656 stuck in reverse

[Farmall 656]

Yesterday I was using my 656 gear shift and it stuck in reverse gear. I can use the clutch and TA but can not get it unstuck/shift into a forward gear. What is happening and how can I fix? Thanks in advance for your thoughts/advice.

 

[the tractor vet]

Ahh well yea ya can get it out of gear , it is fairly easy , ya can pull the cowl and get down to the shift linkage and the one on the far right will be out of line with the other two arms , now setting here and tryen to remember how the set at the moment it is not coming into my pea brain so pull the right side cowl and you will see that shifter linkage or ya can pull the battery and battery tray and get to it as ya have three arms three rods up on top and there shifter arms and rods down below , one of R anf 1 the middle one is 2nd and 3rd and the far. left is 4and 5 . Always thought that they were smoken stuff with shifter designs SortA also reminds me of early High School days in metal shop when some of the guys were making there own home made floor shifters that worked about as well.

 

[the tractor vet]

Oh yea sould have said that this will happen again due to the ware and the slop in this shifter set up as there is way to much slop between the shifter arms that will allow the shifter pin to get between the shifter arms when you are dead center lined up in the shifter arm , you may also find that half the shifter pin is broken off They are NOT that hard to tighten up and do somewhat a rebuild by shimming the outsides of th 1 and r and the 4and 5 shifter arms against the 2 and 3 . I had fixed a hand full of them .

 

[used red MN]

Remove the battery, behind it you will see part of the linkage that transfers the shifting motion from the gear shift to the transmission. Used to run one on the farm 40 years ago so exact details are a little fuzzy. I think you will see parts numbered 31 and 41 in the diagram of the attached page. Two of the set of three will be at nearly the same position and a the 3rd one will be located different. This is the fuzzy part, I think it will be the one on the right. You have to move ..pry.. that one to match the others. First, hopefully the gearshift moves into what feel like the neutral position, move it over to the right. Now the big question is is it stuck on an incline if so this may be more difficult. Lock your brake and figure out how to block the clutch down and pull the TA back. Now proceed trying to get that third one pried in position to match the other two. Cannot remember for sure but I think you can also get some access for prying from the front under the fuel tank. Now once you get the linkages all in the same position it should be in neutral. Normally the shifter has just came out of position when this happens and will return to normal shifting. But, if then the low reverse shifting does not work you have sheared a pin. We will address that if need be later.
CNHI Farmall 656 shift linkage diagram

 

[Farmall 656]

Thank you used red MN!! The tractor is not on an incline, I can actually drive it around, just in reverse. I will get at it soon and post about what I found and what happend!!

 

[Farmall 656]

Thank you tractor vet!! I always appreciate your ideas and ways to fix these tractors!! I will get after it soon and let you know what I found.

 

[Farmall 656]

used red MN and the tractor vet..... finally got the chance to get at my 656 that was stuck in reverse. THANK YOU!! THNAK YOU!! THANK YOU!! I really appreciate your words and guidance on how to unstick my 656. I have never done this before so Thank You for your help!!