Another stuck clutch

[billfires]

After my first stuck clutch a few years ago, I have been blocking the clutch on my 1920. This still has not prevented it from happening again so I checked the cotter pin in the bottom of the clutch housing and found it was solidly in place (and even had the factory paint still on it). I tapped it with a small hammer and used pliers to rotate it around and up and down. No moisture came out but some rust colored dust and small particles did. The tractor is a 2000 model year with 584 hours on it. The clutch has never been adjusted and the PTO has never been used. I can operate it in low range and sometimes medium range but pushing the clutch does absolutely nothing. The clutch when unstuck operated normally. Any ideas on why this happens? Thanks, Bill C

 

[fried1765]

billfires:
Do you have a repair manual for your 1920?
The repair manual, and operators manual, both explain how to adjust the clutch.
My Ford 1920 is in my barn on Cape Cod, (clutch blocked) and I am already in Florida for the winter.
If I were there I might be able to help you out. Just put a new clutch in mine in September.
I have seen simple clutch unsticking methods described somewhere here on tractorbynet.com

 

[Soundguy]

Billfires.. are you saying you BLOCKED the clutch, and then found it stuck?

If it was blocked, and still acts stuck, we need to go in a different direction

 

[jwstewar]

I've got something similar going on with my 2003 NH 24D with 1940 hours on it. I had split the tractor last spring to fix a leak in the hydrostatic pump. I then used it all last summer and winter just fine. Started out OK this spring. Used the PHD and mowed the grass with the MMM a time or two. The next time I started mowing, it worked fine. I stopped to go to the bathroom and add some fuel. Got back on. Engaged the MMM and it grinded a little bit. Thinking I just pushed the clutch in and moved the lever at the same time, didn't think much about it. I stopped again for something and when I went to start again, I couldn't engage the MMM at all. Can't engage the Rear PTO at all. I can get it into range if making sure the hydro pedal is absolutely in neutral. So I've not been able to use rear implements all summer. I've pulled stuff and used the loader quite a bit. I've used the MMM by engaging the mid-PTO before starting the tractor and by passing the safety switch. I plan on splitting it (yet again) about February so that I can have it ready to go by spring.

 

[jwstewar]

Oh, I have a buddy that is a manufacturer rep for John Deere. He travels around to different JD dealers in the Midwest, he said 2000 hours is about the max you can expect out of a dry disc clutch.

 

[Soundguy]

Bunk...

No way to stick an arbitrary hour # on a clutch.. I've seen a rental worker ruin a clutch in 2 hours, and bought antiques with original clutches.

All depends on use.

Some tasks are more clutch intensive than others.

 

[DK35vince]

Oh, I have a buddy that is a manufacturer rep for John Deere. He travels around to different JD dealers in the Midwest, he said 2000 hours is about the max you can expect out of a dry disc clutch.

I'm at near 2000 hours (1985 hours) and I have never needed the first clutch adjustment yet.
I'm hoping/expecting thousands more hours out of the clutch

 

[Opti-Mist]

High atmospheric moisture causes the friction disc to adhere to the flywheel. It is worse in coastal areas where salt enters the equation. Ford started blocking clutch pedals in the disengaged position in the '70s due this occurring on tractors at the shipping docks.

 

[jwstewar]

Bunk...

No way to stick an arbitrary hour # on a clutch.. I've seen a rental worker ruin a clutch in 2 hours, and bought antiques with original clutches.

All depends on use.

Some tasks are more clutch intensive than others.

Sorry Chris, I think I'm going to believe him. Like I said, he is a John Deere Manufacturer's rep. He is the one called in when the dealers can't figure something out, so I have to think Don knows what he is talking about - and I'm not saying you don't. And we are not talking wearing a clutch out - because I know, if you don't know what you are doing you can burn a clutch up pretty fast. We are talking other things happening to it. I won't go into the details of how he described what happens and I would quote it wrong and then everyone would jump down my throat.

 

[jwstewar]

I'm at near 2000 hours (1985 hours) and I have never needed the first clutch adjustment yet.
I'm hoping/expecting thousands more hours out of the clutch

I'm at 1940 on my TC24D and it had never needed adjustment either. Since it was hydrostatic and the clutch is hardly every used, I figured it was good to go for thousands of hours and it would be something I would never need to repair. Well, like I said, mine went out in a period of an afternoon.

Now that I'm thinking back a bit, I remember when I talked to the dealership about the hydrostat pump, they told me then at 1800ish hours, that I would be due for a clutch soon. Since I had no signs of wear or play and it meant another 4 or 5 hours plus $500+ in parts, I decided to forgo it. I should have listened to the dealership.