'37 JD A clutch continues...

Navajo350

Member
I adjusted the clutch endplay to the right tolerance. My problem is now still the clutch lever is disengaging pretty easily. It seems to have a snap sometimes, especially when it's not running. But when running, it loses it's snap for the most part. I am using the second tightest hole on the adjusting plate bolts. I will can go a little tighter though. Is there something else I am missing?? Did anyone else have this problem?

Thanks,
Robert
 
try a washer under the nut to give you more thread to tighten with. I sometimes use a lock washer that I straighten. JD has a washer also. Your bolts are probably stretched, clutch disc are
worn or the dogs and toggles are worn to cause it.
 
(quoted from post at 20:44:39 05/15/16) try a washer under the nut to give you more thread to tighten with. I sometimes use a lock washer that I straighten. JD has a washer also. Your bolts are probably stretched, clutch disc are
worn or the dogs and toggles are worn to cause it.

Ok, I think I will just get new bolts, toggles, and dogs. I've heard from a few people about the bushing that the clutch rides on and that pin, more the pin, that they can be pretty worn and cause my problem. You know about that at all? I'll probably just use the process of elimination and order the others first and try it.
 
I think I remember your original post, have you checked your driver disk on the crankshaft. If it is not tight on the crankshaft and the right
protrusion on the shaft it can be difficult to get the clutch to act right?
 
(quoted from post at 05:35:42 05/16/16) I think I remember your original post, have you checked your driver disk on the crankshaft. If it is not tight on the crankshaft and the right
protrusion on the shaft it can be difficult to get the clutch to act right?

Yeah, I've a new clutch driver that I will try this weekend. Now with the flywheel on the crank more, maybe the new driver will be off the crank more.

Also, does anyone have a schematic of how the clutch goes together? I moved temporarily and my books are somewhere in storage. More importantly, I was looking at a parts list to see what this spring is for and where it is located...A352R, clutch release spring.
 
Your adjustments seemingly keep changing? Like it feels good when you get done adjusting it but then you start it & use it a bit and all of a sudden the clutch is loose? Then you shut it down & adjust again but .... and it keeps repeating this cycle?

I suspect you have a bit of wear in the cast clutch dogs where they hold the hardened T headed clutch bolts. When you adjust it, you move the bolt out of the small indentation worn into each arm of each clutch dog's fork. When the engine starts & is used a bit, the bolt's T head finds its way back into that worn spot then stays there but that makes the clutch pack too loose again! You adjust it just one castle and then it's way too tight right? Actually it is more that one castle plus the fork wear makes it too tight!

Next time you make adjustments, slide a cotter pin or wire into the castle nut but do not bend it over. Just let it hold the nut in place on the bolt & then watch very carefully as you rock the nut (and bolt) back and forth. I suspect you'll find a certain spot (with each bolt) where the disk, bolt & everything "pops out" at you very slightly! It does NOT take much of this action to make a BIG difference in how the clutch snaps! Do that with all three bolts & MAKE SURE you have them sitting in that little indentation before you check the clutch lever action for feel & snap. I often use a pair of needle nose pliers in two vacant slots of the castle nuts to rotate the pinned nut & bolt back and forth feeling for this "sweet spot". It's a thing that is all wear related and can be a nuisance when adjusting but once the T head of the bolt is "in the groove" it will stay there & not be a problem! You just have find the dimple & put the bolt head back into these indentations by feel after every single adjustment BEFORE FEELING the clutch handle for snap. If you don't deliberately place the bolts in their worn in place grooves in the dogs, they'll eventually find that spot for you like it or not & suddenly your clutch will be loose again!

This all goes most smoothly if the clutch disengaging springs are in good condition! If they're half rusted away their strength is low & that makes the sweet spots harder to find.

Hope that makes sense & helps.
 
(quoted from post at 14:50:53 05/16/16) Your adjustments seemingly keep changing? Like it feels good when you get done adjusting it but then you start it & use it a bit and all of a sudden the clutch is loose? Then you shut it down & adjust again but .... and it keeps repeating this cycle?

I suspect you have a bit of wear in the cast clutch dogs where they hold the hardened T headed clutch bolts. When you adjust it, you move the bolt out of the small indentation worn into each arm of each clutch dog's fork. When the engine starts & is used a bit, the bolt's T head finds its way back into that worn spot then stays there but that makes the clutch pack too loose again! You adjust it just one castle and then it's way too tight right? Actually it is more that one castle plus the fork wear makes it too tight!

Next time you make adjustments, slide a cotter pin or wire into the castle nut but do not bend it over. Just let it hold the nut in place on the bolt & then watch very carefully as you rock the nut (and bolt) back and forth. I suspect you'll find a certain spot (with each bolt) where the disk, bolt & everything "pops out" at you very slightly! It does NOT take much of this action to make a BIG difference in how the clutch snaps! Do that with all three bolts & MAKE SURE you have them sitting in that little indentation before you check the clutch lever action for feel & snap. I often use a pair of needle nose pliers in two vacant slots of the castle nuts to rotate the pinned nut & bolt back and forth feeling for this "sweet spot". It's a thing that is all wear related and can be a nuisance when adjusting but once the T head of the bolt is "in the groove" it will stay there & not be a problem! You just have find the dimple & put the bolt head back into these indentations by feel after every single adjustment BEFORE FEELING the clutch handle for snap. If you don't deliberately place the bolts in their worn in place grooves in the dogs, they'll eventually find that spot for you like it or not & suddenly your clutch will be loose again!

This all goes most smoothly if the clutch disengaging springs are in good condition! If they're half rusted away their strength is low & that makes the sweet spots harder to find.

Hope that makes sense & helps.

Wow, very thorough. Thanks. I had the pulley off a little while ago, but really didn't know exactly what "worn" looks like compared to factory on all the parts on the backside. But now that you mentions those adjusting bolts in the dogs, I think you nailed it with the groove. That makes sense in all what you described. This kind of thing can be a pain, but it's great finding the solution and making this tractor run like it did in the past. I did order all new dogs, toggles, pins, and bolts. But, I will get new adjusting plate springs, as they are rusted pretty bad.

We'll see if this solves the problem this weekend. Thanks again for the help. And that goes for everyone.
 
Careful removing the cotter pins and pins the clutch dogs pivot on! It takes surprising little to break an ear offa the belt pulley! At least it surprised me!

I use a stout coating of full synthetic wheel bearing grease to lube both heads of all the toggles. May seem excessive but it stays put and I think they work very nicely lubed this way!
 
Pull the pulley off and check the operating sleeve pin hole and the pin in the pulley. they ware and let the sleeve rotor a little and that lets the dogs get out of line,this will give you the thing that you have going on
 
(quoted from post at 06:16:12 05/19/16) Pull the pulley off and check the operating sleeve pin hole and the pin in the pulley. they ware and let the sleeve rotor a little and that lets the dogs get out of line,this will give you the thing that you have going on

I saw that in a JD pulley video. I don't know too much about that pin or how it works. I'll have to check it out this weekend. All I know is that pin, C404R, is obsolete. So if that's wore, I'm not sure what I'll do. I'm guessing wore is the hole in the sleeve too big for the pin and the pin is worn down itself?
 

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