200 transmission problem
Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=188675
Printed Date: 14 Sep 2025 at 1:36pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: 200 transmission problem
Posted By: beard66
Subject: 200 transmission problem
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2022 at 10:10pm
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Had a very strange occurrence the other day while doing some work with my 200. Was pulling a 15ft turbo max finishing some ground when suddenly the tractor just killed the engine and stopped in its tracks. Fearing the engine locked up I hit the button and it started right back up and ran as good as it always did. Next is when things got strange. I couldn’t get the shifter in neutral to begin with, it was stuck tight in third gear. Finally I let the clutch out a couple times and rocked the tractor until I got the gear shifter in what I thought was neutral. I moved the shifter side to side like it always does when in neutral. When I let the clutch pedal out the tractor started moving even though the gear shifter handle was in neutral. I finally Unhooked the turbo max in the field, had to shut the engine off to get it to stop moving while doing so and drove it to the house in neutral. The speed that it moved was like it was in 3rd low range. After I got it back to the house I drove it around some and finally got it to where it would stop moving with the gear shifter in neutral. It had a strange chatter that sounded like it was coming from the rear of the tractor and the rear tires had a slight jerk but not enough for it to move any. After a few minutes all the problems stopped and I shut the tractor off and let it sit while I hooked a different tractor to the turbo max and finished the field I was in. Ran the 200 some more later and nothing strange going on at all so I parked it in the shed. All the fluids were full and still are, I use 821 fluid only. The only other thing is that I noticed the left axle seal is now leaking suddenly and wasn’t until the transmission locked up. Sorry for the long post but I hope someone can give me some ideas as to what happened. I don’t have time to fix it right now but will start trying to after I get the crops planted. Thanks for any help |
Replies:
Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 05 Jun 2022 at 6:48am
| It sounds as tho there has been a gear seizure on the top shaft of the transmission and now it has broken free.You say the fluids are fine, but I question that. Where do you check the transmission oil ?? The leaking left final drive (to me) may be nothing, or it may mean the inner axle bearing plug has fallen out allowing transmission oil to disappear into the left final drive, thus overfilling it (now it leaks) and lowering the transmission oil level low enough to cause failure in the transmission. |
Posted By: MACK
Date Posted: 05 Jun 2022 at 7:45am
| What gear was you running in when it locked up? MACK |
Posted By: DougG
Date Posted: 05 Jun 2022 at 7:51am
| Id say Dr is on it ! Those caps do fall off and you lose the fluid |
Posted By: beard66
Date Posted: 05 Jun 2022 at 11:18am
| I was running in third gear low range when it happened, I checked the fluids in the two places between your feet while sitting on it. The one that looks like a bolt head and the other one that looks like a radiator cap. |
Posted By: beard66
Date Posted: 05 Jun 2022 at 12:50pm
| I checked the fluids again and as doc suspected, the transmission dipstick was low where the fluid was just touching the tip on the end of the stick. |
Posted By: SteveM C/IL
Date Posted: 05 Jun 2022 at 1:30pm
| OUCH! |
Posted By: FREEDGUY
Date Posted: 05 Jun 2022 at 7:08pm
Not sure what scenario is the less of 2 evils, dad was disking ( at that time just a 12' disk) and the engine bogged down, made a snap-noise, and died abruptly  . It cracked the crankshaft in 2 
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Posted By: beard66
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2022 at 11:38am
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What would be the easiest way to get to the plug behind the final drive? I was hoping that there might be a way to fix it without taking the axle and housing off. I didn’t know if maybe I could get to it from the 3 point lift arm housing if I took it off? I don’t think I can get to it if I took the pto shaft out. It has a 540 only shaft in it. |
Posted By: DanWi
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2022 at 12:48pm
| You have to take the whole 3 point housing off. Not a terrible job. |
Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2022 at 1:17pm
| This assumes that the final drive in question is actually overfull of oil. Did you check its oil level ?? Holds 2 gallons of 80/90 wt. |
Posted By: beard66
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2022 at 1:15pm
| I checked it at the highest plug that I could find behind the lift cylinder, I drained about three gallons of fluid that looked like a mixture of 821 and gear oil out of what I believe is the fill hole. So therefore I’m thinking that it was way over full. |
Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2022 at 8:23pm
| You'd be correct. Half way up on the axle is full. |
Posted By: beard66
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2022 at 1:08pm
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I finally got to work on trying to fix this tractor. I took the lift housing off and expected to find the cap plug off on the side that the final drive was way over full/leaking out the seal. Problem is the plug was still firmly in place!! Now I’m really scratching my head about how the final drive was so full if it didn’t leak from the transmission. I was fully convinced that the plug had popped out as it was the only thing that made sense to me. Anybody have any other ideas as to what’s going on??? |
Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2022 at 2:00pm
| The only other explanation to one final drive being overfull is the bull pinion seal at the top is bad. BUT, a sudden loss of trans oil into a final has (before) always been a plug problem down low. The bull pinion seal would only leak when the tractor is moving and oil is splashing against it. The plug leaks sitting still or moving. Sealer on the plug may have failed, but if the plug is in place and the sealant failed, it would be a slow leak. You'd have to ask yourself how many weeks or months had it been that the transmission oil (or final drive oil) was checked for proper levels ?? and then the problem occurred ?? |
Posted By: beard66
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2022 at 2:39pm
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If the bull pinion seal was leaking, wouldn’t it just leak into the brake housing and then drip out? I didn’t think that fluid could get into the final drive from the brake? I will have to admit that I hadn’t checked the final drive level in at least a couple years as it’s kinda hard to get to the plug with the lift cylinder in the way. The fluid levels on the platform were checked the morning it happened, the trans dipstick was on the middle part of the checkered area but not low enough for me to think that it needed any added. I did have to add fluid to the hydraulic reservoir as I had to replace a blown line earlier in the week. Again thanks for your response Dr. Allis!! |
Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2022 at 3:34pm
| The bull pinion has an inner seal (leaks tranny oil into final drive) and an outer seal (which makes the brake bands wet). |
Posted By: beard66
Date Posted: 12 Jul 2022 at 4:09pm
| Ok, that makes sense then how the final drive got so full. As I said I know it had been a while since I checked the oil level on the final drive. |