John Deere 450C tranny wanted

[Keith Molden]

I have a friend in the Austin Area of Texas that is looking for a remanufactured or good used tranny for a J.D. 450C crawler loader. Does anyone know of anyplace in that area that has one? Thanks, Keith
 

[Roy Suomi]

Why are you rearching for a rebuilt instead of rebuilding it yourself ?? To my knowledge , there is only one part that isn't available for it anymore.. That's the Torrington input shaft bearing in the pump housing..They have a replacement bearing that isn't as long and uses a spacer for length.. The replacement also has less roller bearings in it..I don't like it , but it does work.. You can get clutch parts aftermarket as well as bearings to lower costs..Sure , it's not a walk in the park to rebuild , but if you can find an old [ seasoned] former Deere mechanic, you have an ace in the hole..If you were closer , I'd do it.. I've done dozens of 450 HLR's in my career..Much of the sucess is in the set-up and adjustments of the HLR transmission.. Poor adjustments are the sucess/failure of this job..adjustments when the transmission start getting harsh are sure service life extenders.. That HLR should shift at wide open throttle without touching the clutch pedal at all..On the high to reverse shift , it should just pull you off the seatback..
 

[Keith Molden]

I've never seen this dozer, it belongs to a friend of a friend (my neighbor's son who lives in Austin, Tx. and is here visiting). He tells me that the guy has had it worked on twice by 2 different mechanics and it still won't pull itself. Personally, I think I'd be looking at the clutches. He tells me that the Deere dealers and most if not all the good mechanics around there won't even look at it because it's too old. He's tired of messing with it and wants to put a new tranny in it, so I'm just trying to find one for him. Keith
 

[Roy Suomi]

If it's been pulled apart to rebuild it....Chances are, the "mechanic" that overhauled it , put the 2 steel tubes top hole to top hole instead of crossing the lines as they should be... If that's the case, he's trying to run that transmission on lube pressure instead of clutch pressure..A guage into the test port will determine what's going on..It needs to be dialed in by someone who knows these machines inside and out... Replacing the clutchpacks will possibly have no consequence on it's operation if it's not assembled right..The pressure set-up is critical to correct operation of that transmission..You might as well whistle Dixie if the tech has no idea how this friggin' thing works..My first one was a disaster , due to the fact it was a straight 450 loader machine with only about 6 inches to fit my broad ars between the loader and tank assembly..It's a lot easier to remove the loader/dash instead of working around it..I've done dozer HLR's in as little as 18 hours start to finish and loaders a little longer..
 

[Roy Suomi]

Just changing the transmission isn't that easy..The entire rear center section is the Transmission..The clutchpacks that do all the hydraulic gear changing are located in the front of the transmission case.. To remove the transmission case from the machine would leave the machine with only 2 engine side frame rails standing in the chassis and everything else gone ... If you can imagine that....And , whats to say that HLR was assembled right ..Everything has to jive or it won't work correctly.. Is the clutch pedal cross-shaft free to pivot on the left side of the engine clutch housing..There is a concoction of linkages on that left side that has to be free and moveable where that detented 1/2" vertical adjusting bolt is.. Inside the clutch housing behind the engine there are 3 adjustments.. One is the finger height of the engine clutch fingers..Another is the actual pressure setting at the pressure relief valve under the right hand opening [rubber plug], then the actual HLR speed of shift / pressure adjustment under the left handed rubber plug in the engine clutch housing.. All these have to jive....Then out of despiration there is a speed of shift adjustment on the right handed side of the transmission case inside a steel plug hidden by brake rods and fuel lines and battery cable.. Good fishing...Not a job for a novice..sorry
 

[Roy Suomi]

OH.. I almost forgot....There is a 3-3/4"pedal free-play adjustment that has to be done..That measurement is from the top of the pedal to where the throw-out bearing contacts the engine clutch fingers..This is adjusted on that left side 1/2" vertical bolt adjustment..Provided everything is free and moveable as stated before..