Wish I Had Some Hair To Pull Out

[Merlin]

I finished the overhaul on my Cub this past Saturday. Hadn't tried to actually drive it until today, just crank it to fine tune everything. Got on it today and tried to put it in gear and it sounded like I was grinding sausage with all the bone still in. Not running it goes through all the gears just fine. Put it in any gear and it won't roll an inch. Normally in any gear you can rock it and make the engine turn over. Not this one. It's locked down tight. I called myself being careful with the clutch, I even measured 1 1/4" from the fingers to the plate. I have 1" free play at the pedal and 1/8" between the throwout bearing and the fingers. Can a clutch freeze up it just 4 days? Any ideas? I'm all out except splitting it again and don't want to do that.

[Bigdog]

Merlin, look through the hand hole and see if it is dis-engaging when the pedal is depressed. Maybe the spline shaft got bent.

[Merlin]

My neck is hurting from looking up in that hole with a 4x6 as a pillow. Yep, there is a good space, maybe more than 1/8", between the fingers and throwout bearing. When I depress the clutch (I even tied it down where I could study the situation) the throwout bearing compresses the fingers on the clutch and the clutch plate releases from the flywheel. If I put the clutch plate in backwards, do you think maybe it would have these symptoms? Even if I split it, I don't see anything I could do differently except it may be in backwards.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

If I read your post correctly, I am reading 2 problems.
1- clutch is not disengagine, otr shaft is bnet and dragginfg so it doesn't stop
2- since the engein wont't turn when rou rock id in gear, is it possible your shifter has slipped out of place and it is in 2 gears at once.

You can do some trouble shooting by blocking the clutch down and putting the pto in gear. Use the pto pulley to turn the transmission and see if it is tightly binding to engien. if so, something is wrong in clutch. If it will turn with some force, the main shaft is probalby bent and dragging in the pilot bushing. If you can't turn it at all, check the tranny.

Teh clutch plate goes with the long part of the hub toward the tranny.

[Merlin]

OK, heres what I've done.

1 Removed the top from transmission to be sure it was in neutral.
2 Pressed the clutch and blocked it down.
3 Engaged the PTO and turned it by hand. It turned with little resistance.
Engine did not turn.
4 Released the clutch and turned the PTO. The engine turned with the
PTO.
5 Put it in gear with clutch released, turned PTO, engine and wheels
turned in all 4 gears.
6 Started it up, pressed the clutch, tried to put it in gear and all it would
do is grind.

I'm not even sure how many of these clutches I've installed over the last few years, but I've never seen this. I can't see in there good enough to see which way the clutch plate is facing, but I am beginning to think it is in backwards.

[Bigdog]

Merlin, I'd bet on a bent spline shaft. Is the tractor situated so that you can put it in gear, hold the clutch in and start it? If it is dragging from a slight bend in the shaft, you should be able to start it that way and hold it with the brakes.

[Merlin]

Good idea Bigdog. I'm leaving in the morning going to Dallas to pick up a 55 Plymouth and won't be back till Friday night, so I will try that Saturday or Sunday. Thank you and John for the help. I'll post the results after I try to start it like that.

[Jim Becker]

Merlin,
Where you going to be in Dallas?

[Merlin]

Actually it's Gatesville, but who knows where Gatesville is? How close are you to there?

[beaconlight]

Thats between Dallas and Austin but a little bit west.

Bill

[Jim Becker]

Gatesville is a little closer to Austin than to Dallas, probably a good 150 miles from here.

Not sure what routes you take to get there from the east (interstates are a bit off course). But you may not pass that from Donny M's place on the way.

[Merlin]

Just a little update on my clutch. I tuned it up today and fired it up, got in the seat, pressed the clutch, tried to put it in first, it ground a little bit and jumped in gear. Tried it in the rest of the gears and they work fine. Wasn't grinding any more in any gear when I got off it. I guess it's a magic Cub because it fixed itself of the clutch problem. I have another problem I'm trying to iron out now on it and may have to ask questions on that subject. Thanks for all your help.

Merlin

[Patbretagne]

Phew Merlin you had me worried there! What good news, could it have been the clutch plate just binding a little on the long shaft? now its freed up, Best wishes on your trip,
Pat

[Merlin]

Not sure what it was, but have a hunch it was in 2 gears at once. Nice find you have there Patbretagne. I have never seen a set up like that.