| Author | Message | ||
| Russell Hoyt (Bussnut)
Registered Member Username: Bussnut Post Number: 1 Registered: 8-2004 Posted From: 75.62.241.74 Rating: N/A |
Stupid me I got my 4104 stuck in gear. I think second. I was stuck in some mud an was rocking it back an forth when it happened. I removed the linkage at trans but can't get it to pop back into nuteral. Any ideas? Thanks Russ in central Calif. | ||
| Jim Wilke (Jim Bob) (Pd41044039)
Registered Member Username: Pd41044039 Post Number: 267 Registered: 2-2001 Posted From: 208.6.60.4 Rating: N/A |
Russ, I had that happen on my '04. It was caused by wear on the shifter mechanism up front. The shifter had gotten it into two gears at once. But it should be possible to put it back in neutral by removing the linkage at the trans. If you remove the shift rods at the back, you should be able to find the middle position for each lever. If you get the levers in center detent & it is still locked up then you have a problem in the box, maybe with the shift forks. I'll bet the problem is in the external linkage, though. | ||
| ned sanders (Uncle_ned)
Registered Member Username: Uncle_ned Post Number: 45 Registered: 5-2005 Posted From: 68.213.111.136 Rating: N/A |
get both levers on the trans in nuteral and the lever in nuteral. then put them back on. this comes from wear in the linkage and adjustments. also need to be greased good uncle ned | ||
| Don Evans (Doninwa)
Registered Member Username: Doninwa Post Number: 105 Registered: 1-2007 Posted From: 66.45.165.58  Rating: N/A |
If it is in two gears at the same time and sitting on an incline you may need to pull it up the hill with another vehicle or winch to take the bind off the gears. The other way is to jack up one driver. All the normal cautions apply about getting under a bus and blocking the wheels. Good luck Don 4107 | ||
| George M. Todd (George_mc6)
Registered Member Username: George_mc6 Post Number: 379 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 207.231.75.253 Rating: N/A |
Russ, I think Don has the answer, the trans itself is in two gears, probably second and reverse, due to the way these things are built. Don's comments about BLOCKING are VERY important. When you raise one pair of duals on a driveshaft parking brake system, all braking force is GONE! (I know you said you are stuck, but realize what can happen here.) My suggestion at this point is to block the front wheels securely so it can't roll. Then release the emergency brake handle, or the air parking brakes if the bus has been upgraded, and have someone else depress the clutch while you try and move the transmission levers into neutral. This should take all the strain off the driveline and the trans, and the levers may move. Another way to remove the strain would be to remove one axle, but again if there is strain, you can't get the axle out past the studs to let the wheel loose, and again, when it clears the studs, you have lost ALL driveshaft braking, comprende? Some more good luck wishes, George | ||
| Don Evans (Doninwa)
Registered Member Username: Doninwa Post Number: 106 Registered: 1-2007 Posted From: 66.45.165.58 Rating: N/A |
"have someone else depress the clutch while you try and move the transmission levers into neutral. This should take all the strain off the driveline and the trans, and the levers may move." At first glance that would seem to work. Releasing the clutch will not remove the torque applied to the transmission if it has the weight of the coach twisting the driveline. BTDT, just not with the coach, yet! I had a 57 Chevy with a four speed and a separate reverse lever without a lockout. It did not take much of an incline to lock it in two gears. The ONLY way to release the tranny was to push it up the hill to slack the driveline. If you are stuck in the mud, just a little work with a shovel to dig out the mud on the uphill side of all four wheels might do it. You need to be able to rock the coach back and forth just a little to release the bind if this is your problem. Be careful pulling on the coach. If you are not sure how to do it find out first to avoid serious damage. If you are like me and work mostly by yourself, jacking up a wheel is the simplest way to go. Just be careful!!!! Nothing like playing in the mud. Good luck Don 4107 | ||
| Gus Causbie (Gusc)
Registered Member Username: Gusc Post Number: 616 Registered: 11-2005 Posted From: 208.54.200.113  Rating: N/A |
This happens to my 4104 once in a while. I put the stick in neutral position, apply the spring parking brake, have the wife hold in the clutch and then just move the stuck trans lever arm by hand so it is even with the other one. Works every time. The trans levers won't move unless the clutch is depressed - at least not for me. Maybe the spring brake takes the load off the drive shaft, I'm not sure about that part? | ||
| George M. Todd (George_mc6)
Registered Member Username: George_mc6 Post Number: 382 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 207.231.75.253 Rating: N/A |
Don, I would like you to explain your theory of how "strain" stays on a trans when the clutch is depressed? If the input shaft is free, not connected to the engine, (the clutch is depressed) how can there be any strain on the trans? A trans has an input shaft, an output shaft, and depending on the number of speeds, a countershaft or two. Then of course there's gears, and some of them even have synchros. If the linkage is out of correspondence with the trans, depressing the clutch will definitely free the trans, which is a whole lot easier to try first, before jacking the bus! I have personal knowledge of a neighbor who jacked up the rear of his motorhome on an incline to replace a worn universal joint. Fortunately, he was not crushed when the motorhome rolled away after he finally succeeded in prying the cross out. 4104's came with driveshaft parking brakes, so we need to be very careful before we jack up one rear wheel. So, IMNSHO, moving a bus to take the strain off the trans instead of depressing the clutch first, is like making popcorn by shaking the stove instead of the pan? If it IS in two gears, the slack point is going to be measured in millimeters, and not very many of them, so somebody is going to have to be pulling on levers while the bus is being winched! FWIW, George (Message edited by George Mc6 on March 16, 2008) | ||
| Don Evans (Doninwa)
Registered Member Username: Doninwa Post Number: 107 Registered: 1-2007 Posted From: 66.45.175.118 Rating: N/A |
George, What happens when a trans is in reverse and a forward gear at the same time on an incline is the output shaft is being twisted by the the weight (10 tons or so in this case) of the bus in one direction. The reverse gears are trying to turn the input shaft one direction and the forward gear is trying to turn it the opposite direction thus the 'bind'. Having constant torque on the output shaft jams the trans just as putting constant torque on the input shaft would when stuck in two gears. One would have to assume that the clutch has been pressed thus relieving any bind between the engine and trans unless the engine was killed and no attempt was made to shift the trans after that. At least I would push the clutch while trying to shift. Another possible way to release the trans would be a bar through a U-joint. If the '04 still has the driveline parking brake it needs to be released too. And yes the bus does need to be carefully blocked as stated several times. Again, all brakes need to be released and the bus blocked securely. I bet that if you have a standard trans GM sitting on the level in gear with the brakes released it will probably rock back and forth 4-6 inches with the slack in the diff and trans. The reason for jacking a driver is there is no doubt when the bind is released and it can be a one man operation. So Russell, have you been successful is getting it out of gear? Was it even on an incline? Don 4107 (Message edited by doninwa on March 16, 2008) |