DB1200 gear shift lever stuck in third gear

Posted by torsten on 2016-01-13 20:18:00 

Hi Everyone.

My David brown 1200 failed me today. The gear lever is stuck in third gear. The lever is impossible to move forward to neutral position. Does anyone have suggestions what can be wrong?

Best regards


/Torsten
Posted by: JamesF on 2016-01-13 21:06:00 
It's probably not stuck, more likely that the selector is worn and the lever has popped out if it's pocket.

Take off the gear lever , move the selector back into neutral and drop the lever back into place
Posted by: DB780 on 2016-01-14 09:08:00 
James is spot on but perhaps you need a little more detail. The gear lever is steel and the selectors are a brass alloy so the selectors wear with use. When this happens the ball on the end of the lever will slip out of the selector for 2/3 before neutral position is reach and go into the 1/r jaw. Because the 2/3 jaw is not in neutral the gear lock pin is preventing the 1/r jaw from moving so you are stuck. The best solution would be to replace the jaws but you can reduce the times this will occur by doing a slow deliberate action when changing from 2 or 3 into neutral or 2 to 3 gear change. I have known of owners increasing the size of the ball on the end of the lever but I would recommend fitting new selectors.
Posted by: torsten on 2016-01-14 11:05:00 
Hello and thanks for your fast reply.

I will take a look into this as fast as the weather allow.
20 degrees celsius below 0 and because I could not go in reverse the tractor was parked outside with almost 30 cm of snow on top of everything.
I will let you now as soon as possible.

best regards

/Torsten
Posted by: SteveCollett on 2016-01-14 13:34:00 
with an older DB it is always a good idea to have a 7/16th. ( I think ) and large screwdriver in the tool box at all times 
just for this very purpose. Don't worry you will soon master the technique.
Posted by: torsten on 2016-01-24 13:35:00 
Hello again,

Now the temperature has rised a bit. I removed the gear lever and put the selector back to center position. As mentioned the selector are pretty worned. With the lever back again I can go to third and back to neutral and in reverse and back. First and second is not possible. Second, the lever moves sort of half way but the only reaction is that the gears are noisy, the tractor stands still. First is more solid stopped far to early. I have tried with a large scrwedriver directly on the selectors with the same result. Is there any adjustment needed when the gear lever is removed?


Best regards


/Torsten
Posted by: uclueletboy on 2016-02-05 18:14:00 
This will always happen at the worst time. Last time it got me I was unloading hay at the end of the driveway and caught sideways in the middle of the road blocking both lanes. I can do this pretty quick now, but not quick enough for the traffic I was holding up.

I've broken a couple of selectors and was thinking about making one or two on the lathe with a bigger or slightly deeper ball. I was under the impression that it was the steel in the ball that was wearing over time. I have to look again...