clutch

[vaughan]

This is a great forum. I'm kind of a novice when it comes to tractors, but I have a question. I bought this tractor about a year ago. I'm really happy with it and everything's been fine up until now. It's an L3600 DT that I use only for snowblowing. I bought it with 800 hours and it's in great shape and has had the clutch replaced once. One day I pushed in the clutch and the pedal wouldn't come out. I had to lean down and pull it out by hand to get the tractor to move. I did this several times and got the same results. So the clutch was permanently disengaged unless I pulled the pedal out by hand. The next day I started the tractor, pushed in the clutch and tried to put it in gear and couldn't because the clutch was already engaged. So now I have the opposite problem. The clutch is permanently engaged now. Even when I push the pedal in, it won't desengage the clutch. I can force it into gear with no trouble in low range to move the tractor from place to place. The pedal still will not come up buy itself. I tried adjusting the clevis rod - no help. The clutch arm that goes into the bell housing is very stiff and hardly moves either way. I've tried spraying WD-40 where the shaft goes in the housing at both sides. I thought the pressure plate might be rusted to the flywheel so I tried all the usual methods to free it, but no help. The tractor moves as normal with no noise or slipping, so I don't think the clutch is damaged, but the arm just won't disengage the clutch. If I had broken the "woodruff key" washers on the clutch fork, you would think the clutch arm would rotate freely, but it will hardly budge. The tractor sits outside but I start it up and drive it at least once a week. I'm at a loss for an answer. I'd hate to have to take it in and have it split. Maybe someone out there who has had the same problem can shed some light. Your knowledge and experience would be appreciated. Thank-you.

 

[kubmech]

Vaughan, unfortunately your clutch lever has corroded and seized to the housing and it will need to be split to repair properly. To reference an old service bulletin (SB96-01)
L3600DT/GST ser. number range 50001-51123. Replace clutch lever with part number TA040-21172, polish the lever bores with sandpaper and apply high pressure grease prior to reassembly. I have done this repair to numerous grand L machines with apparent good results, however there is a newer bulletin out that may completely prevent this from happening again. To reference SB01-52: Clutch lever seizure in the clutch housing may occur on <font color=orange>all Grand L tractors</font color=orange>,in the new Grand L10 tractors this problem was solved by installation of bushings. These bushings can be installed in the grand L tractors by using a 27/32" HS SS 4 FI. core drill to enlarge the holes and finish the holes with a 22mm HSS 13" ST_FL,SS, CHCK REAMER. It is highly recommended that the clutch housing be completely removed from the tractor and sent to a quality machine shop for the process, due to the need for the bushings on both sides to be true to each other, to prevent any shaft binding or preload, do to bushing mis-alignment. You will need 3 bushings part number 08511-01915 and one plug part number 31351-38720.
One bushing and the plug will go in the right side of the housing and the other two bushings will be installed in the left side of the housing. You are probably looking at 12 to 16 hours of labor here depending on how experienced the tech is on this model as well as the cost of the parts and machine shop work. It also sounds like you may have some linkage problems up top, possibly a broken spring. That I would have to see to really give you any insight.

 

[vaughan]

Kubmech, thank-you for your reply and your advice. I've been out of town. It sounds like that's the problem. One thing you mentioned about my having linkage problems and possibly a broken spring up top. I assume you mean that large spring above the clutch pedal at the pivot point. Do you mean that if the spring is broken, that may be the problem instead of the corroded clutch arm rod, or in addition to? That would be great if that's all it was. Also, I was talking to a mechanic at a local Kubota dealer and he concurred with your diagnosis. He then said a last ditch effort might be to drill a hole in the housing on the left side above the place where the rod enters the housing and tap in a grease zerk, and then greasing it to try to free the rod. Does this sound to you like it might work? And if I do have to split the tractor, would you know how many extra hours more than the 16 to 18 hours it would take to lift up the glass cab and disconnect its components? Again, thanks for your help.........Vaughan

 

[kubmech]

Could be in addition to and or the only problem. What you described with the lever being stiff sounds like the problem though. I don't have the luxury of having a look at the housing like I used to, so putting a grease fitting in may be an option. Just take a good look first, if it looks like it may compromise the integrity of the housing it may not be the best option. More than likely you would have to grease both sides, so keep that in mind also. If you have the glass cab installed you could be looking at an additional 8 hours.