[TomManson]

On the 300 series there is a knob you screw down to allow for freewheeling. What it the mechanism that pushes down on the two pins? I know on my 318 there is a lever on the side of the frame that does that.

 

[Mike_U]

I have not had a 300 apart but on the 317, that knob and threaded rod are connected to a plate under the fender pan. As you turn the knob, the threads screw down and push the plate down onto the two hydro freewheeling pins. The plate is not flat, it's more like this if you turn it 90 degrees -[ and the edges are flat where the plate sets on the freewheeling pins as you screw down the knob.

 

[TomManson]

Interesting, thanks Mike. I don't recall seeing such a plate on my friends tractor since I was able to easily see and push those buttons down once we removed the pan to access the dead fuel pump.

 

[Mike_U]

Edited to delete wrong info.

 

[DEERE317]

The plate is attached to the fender pan on the 317. You don't notice it if you don't turn the fender pan over.

It’s actually on the frame.

 

[Mike_U]

I forgot about that bracket. You are correct Deere 317. I'll update my post above.

 

[TomManson]

I am helping fellow WFM member Cutter-Man with his tractor. This morning he verified that his bracket over the freewheel buttons does not have the thin plate underneath that contacts the bottons. I have a 300 this is most likely going to turn into parts tractor so I will pull the pan and remove that bracket from mine to get his back on the road after we replace that dead fuel pump. Too freakin' hot to work on stuff right now!

 

[TomManson]

My Parts Tractor is a very qualified candidate for the Ugliest Seat Award, but when they are all so bad it is very hard to judge the ugliest.

 

[mjydrafter]

My Parts Tractor is a very qualified candidate for the Ugliest Seat Award, but when they are all so bad it is very hard to judge the ugliest.

View attachment 281008

Yikes, that one is bad I enough I would have to throw a trash bag over it.

 

[TomManson]

I'll strip it down to the seat pan after I get the deck off. I have 4 really good seats on my other tractors, I keep them covered from the sun/rain. This tractor was a steal, included cast iron weights, deck, extra wheels tires and new starter, the guy even found the mule drive for it after I showed him a picture of what a mule drive looked like. He was like 'oh yeah, I've seen that somewhere'.

 

[TomManson]

I got the pan off, had to snap one of the rear isolators. My cover has the little spring steel plate, Cutter-mans does not, that is why we could not get it to free wheel. I wonder where his little plate went? He did have someone paint the tractor and the painter did remove the pan, but I don't think he would have removed the cover over the trans. Mystery. I will give him mine making my tractor officially a Parts Tractor.

 

[DEERE317]

I got the pan off, had to snap one of the rear isolators. My cover has the little spring steel plate, Cutter-mans does not, that is why we could not get it to free wheel. I wonder where his little plate went? He did have someone paint the tractor and the painter did remove the pan, but I don't think he would have removed the cover over the trans. Mystery. I will give him mine making my tractor officially a Parts Tractor.

View attachment 281012

If you ever change your mind on it being a parts machine I can rob one off of a 317 that is permanently a parts machine.

 

[TomManson]

It is good to have a working 'freewheel' function as I just used it to back my 316 up a few inches to attach a log that I needed to drag up to my sawmill. That tractor has a finicky PTO switch at the moment so I sometimes have to fiddle with it to get her started, it's on my list of 'things to fix'.

 

[DEERE317]

If you’d want this for you 316 to replace yours let me know.

 

[TomManson]

Thanks for the offer kid. For now I am going to consider my 300 a parts tractor. I'll post s/n of it later to see what year it is. Tom