580 B Clutch Issue

[DandW]

Hi... I have a Case 580 B that I have owned for over 35 years. I am having an issue with the clutch setting. I had a new clutch put in it about 15 years ago but, I only use it for my own personal use and don't have a lot of hours on it since the new clutch. The problem I am having is that it is difficult to engage the clutch smoothly. It seems as though there is very little peddle from disengaged to fully engaged. There seems to be lots of clutch there... no slippage when pushing or anything, I am sure I could stall the engine out pushing with no slip.

I adjusted the peddle so there is movement from the top position before it disengages, about an inch or so. This just seemed to happen fairly quickly, don't know if there is some other adjustment that can be made to help ?
I see an inspection looking panel on the side near were the clutch is... maybe something there ?
Just don't want to explore to far and screw something up

Any help would be great ...

Thanks
Dave

 

[Roadworthy]

I don't think you'll achieve a real smooth engagement with your tractor like you'd have with a car. In my experience tractors have been more of a "go" "no go" type engagement. Smooth engagement actually involves slipping the clutch which accelerates wear.

 

[DJ54]

Do you know what type of clutch it has..?? 580B's had 3 different types. Single plate, twin disc, and a clutch pack style. If it would happen to be the twin disc, or clutch pack style, I'd have to guess the shaft the twin disc's, or clutch pack style ride on, has gotten rusty, not allowing the disc's and plates to slide freely, and engage smoothly. This can happen simply from condensation, not necessarily from setting out in the weather.

The same symptoms happened to a buddy's 90's era John Deere, with a clutch pack style clutch, that at that time, he only used occasionally, and never sat outside. The bad thing about his is, it can't be taken apart and cleaned, or rebuilt, and had to have a new clutch pack installed.

I had an old 310B with a single disc, button style clutch I had problems of another nature, due to vermin building a nest in the clutch housing, causing it to slip. I put a new throw out bearing in it, while I had it apart. Even though the tube the TO bearing slid on wasn't rusty, it did have a very close fit tolerance. I put a light coat of never-seize on the tube as a safety, to let it slide a bit easier.

From looking at the exploded view of clutch assemblies at Case Construction, it appears if yours has the twin disc, or clutch pack you can disassemble, and clean up. Here is a link to Case Construction showing the clutch styles available starting with the twin disc. Schematic, Manuals, Specifications and Diagrams for A51166 clutch, power shuttle, reverse, twin disc, (solid shaft used w/o pto) 1st trans sn 2392563 | Case CE | MyCNHi US Store Just select "previous", or "next" at the center top part of the page, to see the different ones.

If whoever replaced that clutch is still around, you might try contacting them, and see if they happen to remember which style clutch you have. If not, I'd remove that cover, and have a look see.

I have read other threads where guy's have had sticking clutch issues, and sprayed a healthy dose of penetrate, such as PB Blaster, etc. on their particular clutch assemblies, and freed them up. This was done with the clutch pedal depressed, to allow penetrate to creep into/between such assemblies. Whether it affected the life of the clutch assemblies, they did not say. That would be your decision to make. It may simply free itself up, if you just use it some, if there is some slight rust binding things up.

 

[DandW]

Okay, thanks for the replies. I will explore further and see what I find.
Could be just over thinking it ...