IH Torque Amplifier trouble

[Robert Nighswander]

Hi All,
I am looking at a IH 2+2 3788 to buy.
It was a great working tractor with many updates when the T/A quit working. The present owner stated " I was fall plowing with it and the t/a quit shifting it is stuck in low and it started making a clunking sound from the t/a housing." He tells me that in makes noise all the time.
My question is : Is it the t/a for sure?
I"d like to buy it if that"s what is wrong..

 

[Stuart]

It lets you shift down in tough spots. Its on the go shifting but its not a power shift. Its a high and low for each gear on top of high and low in your range transmission

 

[Robert Nighswander]

Yes I know that, My question is if the T/A is making the noise or could it be something else?
I have been arount T/A's that are bad and have never heard them make noise.

 

[Roy in UK]

Yes I.H. Torque Amplifiers are notoriously unreliable. We had several Massey-Ferguson tractors over the years, most of them were fitted with Multi-Power ( The MF version of the T/A ) and they never gave us any bother. The only IH we ever had with T/A, a 674 , was nothing but grief.

 

[Chris in SK]

Post this question over on the Farmall IH board....there are lots of guys that know about TA"s there, or just search it for onfo on TA"s. I thought TA"s usually didn"t make any noise when they went out...I would be very cautious of a 2+2 with transmission issues, a repair there will cost more than the tractor is worth.
Chris