Clutch disengaged when stored?
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Treemonkey1000
Veteran Member
The plates tend to rust or freeze together while being stored for longer periods is what I understand. Which would keep you from disengaging to start your tractor. There are more folks out here that can explain it a lot better.
flusher
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Same thing happens to parking brakes. Best to disengage them when storing the tractor for months. Be sure to chock the wheels instead of setting the parking brake.
jimmer2880
Platinum Member
Our MF was horrible for "Gear Grind". Then, after the 2nd (or 3rd) clutch job, we started parking it with the clutch disengaged. This helped quite a bit.
While not using wouldn't keep the tractor from coming out of gear, it made putting it in gear while doing anything above idle difficult and hard on the ears.
While not using wouldn't keep the tractor from coming out of gear, it made putting it in gear while doing anything above idle difficult and hard on the ears.
Not much better, if at all. You are spot on. The clutch disc will stick to the flywheel and you won't be able to disengage.
kebo
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Similar thing can happen to a slip clutch on a mower that gets parked outside in the weather. Moisture can get in between the plates and they can stick together. True, that's a lot easier fix than the clutch in a tractor though....
I understand about the flywheel rusting to the clutch disc, and understand about brake drums or disc rusting to the shoes/pads. I have had to "rock" trucks with spring brakes loose after they were parked a while.
But what about wet brakes? Shouldn't, or wouldn't the oil prevent the rust? My tractor has wet disc brakes, and the parking brake is just a lever that locks the brake pedals down, not a separate parking brake, so I am parking with the wet brakes.
I never know how long it will be parked when I leave it for the day, so my habit is to set the parking brake and hook the clutch pedal down. I should be OK, right?
jp
Soundguy
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Lotsa tractors come from the factory with a wood wedge for keeping the clutch blocked for periods of non use.
soundguy
soundguy
SteveInMD
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I learned this one the hard way. It's good advice.
RalphVa
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Never did this in storing my Benzes. The 1973 was stored in our garage for 9 months. Just took the battery out. It started instantly when battery was put back in place upon our return. Our 1983 was stored in the garage for 4 months. No problems. It was again stored for 4 1/2 years. The clutch took a few strokes to work (a year later had to replace the clutch master cylinder; suspect it was bypassing, needing stroking to get it to seal; brake master cylinder do this, too, when they start to go).
The clutch facings aren't metal to metal are they? Most clutches would only contact the clutch wear surface material (similar to brake pad material) against the steel pressure plate. What's to rust together? Won't happen unless the clutch wear surface is worn away enough to where the rivets or attachment devices (may be glued in place like brake pads now) are in contact with the pressure plate.
Sounds like an old wive's tale to me.
Ralph
The clutch facings aren't metal to metal are they? Most clutches would only contact the clutch wear surface material (similar to brake pad material) against the steel pressure plate. What's to rust together? Won't happen unless the clutch wear surface is worn away enough to where the rivets or attachment devices (may be glued in place like brake pads now) are in contact with the pressure plate.
Sounds like an old wive's tale to me.
Ralph
JC-jetro
Elite Member
This is my after market non OEM piece of 2x4, had to trim it to size though. works like a charm
JC,
ps. Ralph,
Pressure plate pressure against two sides of clutch plate and the fllywheel, moisture, condensation, dust , clutch pad rubbing a bit of dried out burned oil can make a pretty good glue, It is true.
Ralph,
Obviously you are not well informed about the workings of a clutch nor the failure modes that occur. Google up "stuck clutch" or go to an old tractor site like Antique Tractors - Yesterday's Tractors : Antique Tractor Headquarters and search the forums there for "stuck clutch" and read about it.
jimmysisson
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Ralph, I think the friction lining holds a little moisture. It probably has enough square area when that moisture rusts the pressure plate and flywheel where the driven disk touches, it forms a weak bond with the fibers of the disk. Once that happens, it has enough bond to drive the gears of the tranny so that it's a grind to engage them. It's also why you can sometimes break the bond by towing in gear or starting in gear and trying to pull something that won't move (with the clutch pedal down).
It's a real enough phenomenon, just maybe not perfectly described with the word rust.
Jim
It's a real enough phenomenon, just maybe not perfectly described with the word rust.
Jim
Nope Ralph, this is an old mechanic's tale. Old, experienced, mechanics. The rust on the flywheel or brake drum or disc just sorta eats its way into the surface of the clutch or brake lining. At least, that is my theory. Others here may can give us scientific facts. What is not a theory is that they DO stick. Most of my experience has been with military vehicles in short term storage. Sometimes, when we would start them after sitting a few months, with the clutch in and the transmission in neutral, after the engine started you couldn't put it in gear. The clutch pedal was down, but the clutch was not disengaged. Sometimes, with a synchronized transmission, you might get it in a higher gear, might not. So, switch it off, put it in gear, clutch pedal still down, and try to start again. Usually the starter will knock it loose, sometimes takes a time or two tho. And hope the brakes are not stuck as well, cause the combination can bust a starter nose.
With stuck brakes, we would just go back and forth from 1st to reverse to rock the drums loose. I never saw anything stuck so bad that that wouldn't get it to roll. But it DOES happen. High humidity is the culprit.
jp
My Massey has a hook on the floorboard that hooks under a rod on the bottom side of the clutch pedal to hold it down. As soon as you step on the clutch, the hook drops away.
jp
jimmyj
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Poor Ralph!
Is this worse in places where it is cold than in warmer areas?
Is this worse in places where it is cold than in warmer areas?
Cold and damp would be the worse. You need high humidity and a cold (or at least cool) surface for it to condense on. If you have dew on the grass, there is a good chance moisture has condensed on cool metal overnight as well.
jp
Soundguy
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I can assure you that a clutch and brake pad can stick to a metal surface that has flash rusted.
and I'm guessing some pad material is semi-metalic as well.
You simply havn't been around enough old tractors if you think it's a wives tale...
soundguy
and I'm guessing some pad material is semi-metalic as well.
You simply havn't been around enough old tractors if you think it's a wives tale...
soundguy
I have seen the clutch stick on cars, trucks and tractors. I live in humid Florida, and have seen it happen in a few months.
Sometimes you can put it in high gear, chain it to a tree, bypass the safety switch, push in the clutch, put on your seat belt, and start in gear. When the chain gets tight, it will either unstick the clutch, stall the vehicle, or spin the tires.
The longer it has been sitting, the harder they are to get loose.
Sometimes you can put it in high gear, chain it to a tree, bypass the safety switch, push in the clutch, put on your seat belt, and start in gear. When the chain gets tight, it will either unstick the clutch, stall the vehicle, or spin the tires.
The longer it has been sitting, the harder they are to get loose.
Redbug
Veteran Member
This advise also goes for tractors having HST? They have a clutch, so I assume it's best to disengage it when storing, also?
