5020 with very bad clutch chatter

I got a 5020 with a very bad clutch chatter. When I engage the clutch, the tractor makes like a grinding noise, and you can feel the uneveness of engagement

The story:
Got the tractor, was told it had issues, which it sure did. First thing is that it did not want to shift in any gear >

1) I splitted at the clutch, found the cast iron plate between the 2 disks broken. The disks were not looking great so I put 2 used ceramic disks that I had. The pilot bearing was totally gone, I toaught this was the source of the problem. I removed the clutch / PTO shafts and changed the seals, then put it back together. I forgot to order a clutch bearing, so I did not change it.

2) Then I could shift. Found out that there was still an horrible noise on clutch engagement, and that I did not have the high range (3-5-7-8) This time suspected the trans. I splitted at the trans. Found that the input shaft front bearing was loose. I replaced the shaft with a used one, replaced the fork that was pretty bad, pu new bearings on countershaft and input shaft and put it back together and tried.


3) Now it shifts prety well in all gears, but I still have a terrible chatter at clutch engagement. I cannot safely use it...

Have you ever seen that? What components needs to be checked or changed?
The fact that the intermediary plate has been broken is probably the origin or the concequence of the problem. What would be the correct way to check this? I am going to split again, and I do not want to split 3 times.
Also, I did not change the release bearing and it was a mistake, it is running very hot (I replaced the hose, so there is grease for sure...).

Not sure if this is your problem but a mechanic we hired to help out on a clutch job one one of my 6030s once put the front clutch disk in backwards. It made a hellatious noise during clutch engagement but the noise went away when the pedal was all the way in or all the way out. When we split it back open, we found it had been grinding on the flywheel bolts. If you look at a 6030 clutch disk, the hub is longer one one side than the other and I guess he didn't realize and put the short hub toward the front. In his defense, the new disks we put in were not marked and the book is a bit vague. Just an oversight I guess. Good part was that I put a new pressure plate in it that time, so I feel much better now about my clutch.

Also, a bad throw-out bearing can cause chatter. I make it a habit to replace the throw-out bearing every time I am into a clutch. Way better than bolting one back together with an old bearing inside.

The grease zerk and tube doesn't grease the bearing, just the shaft. Also, perhaps the person before you put a clutch disk in backwards (like I mentioned above) and that is the reason the intermediate plate broke. I have never heard of one breaking before so something is just not right in there.

I think you are on the right track here . But while you are in there throw those heavy duty disks away and get the fibre disk . The heavy duty will take more slipping , but the fibre disks hold just as well and smother engagement .

Thanks for the comments.
Yes, my tractor does exactly like your 6030, but I am pretty sure that the front disk has been installed so it does not contact the flywheel. Let's see monday...

What I am thinking for now is 2 new woven disks, good used shaft with good splines (mine are not that great), new release bearing. I will dial the flywheel to engine for runout.

New pressure plate is over budget for that 5020, but I should better check for broken springs, too. If the pressure plate is flat with good springs, what can be wrong?

What does your flywheel look like? Did you resurface?

It looks good. I did not resurface, it seemed to have little or no wear.
I will check it with a dial attached to the engine block. That should tell me a lot.

I will second dumping the ceramic clutch plates. They can cause the chitter your getting. They also will cut the flywheel much faster then the regular fiber disks. check your flywheel for flatness. I also would bet that the pressure plate is not right after the broken separator plate.

Well, I splitted the tractor, and I have installed the clutch disk backward, which let the disk rub on the flywheel bolts and made this "helacious" noise. So 100% my fault, I did not understand well the wording of my late 5020 shop manual. I went to the dealer and he had a much nicer book for the 5010 and early 5020, with nice cutaway views of the clutch that mine does not have.

(quoted from post at 07:27:01 09/18/16) The grease zerk and tube doesn't grease the bearing, just the shaft.

Click to expand...

That is interesting. On the bearing that was on the tractor, and on the one that was in another 5020 I splitted last year, there was no seal on the side of the bearing facing the transmission, so I think that the bearing would be greased.
But on the aftermarket ones I got, there is a seal on both sides. Last time I knock the seal off on the back side. Should I do the same here? I do not know how a JD one looks like because JD wants $130 for the bearing and I paid $27 for mine.