"Seahag" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Jeff Strickland" > wrote:
> >
> > The LO Range gears are not syncronized, so you should be
> > moving slowly,
> > walking speed is usually good, when going into 4LO. Coming
> > out of 4LO into
> > 4HI is a bit easier and can be done <carefully> without
> > stopping, but the
> > gears will still grind.
> >
> > Usually, you'll be tooling along in 4HI and get stuck on a
> > rock or
> > something, and for any number of reasons you might decide
> > to use 4LO, but
> > because you are now stopped you may find that the gears
> > collide and the
> > shifter won't move into 4LO very easily. If this happens,
> > you can let the
> > clutch out so the gears turn a bit, then push the clutch
> > back in as you pull
> > the lever into 4LO. The vehicle may jump a bit, so be sure
> > there isn't
> > anybody standing near the tires. Once you get 4LO
> > selected, then you can
> > proceed in the apporpriate manner.
>
> I think part of my problem was that the manual mentioned
> something about not stopping in Neurtal while you shift to
> 4LO. So I just kinda grabbed the handle and went for it!
> It didn't grind badly, just surprised me not having done it
> before. Thanks for the tips, just wish it was something I
> could practice! Seems there are very few ORV trails in
> Maryland.
>

The reason you don't want to stop is because the gears grind.

The gears grind because there are no synch rings, and because there are no
synch rings AND the gears are relatively fat, they can strike on edge if
they are not moving. You won't hurt anything if you shift into LO while at a
standing stop, but if the gears strike each other on edge and the lever
won't physically move into position. The recovery from this is to let the
clutch out partially while moving the lever at the same time, the gears will
move out of each other's way, and the lever will slip into position. I have
found that I need to do this while the transmission is in gear, not Neutral.
If you are moving when you shift into LO, then the gears will also slip into
position, but they will grind first.