Ford 3910 Clutch Replacement

[Happy Gilmore]

Thanks Happy. With your Ford experience I'm surprised you've not been into one.

Not yet, but I try and soak up whatever info I can for when the day might come.

 

[ovrszd]

I hear ya. I try to do that too. Then by the time I need the info I've forgotten most of it and can't remember how to find it. I envy those members on here who can find stuff like that.

 

[ovrszd]

UPDATE.....

I finally got to use the tractor for a couple hours the other day. Parked it in the shop, satisfied with how everything was working. Came out the next morning to find the same type of oil puddle under the clutch housing as before.......

So I disassembled again. Good part is I'm a lot faster at it now and had it apart in an hour.

What I found was that the two seals in the front of the transmission were also leaking. Actually, now I'm thinking my rear main seal wasn't leaking at all. The mess was coming from the trans seals. Problem is that leak is spilled into the center of the clutch assembly and gets tossed everywhere. So, as in my case, when the leak has been going on for awhile there's oil on everything inside the clutch housing and you can't pinpoint where it originates from.

When looking at the transmission shafts you see the inner, solid, splined shaft which is the transmission input shaft. You also see the larger, hollow, splined shaft which is the Independent PTO shaft which the trans shaft extends thru. This larger shaft extends thru the throwout bearing horn. The throwout bearing horn is bolted to the front of the transmission with 4 bolts and sealed with a gasket.

I think the smallest seal which seals the trans input shaft was the culprit. But, not wanting to do this again, I removed the throwout bearing horn and disassembled it to replace both seals. To get the horn off you must unhook the clutch pedal shaft from the throwout bearing assembly. This is done by removing a bolt/nut that clamps the throwout bearing "finger assembly" to the shaft. Once that bolt is out you can rotate the fingers on the shaft which allows you to pull the bearing assembly off the horn. Now you can slide the pedal shaft out of the clutch housing and set all that aside. Then remove the 4 bolts and the horn easily comes off. Be careful to not destroy the gasket. It's not glued on either side so it's easy to remove. Once you have the horn assembly removed a couple taps with a small hammer and the two parts come apart. If you look at the flange end of the horn you can see the seal which seals the PTO shaft. If you look into the splined end of that assembly you can see the smaller seal that seals the transmission input shaft. Both are easy to remove and replace.




The horn assembly has a weep hole in it to allow any oil the gets into the cavity between the two shaft to escape back into the transmission. I was very concerned about reattaching the horn with that hole down!!! So I marked the horn with arrows and the words "up" and "down" with a marker. When I reassembled I realized Ford had dummied this down for me. The bolt holes are unevenly spaced and it will only bolt on with that hole down!!! Cool!!!




Once you've reattached the horn with the four bolts you can reassemble the throwout bearing and clutch pedal shaft.



Replacing these two seals takes about 30 minutes. Cost is $18.50 for both seals.

When you do your clutch, do the seals, even if they aren't leaking. I was SO stupid to not do that the first time. I let the tractor run at full throttle for 90 minutes yesterday with no leaks. FINALLY...... When I do something stupid like this I wonder how I even know enough to dress myself in the mornings.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

UPDATE..... I finally got to use the tractor for a couple hours the other day. Parked it in the shop, satisfied with how everything was working. Came out the next morning to find the same type of oil puddle under the clutch housing as before....... So I disassembled again. Good part is I'm a lot faster at it now and had it apart in an hour. What I found was that the two seals in the front of the transmission were also leaking. Actually, now I'm thinking my rear main seal wasn't leaking at all. The mess was coming from the trans seals. Problem is that leak is spilled into the center of the clutch assembly and gets tossed everywhere. So, as in my case, when the leak has been going on for awhile there's oil on everything inside the clutch housing and you can't pinpoint where it originates from. When looking at the transmission shafts you see the inner, solid, splined shaft which is the transmission input shaft. You also see the larger, hollow, splined shaft which is the Independent PTO shaft which the trans shaft extends thru. This larger shaft extends thru the throwout bearing horn. The throwout bearing horn is bolted to the front of the transmission with 4 bolts and sealed with a gasket. I think the smallest seal which seals the trans input shaft was the culprit. But, not wanting to do this again, I removed the throwout bearing horn and disassembled it to replace both seals. To get the horn off you must unhook the clutch pedal shaft from the throwout bearing assembly. This is done by removing a bolt/nut that clamps the throwout bearing "finger assembly" to the shaft. Once that bolt is out you can rotate the fingers on the shaft which allows you to pull the bearing assembly off the horn. Now you can slide the pedal shaft out of the clutch housing and set all that aside. Then remove the 4 bolts and the horn easily comes off. Be careful to not destroy the gasket. It's not glued on either side so it's easy to remove. Once you have the horn assembly removed a couple taps with a small hammer and the two parts come apart. If you look at the flange end of the horn you can see the seal which seals the PTO shaft. If you look into the splined end of that assembly you can see the smaller seal that seals the transmission input shaft. Both are easy to remove and replace. <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/new-holland-owning-operating/413391-ford-3910-clutch-replacement-20150131_115532-1280x720-1280x720-jpg"/><img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/new-holland-owning-operating/413392-ford-3910-clutch-replacement-20150217_122133-1280x720-jpg"/><img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/new-holland-owning-operating/413393-ford-3910-clutch-replacement-20150217_122217-1280x720-jpg"/><img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/new-holland-owning-operating/413394-ford-3910-clutch-replacement-20150217_122237-1280x720-jpg"/> The horn assembly has a weep hole in it to allow any oil the gets into the cavity between the two shaft to escape back into the transmission. I was very concerned about reattaching the horn with that hole down!!! So I marked the horn with arrows and the words "up" and "down" with a marker. When I reassembled I realized Ford had dummied this down for me. The bolt holes are unevenly spaced and it will only bolt on with that hole down!!! Cool!!! <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/new-holland-owning-operating/413396-ford-3910-clutch-replacement-20150221_081528-1280x720-jpg"/><img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/new-holland-owning-operating/413397-ford-3910-clutch-replacement-20150221_082158-1280x720-jpg"/> Once you've reattached the horn with the four bolts you can reassemble the throwout bearing and clutch pedal shaft. <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/new-holland-owning-operating/413398-ford-3910-clutch-replacement-20150221_082445-1280x720-jpg"/><img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/new-holland-owning-operating/413399-ford-3910-clutch-replacement-20150221_084109-1280x720-jpg"/> Replacing these two seals takes about 30 minutes. Cost is $18.50 for both seals. When you do your clutch, do the seals, even if they aren't leaking. I was SO stupid to not do that the first time. I let the tractor run at full throttle for 90 minutes yesterday with no leaks. FINALLY...... When I do something stupid like this I wonder how I even know enough to dress myself in the mornings.

Nicely done!

 

[sixdogs]

Wow. What a sinking feeling to have to go back in and fix something a second time. Great job and you get the Oscar for doing the dirty work first and then telling the tale afterwards. What a great and informative thread this has been and I've really learned a lot. Your son may be able to do it faster but I'll bet you can do it better.

 

[ovrszd]

Thanks for the compliments Happy and Six. I fall on my sword a lot. Best part about it, if there is one, is I discovered the problem before Spring hit and I'm needing to use the tractor. I'm blessed with a nice warm shop and I got plenty of time. So it didn't stress me too bad. Just disappointed me that I overlooked that. Especially when it only cost $18.50. If it was a hundred dollar fix I could justified trying to get by, but not 18 bucks.....

Yesterday I swapped out the alternator. It was weak and would not charge unless you revved up the engine a little. I had a Delco alternator off a chevy pickup laying on the shelf so installed it. Eliminated the external voltage regulator in the process. Now I just have a wire running to the battery and a wire running to the idiot light.

This tractor does a great job of keeping me off the streets.

 

[motownbrowne]

This tractor does a great job of keeping me off the streets.

I'm not sure if you've thought of this Richard, but with your great write-ups and photos of the repairs you're tackling, there's a possibility that you're increasing the value of the 3910. I don't mean your 3910. I mean all of them. I know that if I was looking for a tractor in that size range, I'd like a 3910 pretty well. Not just because they are a pretty well regarded tractor, but also because I know where to find some nice photos and directions for some internal repairs. No way to know for sure, of course, but I thought I'd share that thought with you. Keep up the good work.

 

[ovrszd]

I certainly don't start threads looking for anything in return. And I know you didn't mean it that way.

I do it to share for reasons similar to what you expressed. I know how much I appreciate searching for a solution to a problem or guidance on a repair when I find an informative thread. Then the bonus comes when someone chimes in with "shortcut" ideas or "improvement" ideas from their own experiences.

There are several Ford owners on TBN. They tend to be quiet and in the shadows. But they are there. In the last couple months I've had some great exchange of "Ford" ideas with several of them. Looks like a win/win to me. Thanks for the compliment.

 

[downslope]

Nice job and description of your work.

Is there anything else that be replaced on that engine when clutch is being worked on, I'm thinking maybe freeze-out plug?

 

[ovrszd]

Nice job and description of your work.

Is there anything else that be replaced on that engine when clutch is being worked on, I'm thinking maybe freeze-out plug?

Thanks for the compliment.

I didn't touch anything on the engine other than the main seal. Everything looked healthy on the block. No corrosion or signs of leakage.