# MF 2200 won't move



## Donnie506 (Aug 11, 2017)

So I've got a '68 Massey Ferguson 2200 loader here, that was running and working great 2 days ago when I parked here. This morning, she doesn't move. 

Starts and runs just fine. Clutch has normal resistance. Goes into every gear, high and low, and shuttle forward and reverse just fine. But the wheels aren't turning. 

PTO engages normally. Won't shift without the clutch depressed. Everything seems perfectly normal, except for the lack of rolling tires. So I'm looking for some advice before I tackle splitting it. I'm guessing a clutch issue or possibly the axle. Any advice on making a determination before I start taking everything apart?


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## dozer966 (Dec 30, 2014)

Not an expert but could try jacking the rear and spining the tires to see if there is something abnormal. Also locking the diff and see if both wheels will spin together that way you know if the spiders are ok. I know that on the Fords the crown and pinion are on the left side of the axel. Hopefully you have a service manual and it should specify in there. If you don't eBay usually has a good selection . Did the clutch have enny slipping on it


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## Donnie506 (Aug 11, 2017)

That's a good idea, I'll try that tomorrow. I've never felt any slipping. I've never worked it that hard either, no implements for the PTO. Usually just turn compost with the loader and scrape some gravel in the driveway. I'd like to think that if it was a problem in the clutch, it would have been acting up for a while, but I've had no problems other than a slight grind every now and then when I use the shuttle.


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

do you have any clutch pedal free play, no free play no drive if the clutch is ok, this will just slip.


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## Donnie506 (Aug 11, 2017)

It's still got the same 1-2 inches of free play. Everything seems normal. Or at least as normal as it was when I parked it.


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## harry16 (Dec 8, 2011)

You may have a broken axle. When you have the rear end jacked up, turn one rear wheel and the other should rotate in the opposite direction.


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

Howdy Donnie,

Does your tractor have a shuttle shift? If so, it may be low on fluid, and will not move when low on fluid. It also has a filter that may be plugged.


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## Donnie506 (Aug 11, 2017)

Well here's an update. Got her towed into the barn. Jacked up the rear end, and the wheels turn freely. They turn when in gear and out of gear, so that's troubling. Diff lock still turns both wheels together. 

There's an access panel to the clutch, and it looks like everything is moving like it should, though I'm no expert on clutches. There does look like a bit of a leak on the trans side. 

I can't tell if the fluid is low, because apparently the dip stick is gone! So my plan now is to drain the rear end and refill it to spec and give that a shot. 

Any other suggestions out there?


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## Donnie506 (Aug 11, 2017)

So changing the fluid had no effect, but it was time for a change anyway. Looks like about 8 gallons came out too, so I'd say it wasn't low. The magnetic plug had a few shavings, and one chunk of metal that looked like a piece of a washer. So, I'm guessing I'm taking the trans apart


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## Fedup (Feb 25, 2014)

*Forgive the bold type here, but I'm having some issues with my computer and this is the only way it will let me post anything at the moment. 
That aside, you still have not mentioned whether you jacked one or both tires off the ground. With both tires off the ground and dif lock not engaged, rotating one wheel should cause the other wheel to rotate in the opposite direction. This would indicate both axles/pinons are intact and the diferential is functioning. Another possibility for concern is the coupler between the transmission and the pinion shaft. It's held in place by a large cotter pin through a hole in the coupler and located between the ends of both shafts. That pin has been known to fail allowing the coupler to slip forward and become disengaged causing a "no drive" condition. This can be checked by removing one of the small covers on the side of the rear main housing. You can then reach in and feel for the coupler and it's cotter pin and determine if it's still in place or not before deciding on major disassembly.*


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## Donnie506 (Aug 11, 2017)

Ok, so jacking up the rear end and turning the wheels. With the differential lock disengaged, each wheel turns independently. Spinning one does not spin the other in the opposite direction. So definitely something wrong there. With the diff lock engaged, both wheels spin together as they should. There's no grinding or anything feeling weird, just feels disconnected.


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

I wonder if it would move with the differential lock engaged??


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## Donnie506 (Aug 11, 2017)

Nope, tried every possible configuration. Losing the pin in the coupler like Fedup said makes sense to me, since everything "feels" normal in the trans. As in the gears are moving, the clutch is operating, etc. So my question now is, how do I access that shaft. I'll start with the side panel and feel around like you said, but will I need to pull the lift arms out to get in there and replace it? Or split it?


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## deerhide (Oct 20, 2016)

The coupler is the culprit , they are a 'shear' thing.. It would surprise me that the cotter pin came out, maybe though. You don't have to split it to replace the coupler. I think you might have to take the top off though, I forget, I only sold the tractors .


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## Donnie506 (Aug 11, 2017)

Sure was that coupler, it did come out. Found it in the bottom all twisted up. Easy enough to access through the side panels. Took a minute to figure out where to align it on the shaft, but she'll be back together tomorrow with a new pin. Thanks for all the help!


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## flmaxey (May 29, 2016)

I would have had to be something like that, a coupler. If there was real damage, that's usually accompanied by "grinding", a "loud noise", mechanical lockup, or a history where it starts from normal and slowly gets worse (like a slipping clutch).

What's amazing is "when" it failed. Usually, it would be in a field or where the tractor is actually working. For it to fail (literally dropping loose) at the exact time you parked it, well, what are the odds of that happening? 

So was the pin sheared off? I wonder if coupler shear pins, in the drive line, are a Massey Ferguson "feature". I have a MF245 from the early 80's.


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## Donnie506 (Aug 11, 2017)

Yeah, pretty amazing when it decided to fail. And a major part of the confusion too. 

The way it's set up, is there's a cotter pin that passes through the coupler, and the back of the shaft butts up against it, keeping it seated in place. So there is no torqueing force against the pin for it to shear off. I found the pin in the bottom, all bent up, with one of the "tabs" broken off. So my guess is after god only knows how many years, it worked itself loose enough to get snagged on the framework in the trans, tearing it out. 

Don't quote me, but I'd imagine your 245 has a different setup internally, since mine is a '68. I'd like to think MF eventually went to a more secure setup than a shaft butting up against a cotter pin lol


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## flmaxey (May 29, 2016)

Well, while I'm sure the exercise was both puzzling and somewhat aggravating for you, I'm glad the fix was a simple one. All's well that ends well.

I have to say, I love the old hardware, as it's built to work through and after a nuclear war, but legacy hardware does have some quarks.


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