Kubota 2000 L2500 Clutch question

[macdoesit]

Today, my 2000 Kubota L2500, when pressing the clutch, it makes a squealing sound. It has never done that before today.
Any ideas?

 

[Roadworthy]

My best guess is your throwout bearing is shot. It will only make the noise when depressing the clutch as that's the only time pressure is applied to it.

 

[rScotty]

My best guess is your throwout bearing is shot. It will only make the noise when depressing the clutch as that's the only time pressure is applied to it.

The throwout bearing is inside the bell housing and sits between the clutch in the flywheel, and the transmission housing. Replacing it means splitting the tractor.

When you are In gear and moving, a throw-out bearing just sits back away from the clutch a quarter inch and does nothing. When you want to shift and push the clutch pedal, the pedal movement forces the throwout bearing against the clutch plate spring fingers. The bearing is supposed to spin as it holds the clutch disengaged while you shift.

Throw out bearings are factory pre-lubed. You cannot lube them. As they wear they lose their lube and won't spin freely - making the sound you hear. You can use it a few dozen times squealing, but each time carries the chance that the non-spinning bearing will eat into the clutch parts and make for more expensive repairs.

Still, those parts that will get destroyed are likely to be ones that you will replace anyway when you split the tractor. ... Best to fix it sooner than later.
luck,
rScotty

 

[macdoesit]

The throwout bearing is inside the bell housing and sits between the clutch in the flywheel, and the transmission housing. Replacing it means splitting the tractor.

When you are In gear and moving, a throw-out bearing just sits back away from the clutch a quarter inch and does nothing. When you want to shift and push the clutch pedal, the pedal movement forces the throwout bearing against the clutch plate spring fingers. The bearing is supposed to spin as it holds the clutch disengaged while you shift.

Throw out bearings are factory pre-lubed. You cannot lube them. As they wear they lose their lube and won't spin freely - making the sound you hear. You can use it a few dozen times squealing, but each time carries the chance that the non-spinning bearing will eat into the clutch parts and make for more expensive repairs.

Still, those parts that will get destroyed are likely to be ones that you will replace anyway when you split the tractor. ... Best to fix it sooner than later.
luck,
rScotty

Getting parts for 2000, L2500 Kubota with FEL, throw out bearing and clutch replacement. Dealer wanted 2,500 to 3,000. My first time. Will look at some youtube. Any advise on this procedure.

 

[macdoesit]

My best guess is your throwout bearing is shot. It will only make the noise when depressing the clutch as that's the only time pressure is applied to it.

Thank you.Getting parts for 2000, L2500 Kubota with FEL, throw out bearing and clutch replacement. Dealer wanted 2,500 to 3,000. My first time. Will look at some youtube. Any advise on this procedure.

 

[rScotty]

Getting parts for 2000, L2500 Kubota with FEL, throw out bearing and clutch replacement. Dealer wanted 2,500 to 3,000. My first time. Will look at some youtube. Any advise on this procedure.

We are all glad to help, I'm sure. Speaking for myself as a long time mechanic and repair shop owner I am still trying to figure out just how to make internet help effective. So help me too....

Just so you know, most dealers make quick estimates based on the cost for parts then double that to cover the labor. With that in mind, $2500 for a clutch job is not far off. Depends on what they find.
And keep in mind that some mechanics just naturally replace anything at all worn when they are in a tractor that deep, whereas others only fix what is wrong.

In the past, I don't think that I've spent enough time just asking these initial questions to get a feel for the owner's abilities and the tractor. Some photos along with a history of the tractor would sure help too

So what can you tell me about your mechanical abilities? Tools? Shop...Do you enjoy mechanical projects? You are going to need a flat floor space longer than the tractor, a Harbor Freight crane ($200), and a dolly stout enough to gently roll half the tractor away from the other half. And a clutch plate lineup tool.

Oh, almost forgot.... do you have a workshop manual for specs, and a parts book so you can post pages here on TBY so we can all point to the same part?
Luck,
rScotty

 

[cj7]

I replaced mine a good 15yrs ago. I did not find it really any harder but in fact probably easier than changing a clutch in a pick up or jeep. Be carefull how you support and separate the tractor. Think through each step ahead of time. Take your time.

 

[rScotty]

I replaced mine a good 15yrs ago. I did not find it really any harder but in fact probably easier than changing a clutch in a pick up or jeep. Be carefull how you support and separate the tractor. Think through each step ahead of time. Take your time.

Did you take the loader off or leave it on?

One thing different from a clutch in a jeep is that the tractor has to have the front axle-to-frame space on both sides supported so that the whole engine won't suddenly rotate around the axle pivot when the two halves of the tractor are slid apart. Good way to pinch a finger if not careful.

One guy got around the engine leaning problem by taking off the loader and then lag bolted the front bumper of his tractor to the wall of his workshop. That way the whole front half stayed in one place, and he could just roll the rear half away with a floor jack to get working space. Clever.

 

[big bubba]

Throw out bearings are factory pre-lubed. You cannot lube them. Scotty

True most of the time. i recall on my '70 IH Scout (304) there was a zerk for the throw out bearing underneath the chassis.. the only one i've come across
OP: best of luck in the repair, regards

 

[ptsg]

Throw out bearings are factory pre-lubed. You cannot lube them. Scotty

True most of the time. i recall on my '70 IH Scout (304) there was a zerk for the throw out bearing underneath the chassis.. the only one i've come across
OP: best of luck in the repair, regards

Yup, my 1962 Toselli crawler had a grease fitting for the throw-out bearing.

 

[repete]

I hope you never drive with your foot on the clutch and if there is a retracting spring on the linkage to pull the bearing away from the pressure plate, be sure it is doing its job.
Monitor your clutch freeplay.

 

[rScotty]

Throw out bearings are factory pre-lubed. You cannot lube them. Scotty

True most of the time. i recall on my '70 IH Scout (304) there was a zerk for the throw out bearing underneath the chassis.. the only one i've come across
OP: best of luck in the repair, regards

Yup, my 1962 Toselli crawler had a grease fitting for the throw-out bearing.

View attachment 2676877

As you say and show, there's no reason to design the common throw out bearings so that they can't be lubed. That's just the way that most are.
And I bet every mechanic out there has tried some sort of trick to lube an "unlubeable" throw out bearing. I know I have. I'll probably try it again, too......Don't recall it ever working though.
rScotty

 

[macdoesit]

We are all glad to help, I'm sure. Speaking for myself as a long time mechanic and repair shop owner I am still trying to figure out just how to make internet help effective. So help me too....

Just so you know, most dealers make quick estimates based on the cost for parts then double that to cover the labor. With that in mind, $2500 for a clutch job is not far off. Depends on what they find.
And keep in mind that some mechanics just naturally replace anything at all worn when they are in a tractor that deep, whereas others only fix what is wrong.

In the past, I don't think that I've spent enough time just asking these initial questions to get a feel for the owner's abilities and the tractor. Some photos along with a history of the tractor would sure help too

So what can you tell me about your mechanical abilities? Tools? Shop...Do you enjoy mechanical projects? You are going to need a flat floor space longer than the tractor, a Harbor Freight crane ($200), and a dolly stout enough to gently roll half the tractor away from the other half. And a clutch plate lineup tool.

Oh, almost forgot.... do you have a workshop manual for specs, and a parts book so you can post pages here on TBY so we can all point to the same part?
Luck,
rScotty

From being a teenager, I have always worked on my vehicles, motor replace, clutch work, etc. I have never worked on a tractor other than front seals, bearings on the 4 wheel drive. I have a shop building with plenty of space, plenty of tools, I don't have a clutch plate line up tool. I have a cherry picker, 2 floor jacks, air tools. 2000 Kubota L2500 with FEL, 850 hours on tractor, I bought it a year ago. I do not have a repair manual or parts catalog. I ordered throwout bearing and clutch from Messicks and got them today. clutch diameter is 8-3/8" which looks small, (I have not taken the tractor apart yet) so I don't know the diameter of the existing clutch. I read another post about securing the front bumper to a wall to keep it from turning, would jack stands under both sides of axel keep it from turning. Do I have to take the loader off?? Thank you

 

[macdoesit]

I hope you never drive with your foot on the clutch and if there is a retracting spring on the linkage to pull the bearing away from the pressure plate, be sure it is doing its job.
Monitor your clutch freeplay.

I don't ride the clutch, but I think I need some play in the pedal.

 

[ptsg]

One thing to keep in mind while splitting the tractor, is that the front axle pivots. A lot of people miss it, then they go to split the tractor and the entire front half just tilts one way or another and makes for a very unpleasant experience.

To avoid this, get some wood wedges and jam them between the front axle and the frame of the tractor, on both sides.

 

[macdoesit]

One thing to keep in mind while splitting the tractor, is that the front axle pivots. A lot of people miss it, then they go to split the tractor and the entire front half just tilts one way or another and makes for a very unpleasant experience.

To avoid this, get some wood wedges and jam them between the front axle and the frame of the tractor, on both sides.

Thank you, good idea. Do I need to take the fel off to split the tractor.

 

[ptsg]

Thank you, good idea. Do I need to take the fel off to split the tractor.

Yes, since you'll have to remove the loader mounts in order to split the tractor.

 

[rScotty]

I read another post about securing the front bumper to a wall to keep it from turning, would jack stands under both sides of axel keep it from turning. Do I have to take the loader off?? Thank you

Jack stands under the axle won't help any differently than having the tires on the floor. The axle stays put either way. The problem is that a tractor has a single center axle pivot right in the middle of the front.
So as soon as you remove the last of the bolts that hold the bell housing, the whole front of the tractor& engine will immediately try to lean to one side all the way to the stops as it pivots around that single center axle pivot axle. As it leans, it can trap your fingers between the axle and front frame if you don't have those shims in place to stop the lean.

An alternative way to stop the front from leaning over to the stops lean is to hold the front up with the cherry picker. Anotheris to bolt the front fender to the wall. In either case, the front half stays put and you split the tractor by having a floor jack under the tranny before you split it. Then you can just wheel the rear away from the front.

Yes, you ought ot take the loader off. That's usually the first step.
Good luck.

 

[sixdogs]

Getting parts for 2000, L2500 Kubota with FEL, throw out bearing and clutch replacement. Dealer wanted 2,500 to 3,000. My first time. Will look at some youtube. Any advise on this procedure.

WhenI did one for the first time, I hired a country mechanic to work with me. The biggest help was the "splitting" stand that he had that bolted to the tractor and allowed you to roll away the other half.

The whole thing was no big deal. We only used a few tools and he mostly did the smart things while I did the grunt work. When done he asked for $150 and I gave him a real good tip. I would say it took a few hours.

If I were to do it again I would still get a shade tree helper and be an understudy to them. Something like a retired truck or auto mechanic, that kind of thing. I would not try to do alone or do unless you had a simple splitting stand with wheels on it. That takes all the risk away.

 

[macdoesit]

Jack stands under the axle won't help any differently than having the tires on the floor. The axle stays put either way. The problem is that a tractor has a single center axle pivot right in the middle of the front.
So as soon as you remove the last of the bolts that hold the bell housing, the whole front of the tractor& engine will immediately try to lean to one side all the way to the stops as it pivots around that single center axle pivot axle. As it leans, it can trap your fingers between the axle and front frame if you don't have those shims in place to stop the lean.

An alternative way to stop the front from leaning over to the stops lean is to hold the front up with the cherry picker. Anotheris to bolt the front fender to the wall. In either case, the front half stays put and you split the tractor by having a floor jack under the tranny before you split it. Then you can just wheel the rear away from the front.

Yes, you ought ot take the loader off. That's usually the first step.
Good luck.

Ok, Thank you.