I have never done anything relating to the clutch on any of my Cubs. I'm pretty in the dark in this area. On my lawnmower Cub, when the tractor is in neutral and the clutch pedal is depressed, the shaft continues to spin. You can get it into gear but it isn't pretty. My work-around has been to start the tractor in gear with clutch depressed. When the PTO is engaged I can shift gears without trouble. If the PTO is not engaged I can't shift gears without the shaft starting to spin as soon as I take it out of gear on the way to the next.
What's going on here and what do I need to do about it?
Thanks,
Clint
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Clutch Issue
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- clintmo
- 5+ Years
- Posts: 467
- Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:54 pm
- Zip Code: 26033
- Tractors Owned: 49 Cub
55 Cub - Circle of Safety: Y
- Location: Cameron, WV
- Glen
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 6113
- Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:33 pm
- Zip Code: 00000
- Tractors Owned: 1956 Farmall Cub with Fast Hitch, F-11 plow, Disc, Cultivator, Cub-22 mower
- Circle of Safety: Y
- Location: Wa.
Re: Clutch Issue
Hi,
The Cub clutch is not complicated.
It sounds like your throwout bearing is not pushing the pressure plate fingers far enough ahead for the clutch to fully release.
This can be caused by the clutch pedal free play being adjusted wrong. The pedal should have 1" free play, measured where you put your foot on it. The pedal has to be easy moving at the base, and not tight, the base should be oiled where it moves in the housing, and there should be a return spring, under the platform, to pull the pedal up against the edge of the platform. The brake pedals should have springs too.
Then, if the free play is correct, the throwout bearing graphite might be worn down, or the 3 pressure plate fingers adjusted too low, and needing raising up.
There have been other people recently on here with the same problem.
Below is a recent post I posted info at telling about fixing a problem like you described. Read my post on the page.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=101050
If your Cubs are 1949, and 1955, they originally came with the clutch pedal free play adjustment at the clutch pedal base. The post in the link above is written for the older style adjustment. So you would simply loosen the adjustment bolt at the pedal, and move the throwout bearing back, to get more room to adjust the fingers.
The guys on here have said to set the finger height at 1 1/4" for the style of free play adjustment your Cubs have.
Below is a page from the 1949 Cub owner's manual showing the clutch.
http://farmallcub.com/rudi_cub/www.clea ... age-40.jpg
Below is a pic of a new throwout bearing. The material sticks out 5/16". If yours are worn down so the graphite is near the level of the metal part of the bearing, they probably needs replacing.
The Cub clutch is not complicated.
It sounds like your throwout bearing is not pushing the pressure plate fingers far enough ahead for the clutch to fully release.
This can be caused by the clutch pedal free play being adjusted wrong. The pedal should have 1" free play, measured where you put your foot on it. The pedal has to be easy moving at the base, and not tight, the base should be oiled where it moves in the housing, and there should be a return spring, under the platform, to pull the pedal up against the edge of the platform. The brake pedals should have springs too.
Then, if the free play is correct, the throwout bearing graphite might be worn down, or the 3 pressure plate fingers adjusted too low, and needing raising up.
There have been other people recently on here with the same problem.
Below is a recent post I posted info at telling about fixing a problem like you described. Read my post on the page.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=101050
If your Cubs are 1949, and 1955, they originally came with the clutch pedal free play adjustment at the clutch pedal base. The post in the link above is written for the older style adjustment. So you would simply loosen the adjustment bolt at the pedal, and move the throwout bearing back, to get more room to adjust the fingers.
The guys on here have said to set the finger height at 1 1/4" for the style of free play adjustment your Cubs have.
Below is a page from the 1949 Cub owner's manual showing the clutch.
http://farmallcub.com/rudi_cub/www.clea ... age-40.jpg
Below is a pic of a new throwout bearing. The material sticks out 5/16". If yours are worn down so the graphite is near the level of the metal part of the bearing, they probably needs replacing.
Last edited by Glen on Fri Jun 15, 2018 5:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 2929
- Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2009 9:51 pm
- Zip Code: 63664
- Location: MO, Potosi
Re: Clutch Issue
Sounds to me like you have a sticky pilot bearing, not a clutch problem. The load of trying to spin the belts and blades is enough to overcome the stickiness. With the PTO disengaged there is no load so the sticky bearing wins and keeps spinning the driveshaft.clintmo wrote:....when the tractor is in neutral and the clutch pedal is depressed, the shaft continues to spin. .......................... When the PTO is engaged I can shift gears without trouble. If the PTO is not engaged I can't shift gears without the shaft starting to spin as soon as I take it out of gear on the way to the next.
.........
I've never tried it but has been mentioned often to point the Cub nose down on the steepest hill you can find and using a couple extension straws spray your favorite lube as near as you can to the clutch disc on the driveshaft so the lube can run down the shaft to the pilot bearing.
- Denny Clayton
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 4565
- Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2003 1:18 pm
- Zip Code: 45365
- Tractors Owned: Home to "Rusty", the 2007 and 2009 Cub Tug Champion.
- Circle of Safety: Y
- Location: OH, Sidney
Re: Clutch Issue
Scrivet wrote:Sounds to me like you have a sticky pilot bearing, not a clutch problem. The load of trying to spin the belts and blades is enough to overcome the stickiness. With the PTO disengaged there is no load so the sticky bearing wins and keeps spinning the driveshaft.clintmo wrote:....when the tractor is in neutral and the clutch pedal is depressed, the shaft continues to spin. .......................... When the PTO is engaged I can shift gears without trouble. If the PTO is not engaged I can't shift gears without the shaft starting to spin as soon as I take it out of gear on the way to the next.
.........
I've never tried it but has been mentioned often to point the Cub nose down on the steepest hill you can find and using a couple extension straws spray your favorite lube as near as you can to the clutch disc on the driveshaft so the lube can run down the shaft to the pilot bearing.
-
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 4947
- Joined: Tue Jun 08, 2004 3:04 pm
- Zip Code: 14559
- Circle of Safety: Y
- Location: Rochester, NY
Re: Clutch Issue
Could be either-or. A split may be necessary to find out.
- Glen
- 10+ Years
- Posts: 6113
- Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:33 pm
- Zip Code: 00000
- Tractors Owned: 1956 Farmall Cub with Fast Hitch, F-11 plow, Disc, Cultivator, Cub-22 mower
- Circle of Safety: Y
- Location: Wa.
Re: Clutch Issue
Hi,
Yes, it could be the pilot bushing too, if it has somehow gotten too binding with the shaft.
If you take it apart, Boss Hog said lately at another post that the pilot bushing usually doesn't need replacing, measure it and the shaft, and see if they are good.
Some of the new pilot bushings are too tight to the shaft, after being driven into the crankshaft hole, the bushing shrinks slightly, and is too tight, then the clutch shaft won't stop turning when you push the clutch pedal down.
The bushing and shaft need measuring before putting the pressure plate on. The bushing needs reaming to the right size if it is too small. The clearance is in the Cub service manual.
Yes, it could be the pilot bushing too, if it has somehow gotten too binding with the shaft.
If you take it apart, Boss Hog said lately at another post that the pilot bushing usually doesn't need replacing, measure it and the shaft, and see if they are good.
Some of the new pilot bushings are too tight to the shaft, after being driven into the crankshaft hole, the bushing shrinks slightly, and is too tight, then the clutch shaft won't stop turning when you push the clutch pedal down.
The bushing and shaft need measuring before putting the pressure plate on. The bushing needs reaming to the right size if it is too small. The clearance is in the Cub service manual.
- clintmo
- 5+ Years
- Posts: 467
- Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:54 pm
- Zip Code: 26033
- Tractors Owned: 49 Cub
55 Cub - Circle of Safety: Y
- Location: Cameron, WV
Re: Clutch Issue
Thanks, guys. I'll report back once I've had a chance to check it out further.
Clint
Clint
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