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Rgremi

05 rancher 350 es shift problem

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I am having a mechanical issue shifting this rancher. I installed a bypass harness to override the electrical sensors ecu etc and it was shifting fine for a short time. It will shift into first or reverse only and what is happening is the shift plate doesn’t return fully back to its starting position, I checked it and can see no damage I also put a new return spring and I can shift manually up or down fine Until the shift motor


is installed and that’s when it doesn’t return to the starting position weather using the electric shift or the emergency shift lever. After going to first gear it will shift up again through all gears and back but each shift requires to manually move the shifter back very slightly to you hear click it reingagues the drum shifter . Any ideas ??

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SOUNDS like you MIGHT have a cracked shifter plate, I have seen if happen before and I know a lot of customers who, before replacing theirs with the overide harness

due to not shifting properly, had really been stomping on the emergency shifter and cranking on the emergency shift stub pretty hard with adjustable wrench etc

Seems like the shift plates are prone to cracking on these 

Look at the shift plate closely as its easy to overlook a crack sometimes, and check the center plate screw for looseness as well as I have seen that before as well

Since it shifts up and down until the motor is installed, make sure the dot is aligned on the toothed drive that goes on the shift shaft in the reduction gear area as well

Not sure, but I also seem to remember shift motor tight/binding on assembly due to lack of a gasket in place- I will have to check myself on that one though

Let us know what you find out

Happy Holidays

AKATV

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I’ll have to check the shift plate very close. When you say check the bolt are you referring to the bolt on the center of the drum shifter, cause it’s tight. Also I noticed after looking at a parts diagram there a small spring that sits under the triangle plate with the rollers on front of the clutch and I must have lost it and put the linkage back together without it. Could that be causing the problem now and the original problem the shift plate return spring? Not sure what that small spring does 

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I don’t think the small spring under the roller plate for the clutch would cause the shifting issue that you’re having I think that’s more just to keep the rollers from rattling around if you adjust the clutch too loose

Sounds to me like you definitely have a shift issue going on and I was talking about the center bolt that goes through to the drum -that’s correct

I think the problem we have is something simple we’ll figure it out we just want to eliminate the known common issues

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Hi Buddy , was hoping to get you fixed up over here ---- hang in there

 

Rgremi , is a good friend of mine , been knowing him for a long time , hope someone gets him going -----    

 

 Good story , this ES use to be his , (  he did well getting rid of it , but learned to not sell one to a friend , LOL )  , he sold it to his neighbor and after quite  few years it messed up , so he worked on it for the guy a few times now along it's life  ,  they got a by-pass harness on it and it worked for a while  like that , so I doubt it is an electrical issue 

 

I was thinking the bolt on the shift shaft came loose , or the spring broke , but he said it wasn't that

 

 then I thought it might have something to do with the clutch cam plate spring being missing ----- but I see AKATV says that wouldn't cause that problem ----  but I don't know about that 

 

thought about the shift motor being bad , but he says he swapped the shift motor to another that works on other atv ----

 

so I am thinking  it has a internal problem with the shift yokes  -----  he sys it will shift smooth till the shift motor is bolted up , then it shifts but doesn't return , 

 

 

 

 

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I was wondering if you might try loosening the shift motor bolts a bit and see if it does not bind anymore or if it springs back into position like its supposed to

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20 hours ago, AKATV said:

I was wondering if you might try loosening the shift motor bolts a bit and see if it does not bind anymore or if it springs back into position like its supposed to

I finally had a chance to remove the shift plate and after careful examination I don’t see any cracks damage etc . Put it back together with 6-8 bolts on the front cover and tried with the emergency shifter and still right where it left off , with the shift motor in place it just won’t return to the starting position to shift up / or even back down without using the emergency shifter to move it slightly by hand after which it will shift to the next position. I did try to shift with the motor pulled slightly back but that doesn’t work either. If I shift with the motor and then remove it without repositioning the shifter you can hear the linkage move back to the correct position. With the motor in place even when hand shifting it has to be moved back to position after it shifts to be able shift up or down again

Edited by Rgremi

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Gotta be the shift motor or gears binding if it works without the shift motor on there. 

 

If you have another 350 to swap parts around with try swapping the shift motor and the gears and see if anything changes

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What about  bearing #20 or I would presume there is another bearing on the other end of the shift drum #5 on that small end protruding ,  not sure what print that  bearing would be on , maybe the case half    in the second print 

 

I have heard of people saying it damages the shift shaft when the emergency shifter is extensively used , what is it that actually gets damaged 

 

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Its hard when you extensively used the emergency shifter as it has to also tun the reduction gears and motor which takes increased pressure and a bit morre time

When it doesnst shift right away or not at all, people get to stomping on it and causes more problems

Not sure what fails most because of this, but have seen a LOT of cracked shifter plates and loose star pawl screws

I dont recommend long term usage, but if you are going to. I would just pull out the reduction gears and it will shift like a regular

foot shift model as far as how much pressure you have to apply to the shift lever

 

 

 

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Yep, remove the gears under the shift motor and replace the shift motor, and it will shift like a regular footshift.

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Did you ever find the solution?  I am having the exact same problem with my 06.  Help!!

Edited by mozy444

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18 hours ago, mozy444 said:

Did you ever find the solution?  I am having the exact same problem with my 06.  Help!!

Welcome aboard.  What all have you tried thus far?

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Angle sensor bypass harness.  Electric shift does work, but I have to use a wrench to help the shift shaft return to the center position before being able to shift to the next gear.  Can't figure out why it won't return all the way to center.  It springs back most of the way, though slowly, then needs a nudge to get to center, at which time you can hear the small click which means I can now switch to the next gear.  Same problem whether downshifting or upshifting.

Edited by mozy444

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In addition to the bypass harness, I also removed the shift motor, cleaned inside the motor though it tested fine.  I removed the reduction gears and cleaned them all, all gears looked great.  checked that all the small bearings the gears ride on were free.  They were.  New grease on everything and reassembled.  All of that provided no improvement.  Shift shaft still not returning to center on its own.

Edited by mozy444

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Without the electric motor installed and shifting manually, the shift shaft still does not return all the way to center on its own.  And it feels much stiffer to shift manually than it should.

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Its a 2006 rancher es 350 fe 4x4.  Been sitting outside, unused for about 4 years.  My neighbor gave it to me.  Has low miles and not been abused.  Other than leaving it exposed to the elements for 4 years.  I cleaned it up, looks almost new, went through the carb and is running perfectly.  Other than this shift issue.

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Sounds like the bolt sheared off the end of the shift shaft or got loose or the spring tip broke off , you would have to take the cover off to check that ---- when you ue the emergency  shift tool , can you feel the spring resistance  

 

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Yes, I feel more resistance than there should be.  No way I could move it with my toe.  And it tries to return to center on its own, but moves slowly then stops just before the click you hear when it gets to center.  But it won't click to center unless I help it.  Was thinking about pulling the front cover today or tomorrow but was hoping someone knew what causes this before digging in.

Edited by mozy444

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Did you see Retro's thread on bullet proofing the ES shift system , from reading what you have done , I don't think that is your problem  and sounds like you did most or all of it , but you never know  and it can't hurt doing the maintenance ----

 

I read you have the ES by-pass harness installed , how is the time line of how this problem started and the ES by-pass  , did the ES harness ever fix the problem for a while , or did you install it and it did not help , did you ride it for a while shifting it  by using the emergency lever , cause they say that is not good for it and can break the shift shaft , wondering if it all points that way 

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Initially I had no electrical response in the shift system.  Push shift buttons, nothing would happen, no power to the shift motor.  Was getting 5 flashes.  Installed bypass and would shift to either reverse or first easily.  But couldn't shift above 1st.  That's when I found it was not returning to center.  Am getting 3 flashes now, but I'm positive that's only because it won't return to center.  I don't have a foot lever, so never rode it that way.  Have been using a 12mm socket just for troubleshooting purposes.

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Unbolt your front diff, and pull it forward as far as you can.  That will allow you to remove the front driveshaft.

 

Turn off gas, stand up on the rear rack (it will stand straight up on the rear wheels and rear rack), and unbolt the fan and swing it out of the way.  That should give you room to pull the front cover.

 

My guess is it will be something similar to this that I found on a Foreman.  I think the 350's are bad about cracking the shift plate in the shift linkage, but it's in the same place under that front cover.

 

 

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