TD95D Cluch cable replacement Help! RickB

[Jerry/MT]

I had just finished baling yesterday and when I pulled the TD95D into the stack yard to park the tractor. The clutch cable failed. I was in gear and could not move the shuttle shift to neutral so I had to kill the engine to keep from hitting the fence.

I have the service manual, both PDF and paper, and there are no instructions for replacing the clutch cable. I figure I have to get into the bottom of the instrument console to get the cable disconnected from the pedal. I can find no instructions on how to do this either. Whoever designed this must have thought the clutch cable would last forever. This tractor has 389 easy hours on it and this nickel and dime crap ( leaking heater hoses for the third time, broken clutch cable, intermittent windshield wipers, etc) drives me nuts. All the big stuff seems well designed, the tractor handles like a dream, has plenty of power for a utility tractor, but the small things have little thought put into them. Must be the Fiat influence!

Rick, any help you can give me on this issue would be appreciated.

 

[Fedup]

So I guess Rick is the only person who can change a clutch cable?

 

[RickB]

PM sent.

 

[Jerry/MT]

So I guess Rick is the only person who can change a clutch cable?

If you know how to do it, speak up! I'm not to proud to accept help from anyone.

 

[Harry in Ky]

Biggest problem I know of is getting into the sheet metal in the cab. Once past that it should be just nuts and bolts. Every TD series I've been around has all metal panels around the steering column, each bolted to one another with 1/4" bolts and nuts on the INSIDE, most of which can be accessed once the gauge cluster is removed. Some are a downright pain to reach when you try to get two hands in there. I believe they assemble the whole thing and install it into the cab as a package with absolutely NO thought for anyone who comes along later. The last one I had apart I modified slightly so two of the larger panels, one on each side, where removable with just four sheet metal screws each. Worked out rather well as I recall. I really saw very little choice because getting all the bolts out was bad enough, but putting them back seemed a huge waste of time given the chance of someone having to go back in again later for some other repair.

 

[Jerry/MT]

Biggest problem I know of is getting into the sheet metal in the cab. Once past that it should be just nuts and bolts. Every TD series I've been around has all metal panels around the steering column, each bolted to one another with 1/4" bolts and nuts on the INSIDE, most of which can be accessed once the gauge cluster is removed. Some are a downright pain to reach when you try to get two hands in there. I believe they assemble the whole thing and install it into the cab as a package with absolutely NO thought for anyone who comes along later. The last one I had apart I modified slightly so two of the larger panels, one on each side, where removable with just four sheet metal screws each. Worked out rather well as I recall. I really saw very little choice because getting all the bolts out was bad enough, but putting them back seemed a huge waste of time given the chance of someone having to go back in again later for some other repair.

Thanks for the input Harry. I concluded that either I had to get access through the instrument cluster or cut an access hole in the side panel of the console to get to the clutch cable end. A PM from RickB seconded the instrument panel access and now you have confirmed that. Any idea how the cable fails in 389 hrs of operation?

I'm supposed to get the cable this evening and I've all ready loosened the screws so I can remove the instrument cluster. Since you obviously have done this before, any advice you can give me would be appreciated.

Thanks again,
Jerry

 

[Harry in Ky]

After reviewing the parts diagrams, I have to wonder what version TD95 do you have? The TD's I remember have solid linkage for the transmission clutch with the pedal mount and hardware under the cab. Only the PTO clutch uses a cable. Neither one should require getting into the steering column panels. I've been into the steering column panels for other other reasons, but not not for a clutch cable.

 

[TractorTech]

After reviewing the parts diagrams, I have to wonder what version TD95 do you have? The TD's I remember have solid linkage for the transmission clutch with the pedal mount and hardware under the cab. Only the PTO clutch uses a cable. Neither one should require getting into the steering column panels. I've been into the steering column panels for other other reasons, but not not for a clutch cable.

Might it be a TN95DA?

 

[Jerry/MT]

After reviewing the parts diagrams, I have to wonder what version TD95 do you have? The TD's I remember have solid linkage for the transmission clutch with the pedal mount and hardware under the cab. Only the PTO clutch uses a cable. Neither one should require getting into the steering column panels. I've been into the steering column panels for other other reasons, but not not for a clutch cable.

The parts diagrams for the TD series show two methods of clutch actuation; a solid linkage and cable actuated bell crank. Mine has the cable. When I initially examined it. my wife actuated the clutch pedal and I watched the bell crank for motion. There was absolutely none! I deduced that the cable must have broken. After receiving the replacement cable , two ideas struck me. First the cable was he** for stout and two, it had a special nut upstream of the clevis for adjusting the free play and a jam nut to lock that in place. IT's tucked up pretty high and hard to see (and access).I asked myself why would a stout cable like that break in only 389 hrs of operation and could the adjustment have backed off not allowing the bell crank to operate the clutch? reaching up and feeling the adjustment, I found the adjusting nut almost totally backed out so that the clevis could never pull on the bell crank! I adjusted the nut, started the tractor and moved it. I readjusted the free play per the manual, tightened the jam nut as best I could (not a lot of room to do this), started up and drove away.

I can't believe the adjustment could back off so quickly but it dd. So I put everything back together in the cab (I didn't get the console apart nor did I pull the instrument cluster).

Thanks to everybody who offered advice on this problem. I'm sorry that I didn't get the diagnosis right the first time. I still think that the design of this system is poor because of the poor access to the clutch pedal end and the location of the adjustment nuts. I'm glad I found the real issue before I made a bigger job then necessary.

Thanks again guys!

 

[Bobwall]

The parts diagrams for the TD series show two methods of clutch actuation; a solid linkage and cable actuated bell crank. Mine has the cable. When I initially examined it. my wife actuated the clutch pedal and I watched the bell crank for motion. There was absolutely none! I deduced that the cable must have broken. After receiving the replacement cable , two ideas struck me. First the cable was he** for stout and two, it had a special nut upstream of the clevis for adjusting the free play and a jam nut to lock that in place. IT's tucked up pretty high and hard to see (and access).I asked myself why would a stout cable like that break in only 389 hrs of operation and could the adjustment have backed off not allowing the bell crank to operate the clutch? reaching up and feeling the adjustment, I found the adjusting nut almost totally backed out so that the clevis could never pull on the bell crank! I adjusted the nut, started the tractor and moved it. I readjusted the free play per the manual, tightened the jam nut as best I could (not a lot of room to do this), started up and drove away.

I can't believe the adjustment could back off so quickly but it dd. So I put everything back together in the cab (I didn't get the console apart nor did I pull the instrument cluster).

Thanks to everybody who offered advice on this problem. I'm sorry that I didn't get the diagnosis right the first time. I still think that the design of this system is poor because of the poor access to the clutch pedal end and the location of the adjustment nuts. I'm glad I found the real issue before I made a bigger job then necessary.

Thanks again guys!

I have td95d,the clutch disingrates about 2 inches from floorboard and not completely about 95 percent,where is the adjustment and how do I reach it ,thks a million amber bob

 

[Jerry/MT]

The clutch adjustment is beneath the floor and it's a real **tch to adjust. you may have to empty the fuel tank and remove it to get at it. But if your clutch disintegrated you have other problems. You'll have to split the tractor. You really should start a new post

 

[sequoyah101]

Old thread but the only way I can figure to reach the clevis at the end of the clutch cable that attaches to the bell crank is to cut a hole in the cab floor on my JX95. It is an '08 model with abt 750 hours.

Usually no or light loader work but I was trying to move some dirt for the new hay barn pad two weeks ago and felt the clutch slipping under heavy loads so I parked it and finished with another tractor. It has been parked since because I don't want to cut a hole in the floor but I just can't find a way to reach up in there to even get a wrench and backup on the cable end.

Ditto on wondering how to get into the clutch pedal end of this cable without disassembing the dash. What were they thinking? They were not.

I refuse to drop the fuel tank to adjust the freaking clutch. This is the reason there are so many clutch problems with these tractors.... They don't get adjusted!!!

Other than this and the nickel and dime crap Jerry/MT mentions the tractor does what it is supposed to do. It is just a red NH. Did you know that red is the hardest color to maintain? It fades terribly and the paint jobs on these tractors are just sorry. I own three of them but sometimes wish they were the more common blue ones.

 

[F3506]

The blue paint fades and peels just as bad. I've got the next generation up, but it's still the same tractor. Pull the pin from the clevis end and then drop the cable down so you can reach the nuts for adjustment. It's not easy, but it can be done laying under the tractor. Actually pulling the pin with a pick is easier than putting it back in.

For the other end, you have to take the dash apart. And they didn't design it with exposed fasteners so you can just remove a few screws from outside and be done. Pull the instrument cluster and then reach in and take the rest apart.

 

[sequoyah101]

Thanks. I did cut a hole in the floor and made a nice little access panel with a seal. Piece of cake after that. The other end, under the dash, as you say it harder.

After adjustment it is like a new tractor.