Splitting the Clutch from the engine

[Bobby22]

Newbury
I would like to think with all the equipment you have that you would not feel overwhelmed by doing the work yourself. Just because I am a certified aircraft mechanic has nothing to do with the fact that I know my limits. I figure my tractor is something I do not have to use on a daily basis so I am willing to take on the task. If I had to use it for work I would have taken it to a shop and just bite the bullet on the price tag. I will try to keep a running log of what I have to do and try to post on here my results. I am hoping to have some help this next weekend with splitting it and once inside when I figure out what is wrong I will have to order parts from Messicks and wait for them to be delivered. So this will not be a weekend job.
I got a funny feeling I have broke the shear pin that holds the fork that operates the throw out bearing. After watching videos all night last night it seems as though a pedal that goes to the floor is not why most people have to change the clutch/pressure plate. Could be the arm that goes inside the clutch housing is broke. I am getting very excited about taking this apart to see how well the previous owner took care of things. I might be totally wrong and the clutch maybe fired. I never had a tractor before this one so, all the usage I have could have been on tractor that had a bad clutch to begin with and I would have never known the difference. Just hoping for the best right now.
Will keep ya posted.

 

[newbury]

Newbury
I would like to think with all the equipment you have that you would not feel overwhelmed by doing the work yourself. Just because I am a certified aircraft mechanic has nothing to do with the fact that I know my limits. I figure my tractor is something I do not have to use on a daily basis so I am willing to take on the task. If I had to use it for work I would have taken it to a shop and just bite the bullet on the price tag. I will try to keep a running log of what I have to do and try to post on here my results. I am hoping to have some help this next weekend with splitting it and once inside when I figure out what is wrong I will have to order parts from Messicks and wait for them to be delivered. So this will not be a weekend job.
I got a funny feeling I have broke the shear pin that holds the fork that operates the throw out bearing. After watching videos all night last night it seems as though a pedal that goes to the floor is not why most people have to change the clutch/pressure plate. Could be the arm that goes inside the clutch housing is broke. I am getting very excited about taking this apart to see how well the previous owner took care of things. I might be totally wrong and the clutch maybe fired. I never had a tractor before this one so, all the usage I have could have been on tractor that had a bad clutch to begin with and I would have never known the difference. Just hoping for the best right now.
Will keep ya posted.

I did not mean to indicate I'm overwhelmed by potentially splitting the tractor myself. But doing it in a time frame of a few days, a weekend? I would envision it to at least take me a few weeks (if not months) from drive it in to drive it out. With lot's of time on TBN asking for advice, many hours of reviewing YouTube and at least 4 trips to hardware stores.

For example - It took me weeks to fix my M4700 when it developed a cylinder leak on a FEL cylinder. That was comprised of probably two hours of internet research, maybe a half hour of taking the cylinder off and putting it back on (lot simpler than I thought) and cleaning up, then two weeks while my BIL took it to a friend of his who repaired cylinders and brought it back. My total hands on/clean up time was about 30 minutes and the cost of $40, but calendar time was weeks.

And like you, the tractor is not "critical"

Please do keep a running log, but do not plan on "waiting" much for delivery of items from Messicks. As I posted elsewhere:

Besides knowing their equipment inside out their quick shipping astounds me.

I ordered filters with standard shipping at 10:12 a.m. Monday A HOLIDAY!! They were delivered at 10:19 a.m Tuesday!!

That was 24 hours and 7 minutes. That's as good a Amazon overnight.

 

[jwstewar]

I've now split my TC24D twice - and I've never split a tractor before. Don't let anyone discourage you, it can be done. I've been there, done that, and have the t-shirt to prove it. First, I didn't (and still don't) have a cherry picker. First time I split it at the hydrostatic pump because it had a major leak. This last time earlier this summer, my clutch springs shattered and I couldn't disengage anything.

I did both of my splits with 2 floor jacks and jack stands. Leave the back half of the tractor alone and don't move it. Use the jack stands on it. Roll the engine half of the tractor forward on the tires and the floor jack. Then when you get ready to put it back together you will need some bolts to act as guide pins. I've used a ratchet strap to do the final last inch of reconnecting both times. First time only took a couple of times to get it lined back up and together. This time, I spent almost one whole Saturday getting it to line back up and go back together. Was pretty frustrated by the time that one was done. When you do the initial split and when you do the recombine, you will need 1 or 2 people with you (2 on the recombine helps), other than that, I was on my own. Pretty much a two weekend job for me. One to disassemble and then the second to reassemble.

 

[Chewwy]

Jwstewar,

Your Pics are helpful. Your feedback on time frame is what I would have guessed, not knowing anymore than I do about that machine. Your machine is about a thousand pounds lighter that the TC35D, but sequence and degree of complexity should be similar. I've always believed if a man can put it together, another man can take it apart and put it back together (sometimes even with parts left over).

 

[Bobby22]

Thanks for the pictures Jim, I will NOT get this done in a weekend. I will hopefully split this thing this weekend and figure out what is wrong and then hopefully put it back together the following weekend. As you mentioned I would like someone there to help put it back together for sure, and if I can get help this weekend I would rather do it with a friend. Hoping for the best, this will just give me even more confidence when something else goes wrong that I can do the work myself. Of course with help from the TBN community. Will give you all and update after this weekend. Thanks again for the encouragement.

 

[Bobby22]

Well I disconnected everything that was left and had a buddy come over yesterday. We got it split and there was nothing wrong inside the clutch housing. I do believe the rod I ordered from Messicks is the wrong one. I looked at the year prior to mine and it looks the same. The rod is too long. So I am going to have someone come over and look at the clutch and pressure plate before I close this back up as I do not know what a good one looks like. I will have to make something from scratch or adapt this rod I bought from Messicks. I was totally deflated when I found nothing wrong inside the clutch housing. But I did get to see the inside. Also I guess if everything checks out I will have split this thing for no reason. When the rod broke I didn't having the old one to compare to the new one so I went back out in the yard and found the piece that broke off and these two are quite a bit different. Not sure where to find the exact same replacement, but I will have to make something else work I am thinking. $27 down the drain on the new rod.

 

[Chewwy]

Bobby,

Man, that rough, splitting it if you didn't have to.
Does your machine have a 9x3 transmission with a double clutch?
They appear to have a different clutch rod.

 

[Btown]

Since it is apart, depending on what the clutch and flywheel look like and how many hours on it. I would most likely just replace the clutch. With a quality one not a cheapie off the internet.

 

[Chewwy]

Since it is apart, depending on what the clutch and flywheel look like and how many hours on it. I would most likely just replace the clutch. With a quality one not a cheapie off the internet.

If the machine has a double clutch, a REBUILT clutch and disc assembly from New Holland is well over 2 grand with $400 core charge. New one is about $2,300.

 

[Bobby22]

Bobby,

Man, that rough, splitting it if you didn't have to.
Does your machine have a 9x3 transmission with a double clutch?
They appear to have a different clutch rod.

Chewwy,, I was told from an old tractor mechanic that I did not have a double clutch so that is in part how I ended up ordering the wrong Rod as well. Once I split it another friend of a friend came over to tell me if I needed a new clutch and what not as I was going to replace this one if it was even remotely close to being worn. Good news is that everything looks good in there. I am in search of the correct rod now. My manual shows what looks like the right one, but my manual does not come with a part list I have to look it up through Messicks. I am probably going to the local dealer Monday and order it from him. Will take the old broken one as a reference this time. So in closing I have the 9X3 with double clutch. SO I am assuming now I need the part number 86530918. I have looked on a few other parts houses web sites and they show 2 different rod's for my application.