JD 455e Low Range Drive Issue

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Jacksranch
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Joined: Wed Jun 10, 2020 9:30 pm

JD 455e Low Range Drive Issue

Post by Jacksranch » Thu Jun 11, 2020 11:58 am

I have a 1986 JD 455E Track Loader. My Grandfather purchased this machine brand new and it has around 4600 hours on it. He was not the best with maintenance so i doubt if anything at all has ever been done to it outside of regular service. He had a grading and hauling business but retired back in the mid 90's and it has just been a farm machine ever since. Yesterday I was out pushing some piles where we had cleared some land. i had been running it right around an hour when i noticed it started getting weak drive in low range. Eventually it would get to the point where i would engage a pile and put resistance on the track and it would stop moving in low range, as in would not pull the tracks at all. I would leave it in gear and pull the bucket up to disengage the pile to remove all resistance and it still would not move. I could shift into reverse and after some hesitation or delay it would start moving backward and I could then reengage Low range and it would pull back up to the pile and then stop again. i shut it down and checked the trans fluid which was a little low so I topped it back up to the high mark on the stick and then tried again but had the same issue. high range was working just fine it appeared. Does this sound like a pressure issue or adjustment issue or something more serious. Any and all help is appreciated to get me moving in the right direction

Thanks

Dustin Owens

Jim B
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Re: JD 455e Low Range Drive Issue

Post by Jim B » Thu Jun 11, 2020 6:21 pm

Welcome to the board.

You topped off the oil and it didn't change, so it is not low oil.

I am thinking the transmission filter in front of the radiator was likely changed as part of regular service. Was the transmission drained and the sump screen cleaned as well? What are you running for transmission oil?

Linkage adjustments, or wear in linkage, could be part of the problem. Low and Reverse see the most use.

You say High works ok, so it must have some pressure. Low and reverse could have clutch seals going bad, or clutch discs going bad, again since Low and Reverse are used the most.

The above is speculation, the right way to find out is to use the technical manuals to adjust everything by the manuals and do the diagnostics tests called for in the manuals. Do you have JD technical manuals TM1330 OP (Test) and TM1330 RE (Repair)? Like my 450E, your 455E requires those two. There are a number of adjustments to check and tests to make, manuals in hand guiding you through them, in order, is the best way to approach this. Folks here will do there best to help you with questions as they arise during your diagnostics work. If you don't have the manuals check with Lavoy (postmaster@jdcrawlers.com), he may be able to supply you with those from his store.
Jim

Jacksranch
MC crawler
MC crawler
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jun 10, 2020 9:30 pm

Re: JD 455e Low Range Drive Issue

Post by Jacksranch » Fri Jun 12, 2020 7:44 pm

Thank you. Yeah I agree the first place I need to start with is the manuals. Wanted to ask on here though too though to see if maybe it is a common problem with these machines leading it to maybe a good idea just based on probability. My grandfather bought it new and kept everything and I think I have seen the original manual somewhere but I doubt it was the diagnostic manual. I will look and see what I might have on it and then reach out to Lavoy to see if he can fix me up with those or at least point me in a good direction.

Thank you very much for the suggestions and help!

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