Hustler Transmission won't engage

[Scandaty6]

right side engages but the left side will not. Could it be a broken shifter of somthing more sinister?

[Don]

Yes, and yes. The easiest thing to do is pop the shifter out of the left side and see if the pin's still there. Once the shifter's out, you can see if the transmission will shift by moving the collar with a screwdriver. Do you have spring shifters on the Hustler?

[hydromike]

<Dang... he beat me.>

The simplest thing would be a broken pin on the bottom of the shifter on the left side. Looking at your older posts, it looks like this may be an older Max (??) that has a C-clip that holds the shifter down, versus the hold-down tab that bolts to the side of the transmission. If it's the C-clip version, you'll have to get underneath the shifter and try to pry the old clip out with a screwdriver, or BEST case scenario, snap ring pliers (the correct tool for the job, but those old clips hang in there pretty well).

Once the snap ring is out, the shifter should pull straight up (it may be tough) and you'll see a pin in the bottom of the shifter. Easy, cheap replacement. If it's not broken, you may have broken something "more sinister" inside. My bet is the shift pin....

Let us know how you make out....

[Scandaty6]

thanks, I will try to get the shifter out tonight. Yes it has springs and it seemed to me that the problem side shifts a little too freely

[amphibious drew]

Let me add, if the c-clip is missing or the bolts are loose, the pin could be there and in good condition and just walked up. I like to try shifting it around by hand before I actually pull it up and out. I also didn't want you to overlook the fact that the diamond could have just wiggled up. I picked up a max II with jpswift one time and the diamond had done that. The seller nor us new it was a no parts required fix till we unloaded it at my place.

[Scandaty6]

the shifter pin was broken off. I was able to use a screwdriver to shift the collar with some forceful shaking. The inside looked pretty dry and the lubricant I could see looked like gear oil not ATF.

Any ideas of how to find the pin that broke off? Magnet maybe? and how much and what type of fluid should I use to refill it?

Thanks,

[hydromike]

You'll probably never be able to get the pin out without disassembling the transmission. You don't HAVE to get it out, as there's really no way for the pin to get forced up into the inner workings after it falls to the bottom of the transmission, which they just about always do. The critics will say that it has to come out right away, but people live for years with shrapnel in their side. I have two racers and two trail machines with pins bouncing around in there. Should I remove them? Probably. Will I? MMMmmmm.... not yet.

As for the fluid in the tranny, if it's gear oil, try to get it all out and flush it a few times with clean ATF, before filling the transmission with one quart of ATF. There are two holes with plugs in the back of the tranny; one high, one low. Fill the high one until it comes out the low one, then replace the plugs. That's one quart.... You said it looked "dry" looking down the shifter bore. When the transmission is full (one quart), the level is far below where you could see it through the shifter bore. The transmission is lubricated by "splash" only as the drums turn. This distributes the ATF to the components that need it...

[Scandaty6]

i got the shifter from Richard but I can not make that thing fit. It feels like the pin is either too fat to fit in the groove or too short to reach the groove. are there different size pins?

[brushcutter]

Most likely the groove is just not lined up, sometimes you have to wiggle the collar side to side a bit to get the pin to line up. The pin and groove should not have a lot of play, but shouldn't be really tight either. Also make sure your diamond is correct for the side you're working on, and in the correct position in relation to F-N-R. Pre-lube the o-rings on the plunger to keep from damaging them.