MWSC FAQs: Transmission

What fluid should be used in the transmission?
We recommend Hy-Trans fluid by IH or Farmall, or Hy-Gard by John Deere. These fluids have a rust inhibitor in them for when the tractor is stored in an unheated garage, or trailer, where the variation of temperatures creates condensation. For a pulling tractor use only 2 quarts.

Is locking the shifter with a rigid lock necessary?
Yes, a solid lock is necessary. Ratchet straps and hands are just not strong enough.

Is the MWSC Shifter a direct replacement for the stock shifter?
Yes, and the MWSC shifters have a built-in shifter lock. Simply put the tractor in gear, engage the lock, and go. The MWSC Shifter prevents your tractor from jumping out of gear. We have both short and long handled shifters available; the long ones are generally used for wide frame tractors, where the short ones are generally used in narrow frame tractors.

Does the MWSC Hitch bolt-on in place of the back cover of the transmission?
Yes. It’s also recommended to pair a transmission gasket with your new hitch. Transmission fluid can be filled through the shifter cover.

What is the benefit in using the Over- or Under-drive Gears?
This is done by replacing the bowl gear and pinion in the reduction housing.
Underdrive gear sets (page 17 in our 2019 catalog) slow down the entire transmission; available in 10% or 20% underdrive.
Overdrive gear sets (page 17 in our 2019 catalog) accelerates the speed of the transmission by 10%, 16%, or 23% with the replacement of the bowl gear and pinion. To overdrive by 26%, 33%, 38%, 43%, or 47% requires three pieces: a two piece pinion and a bowl gear. This does not allow the puller to have additional gears - it provides a different gear ratio is all.
All combinations above will still result in just one basic pulling gear. Additional gears can be achieved by doing a “2-3 Swap”.

Why use Pinion Holder Shims # 52022?
The set of our Pinion Holder Shims # 52022 (page 18 in our 2019 catalog) allows you to adjust the depth of the pinion.

What is the Shim-A # 51737 kit?
A kit of shims used to set the bearing preload and backlash (page 20 in our 2019 catalog).

What is the benefit of replacing the stock pinion holder?
The stock pinion holder is made of stamped steel, and when the tires really bite the stock pinion holder flexes causing the pinion depth to change resulting in ring and pinion failure.

What is the advantage to using a MWSC 13 Tooth One Over Pinion # 51828?
The stock pinion has 12 teeth. Our 13 Tooth One Over Pinion # 51828 (page 17 in our 2019 catalog) is the only pinion that works with the stock bowl gear (84 tooth). The 13 Tooth One Over Pinion # 51828 will speed up the gears by one gear. For example: If the gear you have is a 17 tooth gear, it will act as an 18 tooth gear. (To order our 13 Tooth One Over Pinion WITH our Front Pinion Kit, which includes the seal, snap ring, and bearing then order part # 51856, # 51828 is just the pinion.)

Do ring and pinions have different tooth counts?
No, all of our ring and pinions (page 20 in our 2019 catalog) have the same tooth count: 10 tooth pinion and 46 tooth ring gear.

Is the 2-3 Swap, 3 Speed, or 4 Speed difficult to install?
The 2-3 Swap (page 19 in our 2019 catalog) is not too difficult. And the 3 Speed is actually more of a challenge to solve than the 4 Speed (page 19 in our 2019 catalog). Watch our “How To” video on it first to make sure it’s a task you would feel comfortable taking on. If you’d rather have us build one and ship it to you, that’s an option as well.

When changing out the 2nd and 3rd gears, is there anything else I would need?
When using aftermarket gears in the 2nd or 3rd position, you must measure the thickness of the original gears and the thickness of the aftermarket gears. This difference will need to be shaved off the front spacer in the transmission, or we offer a Front Spacer # 52001 that is pre-machined to the correct thickness.