Sudden change in clutch free play on C47L

carluman · Nov 28, 2005

I've got close to 90 hours on my C47L. Just recently while leveling some lime for a drive my clutch instantly went from firm (what I'm guessing others are calling no free play) to the first inch or two being just enough force to keep the pedal up and that's it. The way it feels (pressure wise) and the way it is working I believe that I can adjust the turnbuckle and it would back the way it was. Everything seems to still work fine just as before. In fact I don't think I would even adjust all the free play out(assuming that is what it is).

My question is what happened? This was a sudden change that makes me thing something slipped but I can not see anything on the outside that looks like it has slipped (what little there is on the outside).

Thanks much
Carl /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Glenn9643 · Nov 28, 2005

Does your tractor manual give you any guidance on setting freeplay? All that I've been acquainted with call for a little freeplay in the pedal, generally around an inch. This keeps from wearing the clutch unnecessarily and still allows your clutch to engage properly.
Don't know what could have caused yours to suddenly change from no freeplay...
My only experiences with sudden clutch changes were when the spring broke and lodged between the clutch lever and the firewall. This prevented the clutch from returning all the way out and the clutch slipped. Happened twice. I replaced the spring with a heavier guage from a hardware store and it hasn't broken since.
The other time was a faulty pressure plate.

Zork · Nov 29, 2005

Does your tractor have a 2 stage clutch? Is your pto working properly and does that section of the 2 stage clutch work? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

DavesTractor · Nov 29, 2005

There is a clutch return spring up under the dash that has been known to break. Easy fix.

The clutch should have about an inch of free play.

If it isn't the spring and you had a sudden change in the clutch, that could be a problem. I suspect you have a two-stage clutch as I don't think many Branson "i" series were sold as Centuries.

carluman · Nov 30, 2005

Yes, two stage and it seems to work as before. I'd say an inch is about right. And yes it was sudden as in instant. The spring sounds like a very likely as it did sound like something small broke when it happened (it was when I pressed on the cluch pedal).

I'll take a look and see if I can find a spring or whats left of it /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Thanks much for the help
Carl