1979 John deere 301a not going into forward

[Tom King]

I'm not sure. They are pretty good sized Acme threads. I'll measure when I go back over there (edited to add: Looking at the metal order, I think they are 1-3/8"). Scaffolding legs just slip onto the threaded part, and the big wing nut is used for the height/leveling adjustment. The splitting stand tubes just sit on them like scaffolding legs do. I thought it might give some fine adjustment, as well as twisting, if needed.

I had ordered the parts for the stand online, and got some heavy wall tubing to weld in the angle iron that the feet fit into. I'll measure all that tomorrow. I'm sure there might be a cheaper way, but I didn't have to cut but one piece of metal, the tubing, just did some grinding, and welded it together.

I drilled the holes that worked for the 3/4 bolts in the loader brackets, put the bolts in, C-clamped them plumb by a level, clamped the horizontal piece where it looked right, and tacked it in place. Then took that assembly out, welded in the tubing for the feet, and finished welding the cross piece. I already had plenty of scaffolding feet.

The loader won't have to come off for future splits-just those two bolts that hold the stand in place.

Ordering parts for the forward clutch pack tomorrow. I'm going to replace every moving part in it, and also a new main clutch disk. Future clutch replacements should be between a 2, and 3 hour job total.

I did a search in my email, and found the receipt from speedy metals. I don't know why I ordered 3/8" for the horizontal piece-probably didn't proof read the order. Anyway, here's the order copied, and pasted. We don't live anywhere near a supplier, so the $41 for shipping was cheaper than my time, and trip trying to go somewhere to get it.


Product Quantity Length Sub Total:
2" OD {A} x 1.500" ID {B} x .250" Wall {C} DOM Steel Tube-12"
SKU: dom2x.25-12
Cutting Tolerance: Plus or Minus 1/2"
1 12 $22.54

1/4" {A} x 2" {B} x 2" {C} Angle, A-36 Hot Rolled Steel-24"
SKU: ha.25x2-24
Cutting Tolerance: Plus or Minus 1/2"
2 24 $19.46

3/8" {A} x 3" {B} x 3" {C} Angle, A-36 Hot Rolled Steel-36"
SKU: ha.375x3-36
Cutting Tolerance: Plus or Minus 1/2"
1 36 $29.06

Subtotal: $71.06
Shipping (UPS Ground): $41.00
Tax: $0.00
Total: $112.06

 

[Tom King]

I ended up replacing almost every part in the forward clutch pack. Looking at the schematic in post #7 of this thread, the only parts we didn't change were the two main case parts, the gear, and the bolts that hold the case halves together. Also put in a new main clutch disk, pilot bearing, and throwout bearing. The forward clutch front case half makes a better clutch alignment tool than the plastic thing for installing a new main clutch.

When I put the new seals in for the piston, they went in fine, but there were some tiny slivers shaved off in the process. The piston seemed fine, but I didn't find specs on size, so ordered another one from the dealer, figuring that I would pay the return fee if there wasn't any difference in the new one, and the old one.

Turns out, slicing that seal was a great, lucky thing. I would have put it back together otherwise, thinking that the piston was okay. There was some difference in the piston diameters (didn't check the inside). There had been enough wear on the outside of the piston to leave edges on the seal seat as sharp as any good knife sharpener could produce. The new seals, and piston dropped in with no damage. I ended up using some feeler gauge leaves to shoe horn the seals in without damage. I'm not sure if the shoehorns were needed, but after damaging the first seal, I didn't want to risk it. They are a tight fit. I had bought two outer seals just in case I needed an extra one, but the first one went in.

I also replaced the inner wear surface piece in the bellhousing. It did have some grooves worn in it There are two places in the bellhousing casting behind it for a two pronged puller to grab. The holes in it are for lubrication. The back edges of that piece are beveled, so I had to grind the ends of the puller a little to get it to stay on.

We just put the now completely rebuilt forward clutch pack in, and re-joined the tractor today. This was my first tractor split.

The scaffolding feet really paid off, because for whatever reason, when we moved the two parts back together, being able to rotate one was not only needed, but I can't see how it would have been anything but more trouble without adjustable feet on each side.

We didn't have time to put the batteries back in, and reconnect the wires, but will do that soon. I'm also replacing worn steering arms, gauges, and other parts while we have it in the shop.

I feel like the reverse brake will need to come out too, so I can at least replace the roller bearings that support the shaft. There was a little bit of slop in the forward shaft coming out of the reverse brake, so feel like that will just cause premature wear on those back two seal ring on the forward clutch pack if I don't change those bearings in the reverse brake. There will probably be other stuff back there that needs to be replaced anyway, once I open it up behind the transmission.

After doing this one, completely rebuilding such a forward clutch pack would take 20 to 30 minutes with a press, and no special tools needed.

edited to add: this looks like the same thing as the service manual calls for a special tool. https://www.amazon.com/Automatic-Tr...words=transmission+tool&qid=1581038473&sr=8-2

I'd recommend buying a hydraulic press if you don't have one though, since it's so much more versatile, and is great for pressing in seals that you can't get in a vise.

More later.

 

[Tom King]

We got the forward split back together one afternoon this past week. Yesterday afternoon, we started the split behind the transmission. I wish I had known I would need to also do this split, because I would have cleaned it up better back there. It took longer to clean it up in the shop, to keep dirt out of the insides, than it did to do the split. Haven't pulled the reverse brake yet.

I'm sure those back seals in the forward clutch pack would have just worn out prematurely, if I didn't replace the only bearing in that part of the drivetrain, which is in the reverse brake.

While I have it apart, I'm going to replace the seals in the reverse brake too, and check everything out back there for leaks. I may replace the two hard lines, and seals for them too, knowing that those do fail, and the tractor has never been split back there in the 30 years that I've owned it.

In cleaning it up, the power steering system, and brake valve have also been leaking, so I'll probably put kits in them too, while everything is clean, and open.

It's nice to have a spot in the shop where I can just leave it sitting until I get spare time to work on it.

One thing I've done to help keep things organized is to get several white dishpans to keep sub-assemblies together, and bolts in cups in those dishpans that go with whatever.

 

[jd110]

Sounds like you are doing a good thorough job. Been a good while since I have been into one of these older reverser transmissions. I used to think they were major jobs, but compared to the newer stuff, these are very simple. I enjoy getting older machines in for a change. I have a 1972 4000 in the shop now for an engine overhaul. I had the engine out and fully disassembled faster than getting the cylinder head off of a new emissions engine.

 

[Tom King]

This is my first time going in the guts of a tractor, or splitting one. While I'm in there, it seems foolish not to change anything that needs it. This has been a multi-year, spare time job.

When I was rethreading the loader mount holes, I had to stop, and order something else I don't know how many different times. I don't think I had ever tapped any threads over 1/4-20 before. I do a lot of different things for a living, as you might see on my website linked below, and since quitting building new houses in 2007, the old ones require doing something I've never done before every day, so this is really just more of the same.

 

[Tom King]

It's a lot more complicated back there. We split it yesterday, and this afternoon, tore down the reverse brake assembly. There was a Long list of parts ordered-mostly o-rings, and gaskets. The reverser control body, and brake control valve have to come off.

The service manual is not real clear on the first steps in the procedure. The clutch pedal shaft is connected to the reverser control body shaft with a roll-pin.

If yours has a forward PTO, that whole assembly comes out backwards, simply by taking the four nuts, with keepers, off, and smacking the front of the PTO shaft with a 4 pound dead blow hammer. I had to look at that one for a while, and there was no mention of it in the Service Manual. With that out of the way, it was little trouble to take out the reverse brake.

There are some bushings in the clutch housing that only show on the clutch housing diagram, and on neither the drawing for the FCP, or the RB. Those were worn out in mine.

Looks like I'll be putting in a new Transmission Oil Pump too.

If you get into it back here, you will need the two gaskets for the Reverser Control, and one for the Brake Control box to mount to the outside of the Reverser Control Box.

This was not as bad as it sounds, but a lot more than simply replacing the bushings in the forward clutch pack. I have no doubt those FCP bushing would have worn out prematurely because of the slop in the shaft running through the reverse brake.

 

[Tom King]

The long shaft in the reverse brake is worn on the two bearing surfaces. That part is obsolete, but I've found a machinist that can build up those surfaces, and turn them back down to proper size. Waiting on the new bushings, and bearings to get here to fit the shaft to them.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

The long shaft in the reverse brake is worn on the two bearing surfaces. That part is obsolete, but I've found a machinist that can build up those surfaces, and turn them back down to proper size. Waiting on the new bushings, and bearings to get here to fit the shaft to them.

Where there is a will there often is a way. Good save.

 

[Tom King]

I couldn't copy, and paste the parts diagram, but here's a link to the Clutch Housing one. The Forward Clutch Pack needs that front bushing. I didn't see it mentioned in this thread earlier. It doesn't show up in the diagram for the FCP. Those piston ring type seals will probably wear prematurely, without replacing that bushing that the rear projection on the FCP runs in. It's a large one of those aluminum ones that show some Bronze (guessing) wear surfaces.

Those are pretty easy to change. The main body is a soft aluminum, and there is a split seam. An awl pushed in under one edge of that split will easily roll up one side of it, allowing you to easily get them out. The new ones press right in without any special tools. Be careful not to bruise the soft aluminum on the way in.

The bushing behind that one is for the reverse clutch. It looks to me like both are very important for longevity of the FCP.

John Deere Parts Catalog

 

[Tom King]

If your Forward Clutch Pack is worn, chances are good that there are also worn parts in the reverse brake. Look down on this page, and open the pages that have to do with the Reverse Brake. You will see bushings, and bearings in there too. It's a lot more complicated in the back end of the Clutch Housing, but it makes sense after looking at it for a while.

That long shaft in the carrier is the worn one in my tractor that I'm having the machine work done on.

If anyone is smart enough to copy and paste the applicable diagrams, it will probably be beneficial to someone in the future. Thanks,

John Deere Parts Catalog

I bought six more white dish pans today. They really help keeping parts organized. If all this stuff got mixed up, it would be almost hopeless.