The John Deere Gator is a multipurpose utility vehicle used everywhere from ranches to baseball fields. It uses a centrifugal clutch system, so as the gas is depressed, the clutch starts to open, causing tension on the drive belt and propelling the machine forward. So, your John Deere Gator is getting hard to shift. It sticks in gear and you can't get it out of gear. Well, it's not the transmission, it's the AM144323 CVT clutch. The fingers on the clutch basket warp and make the clutch spider stick in the slides, causing the clutch not to release all the way when the engine is idling.

John Deere Gator Clutch Removal

Having issues with your John Deere Gator going into gear while running? Don’t worry there is a simple fix for the problem and you don’t have to replace the clutch. This problem is very common, especially in the earlier XUV models, regardless of how well it’s been maintained and ridden.

Symptoms – Background

• John Deere Gator Clutch 6X4 Primary Drive 18 MPH NEW AM140986. $644.67 $ 644. FREE Shipping. Only 5 left in stock - order soon. John Deere Original Equipment.
• Just throwing in a new thread for some random john deere droolery. Always interested to see nice jd equipment. Here's one of my favorites 2140 built in '81 with alot bigger wheels over stock for a clutch repair Used by the volcanic institute Still choochin like a champ but has some minor.

The Gator 825i we worked on had less than a 100 hours of light use, had already been back to the dealership once for the same problem and was now out of warranty. The Gator 825i would shift between the gear selections easily with the engine not running. Once started it had to be forced into gear and the synchronizers were taking a beating. The problem progressively got worse until it had to be shut off to get it out of gear.

Troubleshooting

After first checking the shift cables and console mounted shift mechanism itself the CVT belt cover was removed. After removing the cover and cycling the primary and secondary clutch through their motions it was apparent the primary clutch was not fully disengaging when idling. The primary clutch is connected to the engine’s crankshaft and is mounted toward the front of the Gator. As result of the primary clutch not fully disengaging it was turning the secondary clutch which feeds into the transmission gearbox. The transmission was actually performing as it was designed and not allowing the Gator to pop out of gear when under load.

John Deere Gator Clutch Kit

John Deere Gator – Hard To Shift Fix

John Deere Gator Clutch Cleaning Tool

John Deere Gator Clutch Cleaning Service

To fix the problem spray penetrating oil on the primary clutch slides as shown below. This will allow the clutch to fully open up and disengage at idle.

Next, start the Gator and again cycle the clutches by going from idle to full throttle and back to idle a couple times. For additional lubrication apply a thin layer of motor oil with your finger. Be careful not to get oil on the belt or surfaces the belt rides on. The video above demonstrates the entire process on a Gator 825i.