2120 HSS Clutch Issue

[bradmiral85]

Hello,

I really appreciate any help offered . . . I have a New Holland 2120 HSS with about 1700 hours on it. The shuttle shift system is working normally, but the main clutch will not engage. In other words when in gear and moving and using the clutch pedal the tractor will not stop, I have to use the brakes to get it to stop. Additionally when the clutch pedal is pressed down the PTO doesn't stop moving anymore, like it used to. I have tried adjusting the clutch pedal to the suggested settings and it has not changed anything. Am I going to have to split and replace the clutch? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciative, as its hay season and I cant afford to have this tractor down. Thanks.

 

[Spicer]

Your clutch disc is frozen to the flywheel or pressure plate. This is a common problem for Ford compact tractors that sit for long periods of time.

The main clutch also drives the PTO on HSS models.

Ford 1900 help - TractorByNet.com

Mike

 

[bradmiral85]

I don't know that it is a frozen issue . . . I have read a few threads about this before I posted and it doesn't seem like the symptoms are the same. Also the tractor hasn't sat for a long time. It is used often. And the other day it was working fine and this started happening while using it.

 

[Spicer]

Your clutch is configured differently than non-shuttle shift models. Non-shuttle shift models have 2 separate clutches on the flywheel, one is for the transmission and the other is for the pto. The clutch that is mounted to your flywheel is a standard single stage clutch much like you would find on an automobile. This single clutch provides all of the mechanical power to the pto and transmission. In your case this clutch is not releasing.

Your tractor does not require a separate pto clutch because your transmission has a separate clutches for forward and reverse.

Is it possible that you have not used the main clutch in a while?

I would try driving back and forth with the main clutch held down.

Mike

 

[Spicer]

I may have misunderstood.

I have to use the brakes to get it to stop.

Are you able to stop the tractor without stalling with the brake, when the main clutch is disengaged and the shuttle forward clutch engaged and in gear?


Mike

 

[bradmiral85]

I am not I have to either stall with the brakes, or use the shuttle shift to shift to neutral. Thats why I did not think it is a freezing issue. The clutch will not engage, not a problem with the clutch not disengaging.

 

[Spicer]

We’re having a problem with nomenclature.

Clutch engaged means locked.

Mike

 

[bradmiral85]

Okay, I apologize for any ignorance involving nomenclature. My Issue is simple really; I know the PTO and transmission work on the same clutch. And when moving forward or backward, stepping on the clutch does nothing. In other words if the tractor was going forwards down the road, when I step on the clutch pedal, the tractor continues going forward down the road, unless I use the brakes to stall it out, or use the shuttle shift to shift into neutral. The PTO never stops moving when the clutch is pressed either, which to me says that there must be a problem with the main clutch.

 

[Spicer]

There are only two possibilities at this point. Either the main clutch disc has bonded itself to the flywheel or the linkage required to operate the pressure plate is not functioning (Linkage, clutch fork or the throw out bearing).

With the access cover removed from the bell housing you should be able to see its operation. When the clutch pedal is at rest there should be about a 1/16” of clearance between the throw out bearing and the fingers on the pressure plate. When the clutch is depressed you should see throw out bearing push the fingers on the pressure plate about a 1/2".

I do not have the listed clearances for your tractor. A 1/16” of an inch is adequate to keep the throw out bearing from riding on the pressure plate fingers.

Mike

 

[Spicer]

I forgot to ask if there were any new unusual sounds or a different feel to the pressure required to disengage the clutch.

I looked at the parts diagram for your tractor. You may not be able to see the internal workings. The weakest link would be the clutch fork(26) that is double pinned to the clutch shaft(24) and held in with safety wire. You may try to disconnect the linkage from this shaft and manually turn the shaft ccw to feel if the pressure plate is being activated. There were no other reports of this as a failure but it is the process of elimination.

If you search the New Holland forums for "2120" and "clutch" you will find quite a few HSS owners with stuck clutches. Any condensation in the bell housing is a disaster waiting to happen. It appears that it doesn't take much time for the clutch disc to rust bond itself to the flywheel.

Mike