CK35 Burned Out It's Clutch AGAIN?!

[kantuckid]

My 2010 DK35SE clutch went from working normally to being completely in/op.
Any tractor mechanic will say that my 357 hours is nothing for a tractor made to work. I'm long retired and it has days it's used all day then periods it sits week or more then at my sawmill it sits until time to move slabs or lumber so long intervals. It is expected to do what it was intended to do.

I am seeing web sales of Kioti clutch parts and assemblies, likely from China as priced well below OE parts. One ebay seller has two clutches, one call HD. FWIW, the 9 1/2" disc clutch parts for this Kioti DK35 SE are shared by the older DK35 and several other brands, JD, NH and a few others.

Has anyone here used these cheaper Chinese/Indian? clutch alternatives?
I currently lean toward a clutch rebuilder such as KY Clutch in Brooks, KY or FT Wayne Clutch & Driveline. Thanks!

 

[rademamj1]

I want to thank the OP for getting back with the group, and providing some very detailed feedback regarding his CK35 clutch problem. I certainly encourage starting and driving a tractor every couple of months, to discourage clutch plate binding to the flywheel.

 

[sd455dan]

My 2010 DK35SE clutch went from working normally to being completely in/op.
Any tractor mechanic will say that my 357 hours is nothing for a tractor made to work. I'm long retired and it has days it's used all day then periods it sits week or more then at my sawmill it sits until time to move slabs or lumber so long intervals. It is expected to do what it was intended to do.

I am seeing web sales of Kioti clutch parts and assemblies, likely from China as priced well below OE parts. One ebay seller has two clutches, one call HD. FWIW, the 9 1/2" disc clutch parts for this Kioti DK35 SE are shared by the older DK35 and several other brands, JD, NH and a few others.

Has anyone here used these cheaper Chinese/Indian? clutch alternatives?
I currently lean toward a clutch rebuilder such as KY Clutch in Brooks, KY or FT Wayne Clutch & Driveline. Thanks!

I would be specific to the rebuilder on the relined clutch disc facing thickness.
I had one done on a Mercedes 230 SL, and did not give them the factory new width, and although the clutch worked the break over point for the pressure plate was wrong, which and also made the engagement jerky. this was with a freshly turned flywheel .

Ended up replacing the remanufactured disc with a new one from Mercedes. Worked perfectly then.
If that is a 2 stage clutch the facing thickness would be even more critical. Just something to check that I definitely missed on the relining of the disc.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I certainly encourage starting and driving a tractor every couple of months, to discourage clutch plate binding to the flywheel.

You do NOT need to drive it every couple months, just hold the clutch pedal down with a block of wood, and the clutch will work just fine the next time you need the tractor...

SR

 

[fried1765]

Thanks everyone for your comments. Sorry for the long delay but I am finally able to reply after getting what I think is the whole story.

There is good news and bad news.

The good news is that my clutch is not completely gone like I thought it was. So it still has some life left but not much.

The bad news is that it is believed to be 75% gone, after just 135 hours of use, based on the travel of my clutch and the fact that there is very little adjustment left. However, for me and my limited use, that should last me another 5 years or more hopefully, now that I think I know how I got here.

So here's why everyone (an independent mechanic, several experienced farmers, and a dealer friend) thinks this happened again:

1. The flywheel and pressure plate were not replaced or resurfaced when the original clutch went out because the clutch was shredded and the dealer's mechanic at the time thought they "looked ok". In everyone's opinion, maybe they were but then again, maybe they weren't so no one knows if that contributed at all to this problem or not.

2. Not enough HP for what I was doing (front end loader work in the mud which had to get done that day). My fault completely. It did seem that the tractor was struggling a little at times but I thought my CK35 could do anything and was indestructible. I disagree that it was operational abuse of the clutch though because the tires never slipped for more than a split second. But I did run the tractor for 4 hours without stopping so everyone (myself included now) thinks that I put too much stress on the clutch and overheated it a little too much, which wore it down more than it should have so that was ultimately my mistake.

2. Also, even though I had the clutch and brakes adjusted by the dealer 50 hours ago, the actual time it had been since then was about 4 years ago. So both were out of adjustment which contributed to wearing a lot of the clutch up as well. My fault again. I should have checked their adjustments at least once a year.

3. It is also thought that the clutch had likely gotten stuck a little on the flywheel over most of the winters for the last 9 years from sitting outside and from non-use. I should have started the tractor up once a month and ran it around as has been suggested. My mistake once again and so I probably shouldn't even own a tractor.

So, even though I do not believe that there was any operational abuse of the clutch, there was definitely neglect of the tractor and yes, maybe there was a little abuse of the tractor overall because it was undersized for what I wanted it to do that day but I still used it anyway.

So moving forward, I will be more diligent in checking the adjustments of the clutch and brakes, I will start it up and drive it around once a month even during the winter, and if it seems to be struggling at any time, I will not push it anymore.

Then, if the clutch can last another 8 years or so, I'll get a new clutch (and FW and PP) put in it and then it should last until I die I would think.

Thanks again for letting me share my experiences and my frustrations. This is a really good and helpful forum for nubes like me so I'm sure I'll be back at some point in time.

If your tractor sits for long periods outside, you should keep the clutch "blocked".
I have owned one of my tractors (8N) for 50 years, but I leave the clutch blocked when not in use.
I store all 3 of my tractors (inside) for more than 6 months each year!
Best idea: Do not store your tractor outside.
Sun/rain/snow create tractor problems, and can eventually kill a tractor!

 

[Carl_NH]

If your tractor sits for long periods outside, you should keep the clutch "blocked".
I have owned one of my tractors (8N) for 50 years, but I leave the clutch blocked when not in use.
Better yet: Do not store your tractor outside.
Weather is an eventual killer for tractors!

Agree but you "store" a tractor inside, and "park" it outside. My father taught me to provide protection and cover for all our farm equipment in all seasons, if you want them to last, otherwise they age 10-15 years in 2-3 years being outside.

 

[Robin Veerman]

Especially the rubber tires and hoses and the seat and the paint and the dash...

 

[rademamj1]

You do NOT need to drive it every couple months, just hold the clutch pedal down with a block of wood, and the clutch will work just fine the next time you need the tractor...

SR

Umm...now I seem to recall some tractors actually come with a hook near the clutch, for holding the clutch down during long periods of non usage. Having owned only HST tractors, I always forget to mention using the hook or a block of wood.

 

[tradosaurus]

If your tractor sits for long periods outside, you should keep the clutch "blocked".
I have owned one of my tractors (8N) for 50 years, but I leave the clutch blocked when not in use.
I store all 3 of my tractors (inside) for more than 6 months each year!
Best idea: Do not store your tractor outside.
Sun/rain/snow create tractor problems, and can eventually kill a tractor!

I know dealers turn most of their inventory within a year but it seemed odd to have new tractors parked outside at the dealer.

 

[fried1765]

Agree but you "store" a tractor inside, and "park" it outside. My father taught me to provide protection and cover for all our farm equipment in all seasons, if you want them to last, otherwise they age 10-15 years in 2-3 years being outside.

My tractors LIVE inside, 365 nights each year!