ORC Question

• RON'S ORC PAGE

Should the tractor strike something immovable like a tree, perhaps while the operator is looking backward at the hog, the inertia of the engine will try to drive the wheels, and the inertia of the hog will also try to drive the wheels. The most likely result is that the wheels harmlessly spin.

The ORC would prevent the torque backfeed from the hog in this circumstance. Is this likely to damage the transmission? Any more than hitting a stump and suddenly stopping the engine?

Personally, I don't see it. It won't hurt, but I don't view "saving the transmission" as the primary reason for the ORC.

I damaged my ORC when I hit a big wad of fence wire with the hog. The ORC broke before the shear pin -- wasn't too pleased about that.

I wanted to use the 9N, so I've been a bad boy and have been running the hog without the ORC. You need to plan ahead on stops and turns, and it isn't recommended. I get away with it in part because it is a 48 inch hog with less inertia than a 60 inch model.

In the course of doing this, I have discovered one transmission related problem that does arise.

Without an ORC, if you stall the hog against an obstacle while going up a hill, you can end up in a circumstance where the stuck hog tries to turn the transmission one way, and the weight of the tractor turns it the other.

These opposing forces lock both the transmission and PTO in gear. Stepping on the clutch doesn't help. You can't get the transmission into neutral, nor disengage the PTO. You can't use the engine to pull yourself out of this mess, because the hog won't turn and the PTO is stuck in gear. If you yank on the shift levers in frustration, you might very well "damage the transmission". The only way out is to get a winch or another vehicle and pull the tractor forward (or lift up the hog and unjam it).

Soundguy

Sounds like your shear pin should have popped... heck.. I threw one this weekend cutting heavy brush and hitting a dirt mound by a gopher hole.

Make sure you are using a soft grade 2 bolt as a shear pin... not a grade 5 or 8 or higher bolt.. these will allow damage to your driveline, and final drive, and pto, etc.

( You can also use a slip clutch to absorb some of the shock load, it you frequently hit items.. this will again, add length to the pto shaft.. and you may have to cut it to adjust it, etc... )

So far you got lucky with the pto not blowing apart after hitting that stump.. but it can do things that are hard to tell till later.. like slightly twist the pto shaft.. which makes it harder to remove from the hyd pump.. if you ever need to replace the shaft, etc.

Check that shear pin! soft bolts only.. nothing hardened.

good luck.. if ya got more questions, let us know.

Soundguy

If it has has marks, or is gold colored, or greyish/green/black.. then it is a good bet it is hardened.

Also, stay away from stainless steel.. they are a darker grey, and not as shiny...

Soundguy