will be a big help to you. You can view the parts manual on line at JohnDeereParts:Homepage. The introduction section for the 550 breaksdown the serial information on the plate. If your plate has 550 C on it; it likely means it is a 550 with a 6 way hydraulic blade (blade arrangement # 6405). The manuals are available for purchase from John Deere on line as printed copies or electronic versions. You can often find used ones on eBay as well.

This site has a designated picture server. You will need to send a request to Lavoy, or an administrator, to get registered on it to post pictures. Lavoy or someone may move this over to the late model section where it may get more views for you. There is a wealth of knowledge available on this site, good luck with your project.
Hi Jim,
Your post got me curious on "C". Quick search on net showed multiple "550C" dozers but looking deeper also showed no JD specs for a "550C".
Could be original poster has a unit with 550C decals as those can be viewed/found on net. Odd.
Amos
Pushin hard or diggin deep life is good.
What's ahead is what matters. What's behind is already done.
A fool of a man is he who doesn't ask questions...
God gave us 2 ears and 1 mouth for a reason...

Jim B
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Re: Transmission help on older 550 crawler

Post by Jim B » Wed Mar 28, 2018 7:48 am

Hi Amos,
I have seen it other places where John Deere used a letter to designate something as part of the tag and that was added to a base model number. In this case if you look at the introduction section of the 550 parts "book" on line you will see that the C was for a 550 with a 6405 bulldozer, D was with a 6410 bulldozer and E was with a 6415 bulldozer. Stan's post on serial numbers is correct in that there were no C, D, E, or F models; they went from the 550B to directly to the 550G. A quick look a the tag showing 550-C, which I believe is the way they stamped those, would make one believe they have a C series. There is no hyphen between the 450 and the E on the tag of my 450E. There have been many cases, in most brands, of the wrong decals being made in the aftermarket and applied. Some in honest error and some trying to make an extra buck on a sale.
Jim

Percyreid
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Re: Transmission help on older 550 crawler

Post by Percyreid » Wed Mar 28, 2018 8:24 am

Thanks for all the reply’s, the tag on the battery box looks ls like this “ 550-C 334982T” it is a 6 way blade machine. I have tried looking up this number online but haven’t been able to find anything in a 550c. As for the pump pressure, that’s my thoughts be cause when you hold the sticks back for a few sec and let go the machine will take off. It’s like it’s not getting enough pressure to the trans but I don’t know how to test the pump for pressure. At the moment the trans gauge is plugged off because the tubing blowed and some plugged it. I tried to get the tubing and fittings but no one around here carries them. A

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Re: Transmission help on older 550 crawler

Post by Jim B » Wed Mar 28, 2018 9:59 am

Based on the information, on line in the introduction to the 550 parts manual, your serial number breaks down as follows:

550 = crawler model (This should be a "Straight" 550 crawler.)
C = In this case C is not a series designation. It means it has a 6405 Bulldozer (The blade setup on the crawler. It should be a 6 way hydraulic blade with the lift frame inside the tracks)
334982= the machine serial number (This should be a 1979 machine. 1979 serial numbers ran from 313964 to 340919 per Stan's list.)
T = (build location) John Deere Dubuque Works

It sounds like you will need to get a set of manuals for your machine. johndeeretechinfo.com should take you to the John Deere Bookstore. It gets confusing as when you look at available manuals on line at John Deere technical; you find some model designations for manuals that don't seem to come up elsewhere, such as A, D, and E in the parts catalogs or it may relate to attachments on the 550. Perhaps it has to do with serial number breaks. They have a help section you can use to be sure you get the right manuals, printed or electronic copies, for your serial number. There should be a manual available for your machine with test procedures. I don't have a manual for a machine like yours so can't help you on those test procedures. Hope this helps and Good luck.

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gregjo1948
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Re: Transmission help on older 550 crawler

Post by gregjo1948 » Thu Mar 29, 2018 2:33 am

Percyreid wrote:
Wed Mar 28, 2018 8:24 am
Thanks for all the reply’s, the tag on the battery box looks ls like this “ 550-C 334982T” it is a 6 way blade machine. I have tried looking up this number online but haven’t been able to find anything in a 550c. As for the pump pressure, that’s my thoughts be cause when you hold the sticks back for a few sec and let go the machine will take off. It’s like it’s not getting enough pressure to the trans but I don’t know how to test the pump for pressure. At the moment the trans gauge is plugged off because the tubing blowed and some plugged it. I tried to get the tubing and fittings but no one around here carries them. A
I don't know on a 550 but, i believe on a 350, seems like it can be checked from the valve body on the left side of the reverser.
JD 350B diesel 6way blade, Case 580B Loader/backhoe, Farmall 504 high crop w/ flail boom mower, International 404 , International 284 diesel w/belly mower, 1972 Ford F600 dump truck, Galion 3-5 roller, Allis Chalmers D17, 1620 Ford

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Stan Disbrow
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Re: Transmission help on older 550 crawler

Post by Stan Disbrow » Thu Mar 29, 2018 5:05 am

Hi,

550 has a different design than the 350, or the 450 for that matter. Uses a torque converter. I have never had or worked on one so can't be of any more help than that.

Stan
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Percyreid
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Re: Transmission help on older 550 crawler

Post by Percyreid » Thu Mar 29, 2018 2:15 pm

I’m not very familiar with dozers so this one has me puzzled. I’m not sure if it is a trans problem or something else. If it was the clutches in the trans wouldn’t it slip from the start? It operates good for about 5 min with full pushing power and then it just stops pushing, it also tries to go forward and backwards after it loses pushing power but will only move a few inches unless I hold the steer sticks back and then put it in gear and release them, this will make it go back to driving until I drop the blade and dig in

Jim B
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Re: Transmission help on older 550 crawler

Post by Jim B » Fri Mar 30, 2018 5:56 am

Some slippage may be there when you start and as it warms it quickly gets to the point it is very noticeable. Somethings it could be caused by are restricted filters, suction problems, worn clutches or other components, leaking seals, worn pump, low pressure, valve problems; any one of these or a combination. Holding the steering levers back may be allowing the transmission clutch pack to make up with no load so it will move the crawler when you release the levers. The way I understand what you have written is it will move the machine at that point but will stop if you try to push with the blade.

Some basic questions. Are your oil levels at the proper levels? When was the filter last changed and the suction screen cleaned? As has been noted before, the 550 has a power shift type transmission rather than the H-L-R units in the older smaller units many of us have. Perhaps someone on here with a 550 will jump in with the detailed info for your machine, but I can't help you with where the test ports are and what the results should be for a true diagnosis as I don't have the right manuals for your machine. If you can find the thermoplastic tubing/fittings and get your transmission gauge working it might tell you something. I don't know where you are located and the resources in your area, but John Deere or a good hydraulic shop should be able to help you with those items. Again the technical manual(s) will aid you in finding the problem. The downloads from John Deere are about the best value, I think, as you can print out the pages you want and take those to the shop or field with you and not risk ruining a hard copy book. Good luck.
Jim

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