clutch will not engage on tractor

   / clutch will not engage on tractor #1  

friarfarmer

New member
Joined
Sep 11, 2003
Messages
1
I have a Satoh Beaver III, which was donated to our monastery last year. It is a great work horse and has been very helpful on our 24 acre property.
Recently after non use for several months of summer, I attempted to use it and found that when engaging the clutch pedal, nothing happened.
Could anyone tell me what could be the problem, if it is the bearings or possibly the clutch plate itself.
Other than this, I keep it serviced, lubed and clean.
thank you.
 
   / clutch will not engage on tractor #2  
"I attempted to use it and found that when engaging the clutch pedal, nothing happened"
Sometimes a clutch will "freeze up" if not used for a long period. Not familiar with your tractor, but my MF has a latch hook to hold the clutch pedal depressed if the tractor will be stored or unused for a long period.
Many years ago we had a Farmall Super C that we had no shed for, and after sitting through the winter I found the same thing that you have. Hooked a chain to a truck and had a friend pull me down the road and it broke loose. That's all I can contribute except to wish you luck with the problem.
 
   / clutch will not engage on tractor #3  
I agree with the above about the clutch being rusted to the plate. My Allis Chalmers did this twice, once I was able to break it free by bumping the tractor, the other time I had to soak the clutch with WD-40 for a couple of days before it would break free, then flush it out with water and run it to dry it out. After the second time I put a 2x4 on the clutch pedal when I wasn't going to use it for a while.
 
   / clutch will not engage on tractor #4  
Do you really mean the clutch will not engage, or do you mean it will not disengage? The responses so far are for clutches that will not disengage, and I suspect that's the problem, but the problem and solutions are entirely different if it will not engage.
 
   / clutch will not engage on tractor #5  
Bird,
You took the words right out of my mouth /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
   / clutch will not engage on tractor #6  
"when engaging the clutch pedal, nothing happened"

Come on guys, he said it right. If you "engage" the pedal and nothing happens, that has to mean the clutch did not "disengage". If you do nothing, the clutch will/should remain "engaged", if working properly.
 
   / clutch will not engage on tractor #7  
OK, Norm, but you know some of us old folks are easily confused. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif In the body of his post, he did say </font><font color="blue" class="small">( when engaging the clutch pedal, nothing happened )</font>, but the "Subject" line says </font><font color="blue" class="small">( clutch will not engage )</font>. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif So I just wanted to be sure we're understanding it right. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
   / clutch will not engage on tractor #8  
I also agree.. clutch is stuck to the plate. Common thing to do is to start in gear, and have clutch pedal blocked down, and take off out in the pasture.. turn some figure 8's, and alternately hit the brake pedals real good.. hopefully will unstick soon.

Afterwards.. use the block to block the clutch down when storeing.

Soundguy
 
   / clutch will not engage on tractor #9  
Soundguy's reply of starting it in gear reminds me of something we did many years ago, and that I've mentioned on the forum before. My first tractor experience was with a 1940 John Deere L (2-cylinder, 3 speed, manual transmission, hand cranked, gasoline tractor). It was parked outside and if not used for several days, the clutch would stick and if started in neutral, no way you could get it in gear. So I'd put it in low gear, only open the throttle just enough to get it started, pull hard on the crank (in the front end), then get out of the way when it started, climb on from the back, open the throttle wide open, hold the clutch pedal down, and stand on the brakes until the clutch popped free. It always worked, but of course we had to be sure it was parked behind the barn with nothing in front of it.
 
   / clutch will not engage on tractor #10  
Bird,
We only do these things when we are young. Glad you always got out of the way.
Rich
 
 
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