This is an interesting thread. It got me reading the
"Peerless Mechanic's Handbook
for the ElecTrak Garden Tractor" that was buried
inside my Electrak Service Manual.
The 2300 series four-speed transaxle was the only Electrak
transaxle that Peerless
"approved for use with ground-engaging equipment - such as
plowing".
The 1200,1400,1700 and 2000 series transaxles "should not be
used to pull plows
or similar equipment which are pulled through the soil to
overturn it. Also, judicious
use is expected in any situation where a severe strain will
be placed on the axles."
My Electrak service manual shows the following
transmissions
E-8M 1216
E-10M 1216
E-12 2318 - although
only one drive belt instead of the two on the E-15 and -20
E-15 2318
E-20 2318
The 2300 also had a Duo-Trak (trademark Illinois Toolworks)
limited slip differential
(not a locked differential). The manual
says:
"It seems that some people are expecting this
differential to perform as a "locked
differential" and the following information is given to
clear up any confusion that may
be present.
The standard bevel gear differential is a torque balancing
device in which the low
tractive and high tractive wheels deliver the same amount of
torque. Therefore, when
you experience low traction on one wheel the other wheel
delivers exactly the same
traction. The extreme example of this is when one
wheel spins freely and the other
wheel does not move, or in other words, you do not have any
traction to move the
vehicle.
The "Limited Slip Differential" is built in such a manner
that an internal drag is
developed in the differential gears so that the driving
torque is more uniformly
distributed between the two driving wheels. This gives
superior traction (at least
50% more) in marginal situations such as snow plowing,
turning on the side of a hill,
hill climbing and operating on wet grass.
However, this feature cannot be demonstrated by jacking one
wheel off the ground
or placing one wheel in an extremely slippery
position.
To sum it up, the "Limited Slip Differential" will allow the
operator to use his unit in
some situations where the unit with a standard differential
cannot be used. At the
same time there are certain extreme conditions in which the
"Limited Slip Differential"
cannot be expected to provide traction.
It should be noted that the "Limited Slip Differential"
retains the feature of allowing
the outside wheel to rotate faster than the inside wheel
when making a turn. This
is the main disadvantage of a "Locked Differential" which
results in very difficult
steering."
I also found in this manual there is a troubleshooting
section. There was a post in
March about having trouble keeping an E20 transmission in
gear.
The manual troubleshooting section titled "UNIT JUMPS OUT OF
GEAR" shows:
Shifting lever improperly assembled in housing
- Disassemble and determine if properly
assembled
Teeth of gears are worn beyond tolerances
- Check gears, replace worn
gears
Spring in shifter fork weak or broken
- Replace spring
Attaching screws for shift lever and housing assembly not
properly torqued
- Torque screws to 10 ft lbs
Shift lever bent and hitting unit frame
- Replace shift lever
Shift rod grooves worn
- Replace shift rods
Shift rod of improper length or grooving
installed
- Check rod length. Replace rod with
correct part
Constant mesh gears improperly installed on counter
shaft
- Reposition gears
For others on the list, there is are a couple of paragraphs
on testing the transmission:
"The absence of binding and oil leakage are the best
indications that the unit
has been properly reassembled. Though other, more
elaborate, tests can be done,
this would be the perogative of the servicing agency, since
the following checks are
considered adequate.
With the shift forks in neutral, rotate
both the axle ends in the same direction. They
should turn smoothly although a little
effort may be necessary. The brake shaft
should rotate whenever the axles turn
together, but in neutral, the input shaft
should not turn.
By moving any shifter gear into mesh, a
greater drag should be felt on the axles
and both the input and brakeshaft should
turn.
To ease in turning of the various shafts,
insert a tool (such as a punch or a socket
head screw key) into the keyway,
however, do not force if the shaft is binding.
Reason for unit binding:
1. Reused or lack of
gasket
2. Oil seal retainers
installed backward
3. Mis-installed
thrust washers
4. Differential
installed backward
5. Mis-assembly of
shifting parts
6. Mis-placement of
spacers
7. Foreign matter
blocking gear teeth mesh
8. Shifter stop
installed backwards
9. Input shaft not
completely in case
10. Mis-alignment of
case and cover.
align with dowels before tightening cap
screws