I've narrowed down the "suspected" source of the shift problem and would like some corroboration as to whether or not I'm in the right field, I'm hoping that it's only a matter of cleaning the valve spool and the oil passages inside the shuttle control valve housing. Upon removal of the vent on top of the housing I noticed a lot of grit inside due to a collapsed screen filter which I'm thinking that the dirt is hindering the directional flow of oil to the forward/reverse shuttling.
...tranny pressure drops when shifted into F or R but when it does kick in the pressure is right up...when selecting travel direction, F into R or vis versa, the selection doesn't activate immediately and I have to drop an outrigger to lift a tire then throttle up until it eventually kicks in, also, only after warm up does it give problems which is why I went to the shuttle control first, I'm thinking that residual oil stored in the spool housing after sitting is what is being used to complete shift/shuttle process but after depleted the grit obstructs immediate viscous flow...fuck I just rebuilt the tranny and torque converter 1000hrs ago, and I was working it in a very dusty environment last year and that's when I noticed the lag in shuttling so I'm going to put away my explosives and lean on the assumption that this may be the issue...I was just hoping for something real simple such as improper linkage adjustment to the spool, but I guess I have no other choices but to get into removing the shuttle system, it's just that there's so many components to fuck with and right now I've got 5 bear cubs that won't leave me alone and think everything's a fucking game...I set my tool bag down and one of them fucks off with it and I had to chase him all over to get it back.
Classic signs of contamination or wear in the shuttle valve. Grit in the spool housing (especially after working in dust) can cause sluggish shifts as the oil thins out when hot.
Residual oil masking the issue at startup makes sense—once it’s flushed through, the grit messes with the flow.
The grit you found is probably jamming the spool mid-stroke, causing a pressure dump until it finally forces its way past.
Dropping the outrigger reduces load, letting the clutches grab eventually. Confirms the shuttle valve/clutch circuit is struggling.
Verify the F/R lever is actually moving the spool fully. Bad linkage can leave the spool in a "half-shit" position.
Double check the pump relief valve and double check it's not a clogged filter.
Drain the trans fluid, pull the valve vent/filter again, and blast the spool housing with brake cleaner/compressed air.
Swap in fresh hydraulic fluid + a new filter—might buy you time if the grit hasn’t welded itself into the spool yet.
Pull the shuttle valve. Rebuild kits are cheaper than fucking around with it forever.
@MeyerLansky ...and that is exactly what I'm narrowing this down to, you've hit on a few things that I was leaning towards so that's exactly where I'm going to start with this...if I have to get into the torque or tranny then I have to split the fucking tractor in half, again, and that's 16hrs of job time (apart/together) whereas the shuttle housing is upfront accessible. Thnx for your input.
does that have a gear pump that runs the lift functions/steering/everything but travel? i cant remember working on that model but a lot of them have gear function pumps. it's kind of weird that the outriggers would affect travel. but again i'm not too familiar with that machine.
Yeah it's a hyd gear pump...the hyds are for the shuttle only (and of course the loader/hoe) the tranny and torque converter oil is separate but the shuttle valve requires hyd flow to engage direction, also has a torque tube...re the outrigger affecting the shuttle shifting I think it changes internal pressures that build against the spooling, this one is new to me but I'm going to figure out what's going on.
i hope you don't have an internal crack inside that valve body. i cant for the life of me remember a symptom like that. unless the fluid returning from the outrigger cylinder is providing just that little extra bit of flow needed. you change out your trans and hydraulic filters?
Last fall for oil and filters and winter only accounts for 50hrs, tranny is fresh but what focused my attention was the vent cover/filter at top of the shuttle housing was oddly disfigured and when looking closer I noticed it was packed with oil saturated dust and bulging out, took it off and the filament screen was collapsed, pulled the filter out and put my finger into the hole where I thought maybe I was looking at a diaphragm or check valve or something and here it's packed with oil laden dust as deep as I could get my finger and spools are right below the vent...so it has to be that because the machine has lots of power and speed and no solenoids or sensors, totally mechanical so that rules out any servo actuation issues, it has to be dirty spools, ports and veins.
No it isn't metal shavings, it's compacted dust that accumulated in the breather port where the screen is, that was collapsed, the dust had an unprotected port of entry.
I would and yell and swear at it for a bit, then I'd check the hydraulic fluid to make sure it's the right weight and type. If you work with average mooleys you'd be shocked what could end up in there.
I'm just practicing up on a new lip curl and distance toss of 15/16 & 7/8 spanards, the last spanard I threw was at a Spaniard and I never got it back.
absolutely! i've seen chunks of o-rings interfering with the shuttles shuttling. a lot of times i've also seen the control cables get damaged/corroded. disconnect the linkage, work the control. if there is little/no resistance the cable is fine.
[ + ] MeyerLansky
[ - ] MeyerLansky 4 points 6 daysJun 1, 2025 18:35:33 ago (+4/-0)
Inspect/replace the screen filter—this is critical to prevent recurrence.
Check for scoring on the spool or bore; wear here can cause leaks/poor pressure.
Flush the system and replace the hydraulic fluid/filter if contamination is widespread.
Check:
Pilot pressure (should be ~20–25 psi for the 580C).
Clutch engagement (dirty oil can also affect clutch seals).
[ + ] Zyklonbeekeeper
[ - ] Zyklonbeekeeper [op] 2 points 6 daysJun 1, 2025 19:03:08 ago (+2/-0)
[ + ] MeyerLansky
[ - ] MeyerLansky 1 point 6 daysJun 1, 2025 21:07:11 ago (+1/-0)
Residual oil masking the issue at startup makes sense—once it’s flushed through, the grit messes with the flow.
The grit you found is probably jamming the spool mid-stroke, causing a pressure dump until it finally forces its way past.
Dropping the outrigger reduces load, letting the clutches grab eventually. Confirms the shuttle valve/clutch circuit is struggling.
Verify the F/R lever is actually moving the spool fully. Bad linkage can leave the spool in a "half-shit" position.
Double check the pump relief valve and double check it's not a clogged filter.
Drain the trans fluid, pull the valve vent/filter again, and blast the spool housing with brake cleaner/compressed air.
Swap in fresh hydraulic fluid + a new filter—might buy you time if the grit hasn’t welded itself into the spool yet.
Pull the shuttle valve. Rebuild kits are cheaper than fucking around with it forever.
When life gives you bears, make bear jerky.
[ + ] Zyklonbeekeeper
[ - ] Zyklonbeekeeper [op] 3 points 6 daysJun 1, 2025 21:25:14 ago (+3/-0)
Thnx for your input.
[ + ] drstrangergov
[ - ] drstrangergov 1 point 6 daysJun 1, 2025 21:58:25 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] Zyklonbeekeeper
[ - ] Zyklonbeekeeper [op] 1 point 6 daysJun 2, 2025 00:59:07 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] drstrangergov
[ - ] drstrangergov 1 point 6 daysJun 2, 2025 01:32:47 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] Zyklonbeekeeper
[ - ] Zyklonbeekeeper [op] 1 point 5 daysJun 2, 2025 04:51:23 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] drstrangergov
[ - ] drstrangergov 1 point 5 daysJun 2, 2025 08:40:18 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] xmasskull
[ - ] xmasskull 2 points 6 daysJun 1, 2025 18:21:23 ago (+3/-1)
[ + ] Zyklonbeekeeper
[ - ] Zyklonbeekeeper [op] 2 points 6 daysJun 1, 2025 18:27:05 ago (+2/-0)
[ + ] xmasskull
[ - ] xmasskull 3 points 6 daysJun 1, 2025 18:35:42 ago (+3/-0)
[ + ] Zyklonbeekeeper
[ - ] Zyklonbeekeeper [op] 3 points 6 daysJun 1, 2025 19:43:10 ago (+3/-0)
[ + ] drstrangergov
[ - ] drstrangergov 2 points 6 daysJun 1, 2025 22:12:42 ago (+2/-0)
[ + ] BoozyB
[ - ] BoozyB 2 points 6 daysJun 1, 2025 18:45:29 ago (+2/-0)
If it's metal shavings, you have problems.
[ + ] Zyklonbeekeeper
[ - ] Zyklonbeekeeper [op] 1 point 6 daysJun 1, 2025 19:48:36 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] bosunmoon
[ - ] bosunmoon 2 points 6 daysJun 1, 2025 19:09:31 ago (+2/-0)
If you work with average mooleys you'd be shocked what could end up in there.
[ + ] Zyklonbeekeeper
[ - ] Zyklonbeekeeper [op] 2 points 6 daysJun 1, 2025 19:42:38 ago (+2/-0)
[ + ] bosunmoon
[ - ] bosunmoon 1 point 5 daysJun 2, 2025 17:08:24 ago (+1/-0)
(I'm glad you you know how to chuck in freedom units.)
[ + ] drstrangergov
[ - ] drstrangergov 1 point 6 daysJun 1, 2025 21:52:50 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] drstrangergov
[ - ] drstrangergov 1 point 4 daysJun 3, 2025 13:00:04 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] Zyklonbeekeeper
[ - ] Zyklonbeekeeper [op] 0 points 5 hoursJun 7, 2025 21:22:40 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] i_scream_trucks
[ - ] i_scream_trucks 0 points 6 daysJun 1, 2025 22:00:07 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] HonkyMcNiggerSpic
[ - ] HonkyMcNiggerSpic 0 points 6 daysJun 2, 2025 01:07:51 ago (+0/-0)