350c reverser hows it work?

[jdemaris]

The inability of 350s to do this was one reason loggers in my area generally preferrred 450s. When working steep, ledgy terrain that lack logging roads, l

Different people in different areas experience different things. Almost half our business was Deere forestry and we sold, rented, and serviced crawlers and skidders over New York, Maine, and even a few in New Jersey. 350s to 550s and with skidders - 440s to 740s. For many years, the 350C was the most popular "bunching" machine. Used to bunch up logs and get to the main skidway for a skidder to hook up to. Also used for road building. Much of this terrain was steep and rocky. I never heard a complaint about the lack of winching in reverse. We DID have many winch problems -but for leaks, rotary control valve failures, and brake-free-spool problems. What we did hear often was the 350Cs lack of durability when used hard in these conditions. Many loggers started switching to the 450Cs because of having much more earthmoving power and a much stronger main-frame and no reverser or isolator to crap out. We rarely ever had to fix a 450C for separated housings, cracked frames, HL-Rs, etc. With 350Cs it was a full-time job. I'll also note that we had a LOT of problems with the "new" wet steering clutches and brakes in the 350Cs that hurt their reputation. And to make things worse, the quality control of the engines in the 350Cs was at an all-time low. We were flooded with complaints with people who traded in old 350s or 350Bs that started great in cold weather. Same people would get a new 350C that sometimes barely started at 50 degrees F. I worked with several Deere "block" engineers sent to our shop trying to isolate the new cold starting problems. When the 350D came out the problem was fixed. As I recall . . . the 350D had engines made in Saran, France - I know at least some of them were.

We also had the same engine and cold start problems with ag tractors during the 40 series - especially the 2940. Again, when the 50 series came out - many with French engines, the problems were gone.

[CatD8RII]

I think we can all agree that spec sheets and sales brochures aren't always the be-all end-all source of information. If you get enough of them together they'll end up contradicting each other. Reverse gear was around all the way through 350C production, it was simply an option.

[jdemaris]

I think we can all agree that spec sheets and sales brochures aren't always the be-all end-all source of information. If you get enough of them together they'll end up contradicting each other. Reverse gear was around all the way through 350C production, it was simply an option.

Like I stated earlier, we sold Cs new until the series ended. Some had reverse and some did not. Didn't matter if dozer or loader. For the most part - since the 350C was so common - we did not special order them. When we needed a new 350C to sell - Deere Co. did a dealer-inventory search and told us what we could have and how far away it was. We'd go get it or have it delivered. So we took what we could get. In fact, seems around that time there was a long strike at Deere and we had a lot of trouble getting many machiines and parts. Strike was from the UAW as I recall. They wanted to cripple Deere and put on a show, so they could jerk GM and/or Chrysler around for more money. Seems now - out of the three - Deere is the only survivor that has not gone belly up.

[gerald]

I have 1970 350 with reverser when I put the manual shift in reverse the reverser still workes but opposite of what it should work . It happened by accident. It must over ride the hyd reverser. I didn't like. What is going on with the manual reverse? I should try leaveing the reverser in nutural an try shifting manual.

[jdemaris]

I have 1970 350 with reverser when I put the manual shift in reverse the reverser still workes but opposite of what it should work . It happened by accident. It must over ride the hyd reverser. I didn't like. What is going on with the manual reverse? I should try leaveing the reverser in nutural an try shifting manual.

You cannot over-ride the reverser. It's always working or the crawler can't be moving.

When you put the gear trans in reverse, and the reverser in reverse - you get forward - that's all. Kind of like two negatives making a positive. When the reverser is IN reverse - the output turns backwards just as it always does. But that backwards rotation feeds into the gear trans - and gets "reversed." So, when you "reverse" reverse - you get "forward."

Some people prefer to use gear reverse for heavy pulling because the reverser itself is weaker in reverse then it is in forward.