Clutch Life Expecancy in Hours

[CDsdad]

Just wondering about those old Allis Chalmers round balers and a tractor without a live PTO and big hay fields?

Be careful, you'll show your age there.

 

[carpenter383]

If the tractor lurches forward when you put it in gear the clutch must not be disengaging all the way. How much free play does it have? Will it roll backwards on an incline while in a forward gear?

 

[tugboat-2]

Yeah I may be losing my memory, (or my mind?) but weren't those old hand clutches an "over-centre" thing? Not much room to "ride" as they were either locked out or locked in! . . . or am I all wet? (I'm picturing a big forged lever).

CHEERS,
. . tug

 

[mrlullabye]

If the tractor lurches forward when you put it in gear the clutch must not be disengaging all the way. How much free play does it have? Will it roll backwards on an incline while in a forward gear?

Yeah I sort of felt like it was not right for it to lurch. I mean it is not like it would constantly roll, but sort of bump when you switched between forward and reverse.

If you push up a pile with the FEL and sort of drove the front wheels up on it a little so you were inclined it would roll back on it's on to level ground, but it would not just roll unless the incline was noticable.

Free play wise, it seemed like you really had to have your foot all the way down to get the clutch to engage. Guessing here, but if the pedal has 3 inches of total travel, all of the clutch was in the bottom inch. I guess thinking about it that might be just the way it was tuned. If the clutch was all in the middle or first inch, then I would think that over travel would ensure it was disengaged. Since all the goods were at the bottom of the travel, maybe it never really was disengaged all the way.

I can say I never smelled clutch burning in the time I used it. I know in a car if you ride the clutch for any period of time you will smell it. I would assume with a tractor it would be the same or worse since you aren't inside of a cab.

I did at times sit for 5, 10 or maybe more seconds with the tractor clutched while some folks helped manuever a large peice of concrete and secure it in the bucket. I would think if it was engaged then I would have smelled it.

 

[Soundguy]

depending ont he tranny type, it's also not uncommon for oil coupling to keep some gear movement when you clutch and shift fast.. but you will know if it is a dragging clutch or fluid coupling pretty quick..

soundguy

 

[mrlullabye]

I got a call from the folks today and they said the Rivets holding the pucks together had sheared off. He said he thought it must have been a defective clutch disk so they replaced it and are going to bring it back to the farm tomorrow free of charge.

Can't beat that with a stick. It isn't everyday when someone actually treats you right, so when they do you had best count your lucky stars and keep doing business with them.

 

[carpenter383]

I got a call from the folks today and they said the Rivets holding the pucks together had sheared off. He said he thought it must have been a defective clutch disk so they replaced it and are going to bring it back to the farm tomorrow free of charge.

Can't beat that with a stick. It isn't everyday when someone actually treats you right, so when they do you had best count your lucky stars and keep doing business with them.

Great! sounds like they care about thier customers. I wonder if the clutch disk manufacturer is going to pay them for their labor?

 

[milkie62]

I have a 1958 MF65 that I bought off my grandfathers neighbor back in 1983.He said he never changed a clutch so he said I may be good still for a couple of years.Well it is 25 yrs later and still waiting for that couple of years.I have been stuck in mud and snow,stuck with 3 bottom plows and pulled 9'disks all these years with the original clutch.I would say 51 years is about average for a clutch. LOL

 

[Strawboss]

I have a Farmtrac 665, bought at about 2 years old with about 300 hours. I noticed from the beginning that the shuttle was just a little hard to get into forward without grinding the gears. But reverse was never hard. However, when pulling down to reverse the tractor actually would move backward just a little before getting it all the way in gear. I also noticed that while in gear but with the clutch fully depressed (disengaged) The tractor would rock ever so slightly. Yesterday, after several hours of shredding, I disconnected the cutter and when trying to pull away I could not get the clutch to disengage. I tried adjusting the linkage but no workie. I love the tractor, just hate having this problem. Dealer in Seguin Texas says he can fix for $750 to $1150. I like the way he talked so I will try him out. He seems to think probably a throw-out bearing but want know until he splits the equipment and takes a look. However, what I like about his pitch is that they will replace any bad parts and all seals while in there. Said it would be about two weeks because he is snowed under after the long dry spell and now recent rains. I'll post results later.

 

[Strawboss]

Seems most of these post are from 2009, about the time I had the clutch replaced in my Farmtrac 665. It had about 300 hours on it at that time. Now, at 825 hours the clutch is toast again. Same symptoms as the first time I had trouble, clutch will not dis-engage. Not like a clutch worn out but just locked up somehow. I thought I'd do a little trouble shooting and slipped it into lowest gear while running at the lowest possible RPM, then while at higher rpm, moving down the road I engaged the clutch fully then put on the breaks. The tractor stopped and kept running, sounded bogged down but still it convinced me that the clutch was not just stuck together.
I need to find a dealer, anyone know a dealer near Victoria Texas that will work on this Farmtrac?