Super A Gear Shift And PTO Levers

[F.POLLIO]

I have a 1960 140 with third gear badly worn and is at the point where it will not stay locked in all the way. It is noisy and if I push ahead on the shifter it will quit down some. After removing the transmission cover I also discovered why the tractor goes so fast in fourth gear. the sliding gear is over 50 teeth, helical cut, not straight like the others. The other gears are worn some and it has visible wear on the spline shaft. I decided not to rebuild it and located another complete transmission at the local salvage yard. It is from a Super A and internally is in way better condition than the 140 unit. I noticed that forth gear is 37 teeth and should slow the tractor down to a safer speed where I use it. First gear is a little faster than the 140 and reverse is a little bit slower, second and third appear to be the same. I do have a question about the shift and PTO levers as they are bent to the left and was wondering if it is a factory set up for a Deluxe Seat or if some one has modified them. I cannot find this style in the 140 or Super A parts manual. I have already installed a deluxe seat on the 140 and these levers, especially the PTO one should be easier to reach. I do not know for sure and am attaching a photo.

[Jim Becker]

Sounds like your fourth gear parts came from a 240 (53 teeth on the upper, driving 27 teeth on the lower). It would be about 1/3 faster than the standard fourth gear. I'm not aware that any were factory-built that way. The Super A levers never came out of the factory looking that way. Is the shift lever actually bent or just installed backward? The PTO lever was definitely bent by a previous owner.

[F.POLLIO]

Thank You for the reply. I will look at the shifter and see if it also has been bent or installed backward. I thought that the PTO lever was not original because one like that does not show up anywhere. I do have an original shifter and lever from the 140 transmission and will use them if this setup does not work well. That is an interesting thought about the fourth gear. Whoever changed it in the past must have wanted to travel faster than I do.

[Jim Becker]

. . . Whoever changed it in the past must have wanted to travel faster than I do.

Could it have maybe started out as a highway mower?

[F.POLLIO]

It is possible but I have no history on it. The man at the salvage yard thought the same that it could have been used as a highway mower. It came from Irwin, Pa. which is on the Pa. Turnpike and U.S.30. It would have been a lot easier to special order it that way rather than a complete tear down to change the sliding and stationary gears.