300 clutch

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makin'hay

Member

• Apr 25, 2009

• #1

I have adjusted the clutch on the 300 to spec. Still wont work. Does the backing plate get bolted to the flywheel ? It was not when I took it apart. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks

 

C

Clean John

Member

• Apr 25, 2009

• #1

What do you mean by (backing plate)?
Do you by chance mean Pressure plate ?
If so definitely that is bolted to the
flywheel.

 

C

CNKS

Well-known Member

• Apr 25, 2009

• #1

You can't adjust it unless it is bolted to the flywheel. Neither the clutch pedal free play or the finger to release bearing clearance. So, you must mean something else.

 

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Bob O2 Martin

Member

• Apr 25, 2009

• #1

If your pressure plate wasn't bolted to the flywheel, I think you have found your problem

 

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makin,hay

New User

• Apr 25, 2009

• #1

When I bought this 300 the guy said he changed clutch, throw out bearing and press.plate and also had flywheel turned. He never started it after that. When I had problems adj. the clutch I looked in inspection cover and noticed press. plate was not bolted to flywheel. I did not know if this was some wierd thing I never heard of or what. I now bolted plate and adjusted to spec in manual and I am having alot of trouble getting it in gear. I am learning alot, though!

 

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ScottyHOMeY

Well-known Member

• Apr 25, 2009

• #1

Not clear whetehr you made any adjustments to the clutch before you put it back on the tractor. That could be critical.

Or were your only adjustments to freeplay after you bolted it up to the flywheel?

 

S

ScottyHOMeY

Well-known Member

• Apr 25, 2009

• #1

How many bolts did you use to bolt it to the flywheel?

I hope somebody else can describe the visible side of the clutch cover better than I can to help keep you out of trouble with this idea. But a lot of those clutches had six bolts holding them in. You'd remove three of them and reinsert and thread them into holes in the cover that would relieve the tension on the whole affair for when you loosened the remaining three, and keep it tensioned to ease re-installation.

So it's possible that those three bolts are still holding the clutch cover and pressure plate ant a fixed interval, preventing it from moving at all (though I'm doubtful -- the lack of those bolts might be the reason the PO never boltid it back up int eh first place.

The caution is that you should not on the basis of this thought go willy-nilly removing bolts from the back of the clutch cover. Some of them belong there.

Is there a TA involved?

 

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

• Apr 25, 2009

• #1

It is very common practice to leave backing plate of pressure plate assembly unbolted from flywheel until after tractor is bolted back together , as you don't have to align splines that way and can't damage the pressure plate or pto gear assembly. Takes a little time to bolt it on from underneath and you have to be careful that it is fully in place before evenly tightening the bolts. Sounds like you found your problem if other adjustments like fingers are not all messed up by now.

 

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makin,hay

New User

• Apr 25, 2009

• #1

I did not. The man said he bought everything new (which it sure looks like to me) and installed it then never started the tractor after that. Another thing I noticed was the long rod from the clutch pedal to the clutch shaft was bent quite a bit. I straightened that and re-installed it. Do the springs on the new press. plate need to be adjusted when they are new? I am not sure. This is the first tractor Ive ever taken apart with a T/A and live power.

 

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makin,hay

New User

• Apr 25, 2009

• #1

There are 6 bolts and they are all threaded directly into the flywheel. They are all on the outer edge of press plate assembly. Are you saying that there MIGHT be different holes from backing plate into press plate that are threaded to compress springs? I will check if I can see any from insp. cover. Thanks for your help

 

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makin,hay

New User

• Apr 25, 2009

• #1

As far as I can tell the throw out bearing is working on the fingers ( thats what you mean,right) correctly. When I have my buddy press in clutch and I look from underneath. Then when I start it, it will grind real bad when trying to get it in any gear. Thanks

 

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ScottyHOMeY

Well-known Member

• Apr 25, 2009

• #1

Most are good right out of the box BUT we've been troubleshooting more lately a few that were not.

 

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ScottyHOMeY

Well-known Member

• Apr 25, 2009

• #1

Yes there MIGHT be. What I'm not able to describe is just where that all is. There will a bolt head with a jam nut at the outside end of each of the fingers. Those generally should not be monkeyed with with the clutch mounted in the tractor. It's goping to take someone more familiar that I with the variables in that clutch to describe where the others might be, but if you see three bolts poking out the back of the clutch cover with some slack between the underside of the bolt head and the surface of the cover, they'd be suspect for the type problem I described.

 

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makin,hay

New User

• Apr 25, 2009

• #1

As far as i can see there are no signs of any other bolts or threaded holes on plate. In theory, if clutch was not engaging and if I put it in gear and hand cranked it the tractor wouldnt move. I tried that, put trans in 1st gear, (coil wire off) clutch out, and cranked her and she moves forward. Then I tried with trans in nuetral and she does not move. All this and its still better than sitting in the house with my wife!!

 

Janicholson

Well-known Member

• Apr 25, 2009

• #1

If the Prev Owner put the disk in backwards, front of friction disk to the rear or tractor, it will do as you indicate. He (or someone) might have been trying to fix it and got frustrated with the idea of having to split the tractor again. (very likely)
I am pretty sure you cannot turn it around without doing that. You might have enough room to be assured it is in backwards.
Removing those ix bolts, and sliding the PP rearwards might provide that window. The clutch hub has springs in a circle that are offset from the disk faces. (to the rear if correct, interfeering with the flywheel bolts if on wrong)
Look at a new disk if you do not get what I am saying. JimN

 

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Bob O2 Martin

Member

• Apr 25, 2009

• #1

From what you're describing, if the pressure plate is actually bolted to the flywheel and the clutch isn't releasing, it could be one of two things. The clutch plate is in backwards, in which case it won't release and the other is, if the tractor has sit for a long time, the disc has rusted on the spines and won't come away from the flywheel.

I've seen the latter a number of times.

 

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CNKS

Well-known Member

• Apr 25, 2009

• #1

I would say that it impossible to put the disk of that particular clutch in backwards and still be able to mount the pressure plate to the flywheel. If so the metal center of the clutch plate is digging into the flywheel and the flywheel is undoubtably damaged. That would definitely keep the clutch from disengaging though. I still have the shifting problem to a certain extent with my 460U. It does shift, but it has to be at low idle, and the clutch must be pushed in for about 10 seconds before the gears stop turning. Also have to have about 2 inches free play in the clutch pedal, and centrifugal force still forces the fingers against the release bearing at anything but idle meaning it turns all the time. Someone else is going to have this problem (perhaps makin'hay) and someone will figure it out. I have given up.

 

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makin,hay

New User

• Apr 25, 2009

• #1

I will try again next weekend as tomorrow I am heading to an auction. (like I need anything else to work on) Thanks to EVERYONE for there advice and counsel. I'll keep you posted.

 

2

26Red

Member

• Apr 26, 2009

• #1

You should also adjust your TA (Torque amplifier)clutch linkage at the same time. Otherwise you can"t shift gears. I learned that when rebuilding my 300. Follow the manual for the adjustment. Good luck.