Today was test day for the transmission in the Dakota truck. I didn't want to install the beast until I was Sure it worked well! But how to test it out of the vehicle?
I decided to turn it with a drill motor:
I found a socket that slipped over the guide shaft in front of the spline gear on the front of the transmission. I filled the gap with duct tape, and tapped the socket on. Adding a 1/2" drive adapter to the drill was all that was needed to spin the main shaft.
Here you can see the gears turning for the first time in years:
The drill ran the shaft just fine, and I shifted through the entire pattern; while monitoring the output shaft, speed and direction! Everything worked perfectly....
This is what it looks like with the drill stopped.
I didn't want a long run with no lube, and it was hard on the drill motor too.
The gear Cover plate was bolted back where it belongs, after adding the detents springs.
I found the failure mode:
The Shiny thread at the top was deformed by impact. Said impact would have been enough to drive the shift tang outside of the shifter pocket, so it wouldn't move into gear anymore.
After I tested the transmission, I removed this shift lever, and covered the hole with tape; to keep it clean during installation! That way, it can't happen again, and it will be easier to put back in. Once it's in, the tape comes off, and the lube is added. The shifter plate is remounted, and the job is done!
I'm trying to avoid being impatient, but it is so close I can taste it, LOL. 😆
The truck is a critical homestead tool, and it will see a lot of good use!
💗🤠💙👍