Clutch Linkage and Return Spring Removal

Getting ready to pull the engine on my 77 gas tractor. I have everything removed everything except the clutch linkage and the return spring. How do I disconnect the linkage? I see the clutch rod coming from the bell housing is attached to the long linkage connected to the clutch pedal but I won't be able to disconnect at that point because the linkage rod has a 90 degree bend. Do I just pull the whole 3' long clutch linkage out when I pull the engine?

How do I disconnect the clutch spring? It is under a lot of pressure and I don't think I can get in there to detach from the frame under the belt pulley gear case.

Thanks.

Warren

A lot of times you can
pull the cotter pin that
retains the clutch pedal
on its pivot, and while
pushing down on it by
hand and working it out,
you will be able to get
the pedal to come out
beside the platform.
Once the stop on the
pedal is out past the
platform, you can rotate
the pedal towards the
rear of the tractor and
the ball end of the nut
on the clutch rod will
fall out of the pedal
and you can just pull it
to the rear. It
obviously won't go any
farther back than the
90? bend, but it will
rotate down and will be
out of the way. Now that
return spring is kinda
funny. You don't have to
take it off at the belt
pulley, but it is
easier. They can be very
hard sometimes to get
back the clutch lever
inside the bellhousing,
so I always clamp a pair
of vice grips to the
spring at the
bellhousing to keep a
little tension on it if
I am just pulling the
engine and not removing
the bellhousing. If you
have a pair of needle
nose vice grips, just
clamp them on that
spring near the
bellhousing and give it
a twist, it'll come out
of there.

Ross

RBoots,

Thanks for the reply. Makes sense to disconnect at the pedal, thanks for the explanation of how to do that. I plan to keep the clutch bell housing attached to the engine when I pull it so I don't know if that makes a difference. When you say I can pull the clutch rod to the back and rotate it down, does that mean it is not attached to anything in the bellhousing? Does it just push on something in the clutch?
Thanks for the tip on the spring to keep tension on it so it doesn't disconnect. How do I disconnect from the frame so I can take the clutch bellhousing out with the engine?
Sorry for the questions but I don't want to make a stupid mistake.

Here's some pictures I
stole off the web, I'm
not near any of my
parts tractors to take
my own pictures right
now. In the first
picture you can see
the bend in the clutch
rod. On the end of the
short threaded rod
that goes into the
bellhousing, there is
a ball end on the end
of that rod. That ball
goes into a "socket"
of sorts, more like a
dimple in the clutch
actuating lever in the
bellhousing. If you
pull back on that rod,
it will just come out
of that socket, no
special tricks. That
threaded rod is one of
the places you can
adjust the clutch, the
easiest. The other is
the nut on the other
end of the clutch rod
that slips into the
socket on the clutch
pedal. There is a tube
in the bellhousing the
driveshaft goes
through that the throw
out bearing slides on.
The clutch actuating
lever is loosely
attached to the throw
out bearing holder.
The clutch rod that
goes through the
bellhousing pushes in
on that lever causing
it to move forward,
thus disengaging the
clutch. BUT, it that
lever wouldn't pivot
if it were not for the
cotter pin retaining
the other end of that
lever to the actual
bellhousing. If you
look opposite the
clutch rod going
through the
bellhousing, you will
see the "tails" of the
cotter pin sticking
out of the
bellhousing, that is
the cotter pin
retaining the other
side of the clutch
lever. I hope you can
understand what I mean
from those pictures,
they aren't the best
quality. There is
nothing holding the
bellhousing to the
frame, it is ONLY
bolted to the rear of
the engine. You remove
the 4 engine mount
bolts, unhook the
clutch rod and spring,
remove the radiator,
pull the PTO shaft (if
it has a PTO),
uncouple the
driveshaft coupler and
slide it ahead on the
driveshaft, unhook
gas, oil, temp, wires
etc, and you are ready
to lift it out. No
need to remove the
dash. Hope this helps.

Ross

Ah, got it done! Thanks for the explanation. I was not aware that the clutch rod is not fastened to something in the clutch. Once I removed the pivot on the pedal, it slid right out. Thank you for taking the time to explain it in depth.

It was really tight getting the engine out, I assumed I could just lift an inch or two and then slide forward but unfortunately, the clutch bellhousing hits the motor mounts. We had to really tip the front because the shaft coming out of the clutch hits the pulley assembly. Got it out but I am not looking forward to trying to get it back in!

BTW, the shaft coming out of the clutch slides in and out of the bellhousing very easily. I didn't pull it all the way out because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get it back in without taking the clutch apart. Can I just pull it out?

Yeah, you can just pull
it out. But first, take
the 2 pan head screws
out of the little tin
cover that is around the
driveshaft, screwed to
the bellhousing. Behind
that is, (or should be)
a felt dust seal I guess
you could call it. By
removing that little
plate and pulling that
felt seal out you won't
tear it all up if you
were to just pull the
driveshaft splines
through it, or tear it
up when you shove it
back into the
bellhousing/clutch.

Ross

Thanks