SECTION 18 — UNITIZED TRANSAXLE
18
DANGER
• See General Warning on page 10-1.
WARNING
• See General Warning on page 10-1.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The vehicles addressed in this manual are equipped with heavy-duty, fully-synchronized Unitized Transaxles. The
unitized transaxle utilizes fully-synchronized internal gearing to change vehicle direction. Because the unitized
transaxle is used to reverse vehicle direction, the engine, drive clutch, belt, and driven clutch rotate in the same
direction; therefore, the engine and clutches are not subjected to reversing loads. This reduces maintenance
requirements on the engine and clutches. With the unitized transaxle, power is transferred from the engine through the
drive clutch, the drive belt, the driven clutch, and then through the unitized transaxle to the wheels.
SHIFTER LEVER
A shifter lever, connected to a shifter arm, is used to change the gears to one of three shift positions: FORWARD (F),
NEUTRAL (N), or REVERSE (R)
. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop before changing
FORWARD or REVERSE direction.
NEUTRAL LOCKOUT
The pedal-start FE350 vehicle has a neutral lockout circuit that prevents a driver from starting the vehicle in NEUTRAL.
If the vehicle is started in FORWARD or REVERSE and then shifted to NEUTRAL, the engine will stop running.
The key-start FE350 vehicle will start in NEUTRAL; however, if the accelerator pedal is pressed while the
Forward/Reverse handle is in the NEUTRAL position, the engine will stop running.
For the convenience of the trained technician, there is a neutral lockout switch located on the seat support panel under
the seat
. The neutral lockout switch has two positions, MAINTENANCE and OPERATE,
which are clearly marked:
•
Pedal-Start vehicles:
When the switch is in the MAINTENANCE position, it will allow the technician to run the
engine in the NEUTRAL position to perform certain maintenance and/or repair functions. With the switch in this
position, the vehicle will not operate if the Forward/Reverse handle is placed in either the FORWARD or REVERSE
position.
•
Key-Start vehicles:
When the switch is in the MAINTENANCE position, it will allow the technician to run the
engine in FORWARD, REVERSE, or NEUTRAL for certain maintenance and/or repair functions. However, if the
Forward/Reverse handle is in either the FORWARD or REVERSE position and the accelerator pedal is pressed, the
engine will stop running.
See following WARNING and NOTE.
2009 FE 350 Maintenance and Service Supplement
Page 18-1
