Quick orientation first (two lines): safety — park on level ground, chock wheels, put transmission in neutral, remove ignition/negative battery cable, wear eye protection and gloves, use jack stands or a lift; if you are not comfortable with jacks and heavy parts, get help. Below is a practical beginner-level guide that explains how the TE‑20 reverse gear works, why it fails, what every component does, and how to repair it step by step.

1) Theory — how the TE‑20 reverse gear works (simple analogy)
- Think of the gearbox as two main shafts running fore-and-aft: the input (from the clutch) and the output/mainshaft (to the final drive). Between them is a countershaft (also called layshaft) with fixed gears meshing to give different gear ratios.
- Forward gears: the output shaft gears either mesh directly with layshaft gears or are driven through a sliding dog/clutch that locks a gear to the output shaft. Direction stays the same as the input.
- Reverse: an extra “idler” gear is placed between the layshaft and the output gear so the rotation direction is reversed. Analogy: If two gears touching each other turn opposite directions; placing a third gear between them flips the direction back. The idler is the reversing piece.
- On the TE‑20 the reverse function is accomplished by engaging a reverse gear/idler and the sliding engagement collars or selector dog that lock the reverse gear to the mainshaft. There are no synchronizers — you must stop or match speeds when shifting.

Why reverse repairs are needed
- Wear and tear: broken or badly worn teeth on the reverse idler or sliding gear; worn bushings/bearings causing misalignment; damaged selector dogs or keys; rust/corrosion from low/no oil.
- Mishifting or forcing gears can damage the sliding collars or teeth.
- Contamination or poor lubrication leads to pitting and scoring — gears stop meshing cleanly and noise and slipping occur.
- Symptoms: grinding/whine when selecting reverse, reverse won’t engage, reverse slips under load, clunking or metal in oil.

2) Major components you will see and what they do (detailed)
- Clutch and input shaft: passes torque into the gearbox.
- Input shaft gear(s): drive the layshaft gears.
- Layshaft (countershaft): carries a row of fixed gears that mesh with output gears for all ratios.
- Output/mainshaft: carries gears and the sliding dog/clutches that lock selected gear(s) to the shaft.
- Reverse idler gear (and its shaft/bushings): the extra gear that sits between the layshaft gear and the mainshaft gear to reverse rotation.
- Sliding collars / dog clutch / selector sleeve: the collar which slides on the mainshaft to lock a gear to the shaft when you select a gear (including reverse).
- Selector forks / rods / lever: the linkage that moves the selector sleeve.
- Bearings / bushings / thrust washers: keep shafts aligned and with correct axial play.
- Gaskets / seals / oil filler/drain: keep oil in and dirt out.
- Keys and retaining rings: keep gears located and indexed on shafts.

3) Tools, supplies and parts you’ll need
- Tools: metric/imperial spanners & sockets (old tractors often BS sizes), screwdrivers, hammer & drift, gear puller, bearing puller/presser or hydraulic press, feeler gauges, micrometer or caliper, dial indicator with magnetic base (for backlash), torque wrench (if available), punch set, cleaning brushes, rags.
- Supplies: replacement reverse idler gear (or whole gear set if needed), replacement selector sleeve or dog teeth (if worn), bronze bushings or bearings, seals, gaskets, keys/springs/detents, gear oil (factory says SAE 140 mineral gear oil for many TE‑20s; if uncertain use 80W‑90/SAE‑140 as recommended by manual), solvent, assembly lube, red lead or gasket compound as required.
- Optional helpful: service manual for TE‑20 for drawings, torque specs, and dimensional tolerances; gasket set; new selector fork if bent.

4) Preparatory steps
- Drain gearbox oil into a clean pan and keep for inspection (metal shavings indicate severe wear).
- Clean area around gearbox to avoid dirt falling in.
- Remove gear lever housing/cover so you can access selector rods and forks.
- Label and photograph linkages and rods as you remove them so reassembly is clear — basic documentation, not a question.

5) Diagnosis — inspect before disassembly
- Can you hear noise only in reverse? If yes, likely reverse idler or reverse gear.
- If reverse won’t engage but forwards are fine, check selector linkage first for bent rods, worn fork ends, or broken pins.
- Check oil: metallic particles, bronze dust, black metal fragments are diagnostic.
- If you must do minimal work: remove top cover and inspect selector sleeve/dogs and reverse idler engagement visually.

6) Repair strategy options
- Minor repair (without full gearbox removal): remove top cover, remove selector forks, remove selector sleeve and dog, inspect and perhaps replace the sleeve or repair teeth. If idler gear bushings accessible from top and are okay, you may be able to fix shifting issues.
- Major repair / overhaul (recommended for worn gears): remove gearbox from the tractor to access mainshaft and layshaft easily. This allows pressing bearings, replacing bushings, replacing idler gear, measuring endplay and backlash and re-shimming.

7) Step-by-step major repair (full gearbox split) — concise, practical sequence
A. Remove gearbox from tractor
- Support the rear of the tractor, remove PTO/drives as needed, unbolt gearbox from housing, disconnect propshaft if present, remove linkage and clutch housing bolts. Use help — gearbox is heavy.
- Place gearbox on a clean bench.

B. Drain and split gearbox
- Drain oil then remove bolts holding gearbox halves/covers.
- Carefully separate halves using light taps and a plastic wedge; observe gear trains as you split.

C. Remove shafts and gears
- Slide out selector sleeve(s) and mainshaft assembly; withdraw layshaft assembly.
- Pull off reverse idler shaft and idler gear; note orientation and any shims or thrust washers.
- Keep parts organized in order as you remove them.

D. Inspect all components
- Gears: look for chipped or missing teeth, pitting, polished high spots, scoring. Reverse idler teeth are critical.
- Selector sleeve/dogs: check for rounded or broken dog teeth.
- Bushings/bearings: check for oval wear in bronze bushes, excessive endplay, play in journal surfaces.
- Shafts: check for scoring, keyway damage.
- Keys, pins, retainers: check for wear.

E. Replace worn parts
- Replace idler gear if any teeth are damaged. Replace selector sleeve if dog teeth rounded by more than slight rounding.
- Replace worn bronze bushings — ream to shaft size. Press in new bushings to specified depth.
- Replace seals and gaskets.
- Replace bearings if noisy or worn.

F. Measure and set clearances
- Backlash: mount gears and measure backlash between mating gears with a dial indicator. Typical light-tractor gear backlash range is about 0.006–0.015 in (0.15–0.38 mm) but consult the TE‑20 manual. Adjust shims / endplay to achieve correct backlash.
- Shaft endplay: check axial float on shafts and fit new thrust washers or shims if needed.
- Bearing preload: if tapered bearings used, set preload per manual.

G. Reassembly
- Clean all parts, apply assembly lube to bearings and gear teeth.
- Reinstall layshaft and mainshaft, install reverse idler on its shaft with correct orientation and any spacers.
- Refit selector sleeve and forks, confirm they slide free and engage gears properly.
- Close gearbox halves with new gaskets and correct torque on bolts (refer to manual for torque values).
- Refit gearbox to tractor: replace seals at input/output if removed; align and bolt up; reconnect linkages and clutch.

H. Fill and test
- Fill with correct gear oil to proper level.
- Before starting engine: shift through all gears by hand to ensure engagement and no binding.
- Start engine and test reverse at idle, then under light load in open area. Listen for noise, check for leaks.
- Road test cautiously and re-check oil for debris after first run.

8) Common things that go wrong (and how to avoid them)
- Wrong shimming/backlash — leads to noisy gears or premature failure. Avoid by measuring and adjusting with shims, and use the manual's specs.
- Re-using damaged selector sleeve — will allow slipping/partial engagement. Replace if dog teeth are rounded.
- Re-using worn bushings — causes misalignment and gear wear. Re-bush if journal bore is oval or loose.
- Wrong oil or low oil — causes overheating and accelerated wear. Fill to correct level with proper oil grade.
- Assembly order mistakes — putting washers or spacers in wrong place changes endplay. Keep parts in order and use photos/labels.
- Tightening bolts incorrectly or unevenly — may cause housing distortion. Torque evenly as manual specifies.
- Not checking keys and keyways — a sheared key can cause gears to slip on the shaft; replace compromised keys.

9) Inspection/measurement quick checklist (before reassembly)
- Gears: no broken teeth, acceptable profile.
- Selector dogs: sharpish, not heavily rounded.
- Bushings: snug on shaft, no ovality.
- Bearings: no roughness, correct play.
- Backlash: within manual tolerance (approx range given above).
- Endplay: shaft axial play within spec.
- Oil: clean (no metal flakes).

10) Post-repair maintenance and tips
- Run-in: gentle use on first 20–50 miles to allow new parts to bed in.
- Check oil and magnet (if fitted) after initial run for metal particles.
- Keep gearbox oil fresh and at the right level.
- Avoid force-shifting; match revs when possible since there are no synchronizers.

Safety reminders (final)
- Heavy components can crush — always support securely.
- Gear oil and solvents are hazardous — use gloves and dispose of old oil properly.
- If you don’t have a press or feel confident with shims, bearings, and measuring backlash, consider a machine shop or an experienced mechanic to press bearings and set tolerances.

That’s the practical beginner-level overview and repair sequence for TE‑20 reverse gear, with what each component does, why failures happen, what to measure, and what to replace. Follow the TE‑20 factory/service manual for exact tolerances and torque values when you do the work.
rteeqp73

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