Very Strange Behavior

I've ran into this phenomenon on two old tractors now and you've all heard me cryin' and bellyachin' about the noise in the rearend of my 966.

Originally, the tractor had developed an o-ring leak, had antifreeze in the oil and the prior owner just parked her in a shed rather than spend the money to fix it. The thing sat there for 6 years before I bought it and "brought it out of retirement".

I've never been real happy with that rear end, 'cause you could hear it howlin' over in the next county. When I drove it home that first day, I could feel a speed related vibration in the floorboard too.

Anyway, last fall I plowed 10 acres with it, putzed around the place diggin' postholes and then just parked the silly thing for the winter. Wanted to get it in to the shop to have it opened up, but they didn't have time to get to it.

Kicker is, yesterday I popped it off, hooked up the plow and went to the field. Strange part is that the noise has drastically subsided; still there somewhat, but pretty much normal to my ear.

What the heck is going on? My 686 did the same thing with a low-side T/A howl after I put 'er back to work. With use, the noise cleared up.

I just don't get it. 'Spose the ol' gal had some rust on the gears 'er something?

Allan

Take for example this Farmall 140 I have, parked in a heated warehouse for 10+ years. When I got the tractor the transmission driven pto would not engage. Today after 2 years of use it works fine, and the solution was nothing more than patience.

30 years ago I bought a 300 rear chassis, mainly to get an axle and some transmission parts. When I opened it up to harvest my parts, I thought I had wasted the few dollars I'd paid for this mass of internal rust. I cleaned it up and used the axle and complete top shaft in my 300. It was quiet and certainly much better than listening the the click of broken teeth and seeing that axle with close to a 1/4 twist in it. By the way, I know this 300 is still going, and probably has seen 10,000 hours since that part replacment.

I think patience is the order of the day when it comes to parked for awhile old iron. I do have one reservation with this statment, I don't think your 966 rear end and transmission are engineered as heavy in relation to the horse power as for example my 140, 300 or Mike's H.

I could hear that howl when I first started it and went out to the yard to hook up the plow. Then, after getting everything adjusted and ready, I had to take it on the road roughly 1/8" mile to get out to the field.

I remember thinking at the time, "Hey, the damned noise must have a sweet spot at this engine rpm, 'cause it isn't there now".

Nice part was, it never did show up the rest of the day. Heck, think I'll just work the old sow all summer and see how it shapes up by fall.

Maybe I'll sneak in under the wire on this one 'cause I really don't want the expense of opening that turkey up.

Dunno, we'll see.

Allan

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. It's very possible some slight surface rust was on some teeth and is now gone. Saved you a bundle of money. Just think about changing fluid and filters so any rust particles don't circulate and wreck something else.

John