Neighbors tractor broke from towing up hill ?

[duke7595]

My neighbors tractor, a J.D. 2020 gas stalled at the bottom of his driveway and would not start. He asked me to tow it up the hill to his house, the tractor has a loader
so it had to be towed from the back (reverse).

Upon towing it he heard a loud noise and the clutch, he had depressed went to the floorboard. The tractor was out of gear when we towed it, and I guess he had the clutch depressed as a added precaution.
He jacked up the rear end and was able to turn the wheels easily in neutral , we than put it in gear, it was more difficult to turn the wheels but they would turn.
Also the clutch pedal is not right, you have to pull it up after you depress it.

I feel bad for him because I towed it. Any ideas what might be wrong with it ?

 

[jd110]

Hard to say exactly what happened for sure. One thing for sure, if it was really in neutral, nothing could have happened to the clutch while towing. Maybe he didn't really have it in neutral. How fast did you tow it? If in a low gear and the clutch is held in, the disk spins extremely fast and can disintegrate due to the excess centrfugal force. To make it simple, let's say that in 1st gear, the tractor travels at 1 mph at 2000 engine rpm. If you tow it in 1st gear at 10 mph, the clutch disk will spin at 20,000 rpm. It will definitely fly apart. The same thing can happen if you drift while in a low gear. Lets say you are in low gear going up a steep hill or embankment and then push in the clutch and drift backwards while still in a forward gear. Even if you only drift back at 5 mph for an instant, that can be enough to explode the clutch disk. Seen it happen many times.

 

[Soundguy]

maybee something happened to it and that is why it stalled and would not start.

 

[pjbci]

Sounds like "jd110" is on to something. Whatever the problem, your not at fault.

 

[duke7595]

maybee something happened to it and that is why it stalled and would not start.

It started up once we got up the hill, one other thing, with the rear jacked up all the gears engaged without any problem, but it don't even try to spin the tires.
Also, I towed it slowly no more than 3 or 4 mph tops.
What you said about the spinning of the clutch make a lot of sense, I never realized how much difference there is in the speed it turns.

 

[duke7595]

Hard to say exactly what happened for sure. One thing for sure, if it was really in neutral, nothing could have happened to the clutch while towing. Maybe he didn't really have it in neutral. How fast did you tow it? If in a low gear and the clutch is held in, the disk spins extremely fast and can disintegrate due to the excess centrfugal force. To make it simple, let's say that in 1st gear, the tractor travels at 1 mph at 2000 engine rpm. If you tow it in 1st gear at 10 mph, the clutch disk will spin at 20,000 rpm. It will definitely fly apart. The same thing can happen if you drift while in a low gear. Lets say you are in low gear going up a steep hill or embankment and then push in the clutch and drift backwards while still in a forward gear. Even if you only drift back at 5 mph for an instant, that can be enough to explode the clutch disk. Seen it happen many times.

I'm sorry I quoited in the wrong box this reply is meant for you sir,
It started up once we got up the hill, one other thing, with the rear jacked up all the gears engaged without any problem, but it don't even try to spin the tires.
Also, I towed it slowly no more than 3 or 4 mph tops.
What you said about the spinning of the clutch make a lot of sense, I never realized how much difference there is in the speed it turns

 

[Tx Jim]

Pop off the inspection cover on clutch housing and look inside. A PP operating finger bolt could have broken.

 

[texasjohn]

Can't see how you are at fault though I understand the concern for what happened. Truly In neutral with clutch engaged, I can't see how any power from rear wheels was being transferred to drive train... I might have done exactly that. His tractor, him in the seat, am sure you were pulling slowly...it doesn't compute, something mechanical out of your control was going on inside his tractor as you pulled it, at his request.

 

[s219]

Maybe the clutch linkage broke prior to towing. I definitely like jd110's theory. Sounds like your neighbor really did not have it in neutral.

 

[ovrszd]

Yeah, I'm guessing it wasn't in neutral. I exploded a clutch on a rock truck one day exactly as explained by jd110. Had the truck in low gear, disengaged clutch and let truck coast backwards down a hill for about 100 yards at approximately 6-8 mph. Destroyed the clutch..... Really made me feel stupid and cost me a lot of money, tow bill, lost work, clutch rebuild....