'54 Jubilee Clutch Problem

[C-R]

I last used my Jubilee in October last year as I only use it for mowing. At that time it ran great. I keep it stored in my barn all winter to reduce elemental exposure but when I started it this spring I cannot shift out of neutral. The clutch pedal feels normal but I think the clutch is not disengaging. Gears begin to grind if I try to shift into any gear. Any ideas on this? Although I have rewired the tractor and replaced the 3-point lift piston before I would say my mechanical skills are only moderate.

 

[DaveOmak]

I had a similar problem 2 years ago. The linkage arm from the case rod to the pedal linkage cracked and changed the adjustment. The crack wasn't found until after we broke the case in half and could find nothing wrong on the inside. The crack was very hard to see. It would have been visible only when crawling under the machine and looking up at the linkage. Had I done that, the machine would not have been broke to get at the clutch etc.
Start with a thorough inspection of all the exterior stuff first. Could save time and trouble. Dave

 

[kebo]

I last used my Jubilee in October last year as I only use it for mowing. At that time it ran great. I keep it stored in my barn all winter to reduce elemental exposure but when I started it this spring I cannot shift out of neutral. The clutch pedal feels normal but I think the clutch is not disengaging. Gears begin to grind if I try to shift into any gear. Any ideas on this? Although I have rewired the tractor and replaced the 3-point lift piston before I would say my mechanical skills are only moderate.

Sounds like another case of a frozen clutch! There have been many threads on this so you might want to search on "frozen clutch" or maybe "stuck clutch". That should get you quite a few hits and you can read up on it and see if the symptoms are similar to what you are experiencing.

It would seem that what you have is the clutch plate is frozen to the flywheel from rust & moisture as a result of sitting up over the winter without being used. Some people will block the clutch pedal so the clutch is disengaged (not in contact with the flywheel) so it cannot stick during storage. Some of the threads give many hints and tricks for trying to "unfreeze" it. If all those tricks fail, the last resort is to split the tractor in two to get at the clutch. Good luck with it.

 

[brin]

I last used my Jubilee in October last year as I only use it for mowing. At that time it ran great. I keep it stored in my barn all winter to reduce elemental exposure but when I started it this spring I cannot shift out of neutral. The clutch pedal feels normal but I think the clutch is not disengaging. Gears begin to grind if I try to shift into any gear. Any ideas on this? Although I have rewired the tractor and replaced the 3-point lift piston before I would say my mechanical skills are only moderate.

There is a trick to freeing your clutch...use the search function here to find it..there is no need to go to the expense of splitting your clutch...there are simple ways to free it up ..One as I recall was to put a load on your tractor..a bush hog or tie it to a tree and pop the clutch...I don't remember exactly but you need to use the search function and find out.. Once you have freed the clutch ..next time you park it always but a block of wood or a rock or something to wedge you clutch pedal down so it sits with the clutch engaged and it will prevent this from happening again.

 

[Soundguy]

go ahead and block the clutch a few days, it might just pop loose.

if not, there are many ways to break em free.. some like to start in gear and drive around with the clutch blocked and driv ein figure 8's and stomp the brake on the outside of the turn.

me .. I prefer to put her in 4th gear, leave gas and ignition off, block clutch down, set in the seat and take a nail or other piece of metal and short the safety start switch to tranny top.. just bump it.. usually after about 5-10 bumps, the clutch will pop free.. when it does, start her up and slip the clutch a bit.

might want to block it from now on as they like to stick once they've stuck once.

soundguy

 

[C-R]

Thanks guys. I will give those ideas a shot. Sure worth trying to avoid splitting the tractor.

 

[Soundguy]

yep.. it's try all of them 5 times before I split the tractor.. be patient. i just pulled my naa out of the barn where it sat 7ys. I had the clutch blocked down with an old piece of wood that slipped at some point letting the clutch rust up. took me an hour of bumping hte starter and playing with it thru the starter hole befor eit popped loose.

has been fine for the last year since.

soudnguy

 

[C-R]

Soundguy - shorting the starter switch worked like a charm! Appreciate the advice. What a relief!

 

[Soundguy]

good to hear.

if it acts sticky the next time you use it, then get into a habit of blocking it if it's not going to be used for more than a week at a time.

also, make sur ethe cotter/key hole inthe bottom of the clutch housing is there and can jiggle freely.. it is an excess oil drain for the clutch.. sometimes the trans input shaft seal or the rear main leaks and can oil the clutch.. this will sometimes make the clutch grabby too.

soundguy