Triplex freshen up....

[Freightrain]

Well, after 15 yrs of dealing with it, I thought I might tear into things this winter and try to make things work better.

The first issue was the compound shifter had a horrible "buzz" to it while driving under power.  I typically kept my hand on my knee and kept a finger pushed against the handle>   Better, but a PITA.

There was a horrible oil leak coming from somewhere up top.  While pulling the handles off I realized it was the main stick gasket was no longer around and likely the cause of the constant drool down the sides of the transmission.

I pulled the handles apart and found worn out pins, so I got new pin material and re-lubed everything and got it all back together:

 

Notice lots of sludge everywhere.  The compound shifter is outside the box, so it was the main stick that was making the mess.

 

The pin areas of the shifters were worn, so I TIG'd them up a touch and then carefully ground them back to proper size.

Starting to get them back together.  The pivot pins are just tacked welded on both sides.

 

I found the grease zerks and did get some grease into the compound shift rails.  Though I have since pulled this shifter off the transmission as the shift rods going to the rear box are worn and sloppy too.  So I have it all cleaned up now, need new 1/2" clevis pins and can put it back together.  I have more pics, will get them downloaded later.

 

 

The box is still pretty worn inside.  Bearings, gear lugs, sliders.  It stays in gear under power, but on decel it slips out.  Even worse with the jakes on.  I have to really hold main box handle in gear.  I want something different, but that is for another winter.

 

Here is the compound shifter box all cleaned up.  I got new pins today, but can't get too dirty as I have party plans this afternoon.  The box is aluminum, the holes aren't too worn from the shift rails rubbing on them for the last 50+ years with likely very minimum lubrication.  That will change.  The fresh pins will tighten up the sloppiness in the shifter rods and hopefully eliminate the annoying "buzz" running down the road.

When I drove Dave McDonnell's B61SX dump in PA a few years ago, I commented to him how different his rebuilt Quad was to drive compared to my sloppy mess.  His shifter was very tight and precise shifting.  No wiggly-wobbly stuff going on.  I hope mine is improved now!!(beyond the worn out gears inside).

 

Edited December 30, 2018 by Freightrain

[Freightrain]

Making headway:

 

Got the compound shifter bolted back on, new clevis pins and lubed up.  The rod holes and the holes in the clevis' were slightly egg shaped but the new pins did help.  Someday I'll maybe make new slide rods for the shifter and new rods going to the back box?  Maybe.  What I did should at least help.

[theakerstwo]

I remember them very well.I worked on them in the mid 60s but have not been around them much after that.