New clutch installed and wont dis-engage the engine

[oldmech]

Hi! The best Oem Disk from Pasquali Italy . But you have one now. I just seen your pressure plate. This clutch look very small. I think the best is circular shim. I write 16 Ga .059 Metal sheet But may be 20Ga .035 or 22Ga .029 is enough. Try 22Ga first more easy to cut with Wiss tool. Good Luck Oldmech

 

[SPYDERLK]

What did the pilot bearing look like?
larry

 

[mmurphy]

So if the shims are one at each bolt how large of surface should they cover? Cant I not use washers if they are just around the bolts?

I would cover just as big an area with out it protruding in to disk area. Shim stock is more accurate in dimension then a washer. Still take time to clean burrs off any spot you cut.

Are you sure there is not another piece that had disintegrated, got lost, or fork damage that may have happened? Do you have a picture of all components that need to be there?

 

[Redneck in training]

I didn稚 read all the posts. I used to have Fiat car with similar clutch design.
Can you take the old pressure plate to a shop and have it turned. It will repair the surface and make it thinner to fit the thicker disc.

Also check the mechanism (fork) that pushes on the bearing. Is it tight on the shaft? Also the lever the cable connects to.

 

[mpilihp]

Hi All thanks for your help and suggestions I really do appreciate it. THe first thing I am going to do is replace the clutch cable that broke, it broke from the cable tightening device that holds it tight under the clutch pedal. Before I tried running the engine I had tested it by cranking the engine over in gear with the pedal pushed down and the tractor did not move so hoping it will be ok with a new cable. I suspect the cable streached where it was breaking.

To respond to all of your comments:

Oldmech - if I have to Ill give the shim a try, one piece and use 22gauge, I actually think I have some already.

SpyderLnk - Interesting that you would ask about the pilot bearing, there wasn't one! I got the specs for it and put a new one in. The previous owner stated they had re-ringed the engine so Im guessing for what ever reason they took the pilot bearing out.

mmurphy - so are you saying there are manufactured shims I could buy/use for this? Also everything else looks ok/good. Forks, lever, pedal all seam to be tight and not bent. If you read some previous posts in this thread I posted pictures.

Redneck - (Neat name) The old pressure plate was returned for core charge, its fingers were bent/damaged. The old clutch disk appears ok to me though I am no expert at this. Its slightly thinner than the new one but is whole. I have contemplated putting the old disk back in as it would give more room for the pp to release it. Fork and lever look ok.

Thanks, hopefully Ill get the clutch cable on today and give it a try and maybe it will work, if not off with the engine again!

~ Phil

 

[Mace Canute]

SpyderLnk - Interesting that you would ask about the pilot bearing, there wasn't one! I got the specs for it and put a new one in. The previous owner stated they had re-ringed the engine so Im guessing for what ever reason they took the pilot bearing out.

?????????????

How the h*ll did the clutch work without a pilot bearing???

 

[skipmarcy]

?????????????

How the h*ll did the clutch work without a pilot bearing???

Really .... input shaft needs a pilot bearing. Also note - in my Mahindra the pilot bearing mounts in the flywheel, not the crankshaft - don't ask me how many times I split my tractor before I figured this out !!!! The bearing fit the crank just fine , just like you would think it would in any car or truck but it was meant to go in the flywheel. My clutch would not disengage enough to shift until that input shaft was supported like it was supposed to be which it was only long enough to reach the bearing in the flywheel !!! The reason I didn't know all this was that my original pilot bearing had disintegrated from engine to trans mounting bolts being broken so when I disassembled I had nothing to go by on the pilot bearing and I assumed it was like all others I had ever done with the bearing in the end of the crankshaft. You live & learn everyday.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Really .... input shaft needs a pilot bearing. Also note - in my Mahindra the pilot bearing mounts in the flywheel, not the crankshaft - don't ask me how many times I split my tractor before I figured this out !!!! The bearing fit the crank just fine , just like you would think it would in any car or truck but it was meant to go in the flywheel. "My clutch would not disengage enough to shift until that input shaft was supported like it was supposed to be which it was only long enough to reach the bearing in the flywheel !!! The reason I didn't know all this was that my original pilot bearing had disintegrated from engine to trans mounting bolts being broken so when I disassembled I had nothing to go by on the pilot bearing and I assumed it was like all others I had ever done with the bearing in the end of the crankshaft. You live & learn everyday.

Ok ... perhaps some linearity appears. -- Orig clutch dragged because the pilot wasnt there or fell apart. OP adjusted for more and more clutch lift and finally damaged the lift fingers. New assembly still drags but probably due to "it looks like my new clutch disk is springy and compresses some, IE I can squeeze it in a vise whereas the old one will not compress". If usable as a clutch I think a few full throttle take offs in a medium speed travel gear would bed the clutch in by a little wear and added heat to settle the spinginess a bit.
larry

 

[mmurphy]

Are you sure there is not another piece that had disintegrated, got lost, or fork damage that may have happened? Do you have a picture of all components that need to be there?

I think the other guys may have you covered. That shaft has to be torqued too the side when pushing on the clutch causing part of the clutch always engaged. Remember you only have a small clearence when releasing in the first place.

 

[cycle_gator]

This is a really interesting post. Clutches are great as long as they work and are easy to replace as long as all goes as it should. BUT if a component goes south, they can be a real PITA. In my son's Miata he had intermittant clutch issues, not disengaging, same as OP. Replaced slave, replaced master (hydraulic clutch), checked PP, CD and TOB, but every couple of months the problem seemed to return. Finally traced it all to a softened section of flex hose between the master cylinder and the clutch slave. It woudl expand and not allow the hydraulic pressure to fully disengage the clutch.

Long story just to say, part of the issue might have been a clutch cable reaching the end of its life and stretching each time the clutch was engaged. This is extraordinarliy common in Volkswagen beetles (cable operated clutch) and motorcycles. I know all to well from experience.

Before you put it all back togehter you might want to check out the input shaft bearing in the transmission. Operating without a pilot bearing for extended periods can damage that front bearing in the transmission.

Good luck and keep posting, you have lots of support and I applaud you for not getting overly frustrated with a seemingly simple fix. If is was me, by now, it might have felt the heat of the cutting torch.