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This is my first post in any forum ever. So bear with me, I'm old and tend to ramble. I post here to ask the community for their advice and recommendations. I have a F 966 #2510175U009030, built I believe in 1971. This ole girl is located at a hunting, fishing lodge on the shores of Big Sand Lake in northern Manitoba Canada. The tractor was purchased new and driven up on a winter road that no longer exists. We are a fly in lodge with our own unimproved runway. Everything we get must be flown up to us at great expense. This machine has been used hard by many different people every summer of its life. Some of these operators were not as qualified as others and now she is showing the injuries of this hard life. Even with the hard use this tractor runs like it did in 71. Purrs like a kitten. I wish every engine I have ever had held up like this one. Now for the bad stuff and why I need advice. As the years passed by the transmissions have received the majority of the abuse. From the shifting linkages on the column to the internal components of both sections. We are down to one forward and one reverse gear range that can only be selected when the engine is not running. Example put the tractor in forward using a old oar handle to move the linkage at the base of the column, start the engine, let out on the clutch and head on down the road, push the clutch in, stop the tractor , turn off the engine, use the oar handle to select reverse, start the engine, let out the clutch and back up. When the engine is running, even with the clutch fully depressed the gears continue to spin and shifting is impossible. Last summer I replaced the transmission brake and installed the modified linkage. Adjusted the new linkage to provide the greatest amount of pressure to stop the spinning gears and this made no improvement. When I removed the access cover that holds the trans brake I found the remains of the torque assist clutches which explained why the torque assist has not work for many years. If this tractor was at my home in Tennessee I would not hesitate to split the sections and dive in. I could re-manufacture the shifting linkages. New arms, bushings. I have a tractor grave yard just up the road for spare parts. However, where it is located we have no heavy lifting equipment, no holding jigs to support the sections, no machine shop. What would the community do? Try to fix her up or retire her with gratefulness for a long service. Keep it in mind that to replace her we have to buy a replacement, wait until winter when the lakes are frozen, cut a winter road through the bush about 150 miles long to get the replacement on site. Or Fly in the parts, jigs, special tools, expertise on a Basler aircraft which has a cargo capacity of about 18,000 lbs. and costs about $7000 one way. We cannot live without a workhorse like this tractor. Runway maintenance is not the only job we require of her. There are many, many others. Thank you for your consideration and sage advice.

Finally got around to driving this 966 home this afternoon. Was always 5 miles from me since 1974. 3 brothers bought it new. They were all bachelor's. They milked cow's and farmed. They never hurt it any as you can see. That is the original paint. Going to join my little, but manageable collection of the 2 Hydro 70s, Hydro 100 and the Allis 185.

8950 - $60,000 5175hrs 8930 - $48,000 8580hrs 966 - $11,500 9100hrs H - $1200 running, originally on steel converted to rubber. No pic Oliver 1800- $3250 Checkerboard, diesel, ran well, straight, bought new by family Mack SuperLiner - $19,500 recent overhaul, good clean truck, 5btm 735 plow - $750 spring reset both plows super nice showing some wear on wear parts. 6btm 735 plow - $750