Brush hog slip clutch

[Cheddar tractor]

Doing my annual clutch slip on my land pride rcr1260. Marked the plates, ran it and one plate moved, two stuck together. Did this a bunch of times with the same result. I did notice the last time that the two stuck together were in a different position relative to where the spring assembly is. So they slipped, albeit together.
My question is, is it OK to run it like this, or do I need to tear it apart and free them up? Thanks in advance.

 

[Cheddar tractor]

Bumpity bump bump

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Play it safe and mess with it some more, possibly mow in some light grass to see if they will go ahead and break loose, maybe engage and disengage the PTO a number of times, if not after all that tear apart and replace disc's

 

[Cheddar tractor]

Will do. Thanks

 

[Tinhack]

Thanks for the reminder. I need to loosen mine and make sure they slip. A word of advice though, use a torque wrench to see where they're set now (if you don't remember). Loosen the springs, slip the clutch then retighten to previous setting. You shouldn't use the spring height method because the springs are not typically the same to begin with. Mine were all over the place in height. The torque method applies even pressure to the plates all around.

Also, if you didn't take it apart when you got it, I bet the safety clip is not installed. That clip retains the clutch on the shaft should something break.

 

[repete]

I find the use of a point and shoot thermometer tells a good story. Mow into some stuff that is really heavy and bogs it down and check the temp. Slip is heat.
If it heats up under heavy stuff then go the "normal" stuff and see if it cools.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

I have never tested the slip clutch on anything. I just gittyup and go. Never heard you needed to do something with em... I assumed they were "automatic"... If you had issues then adjust them. hmmm

 

[BackRoad]

Another thread, somebody mentioned using spray penetrating fluid for annual maintenance on slip clutches.

Has anyone else successfully used this method to keep them reliable?

 

[old and tired]

I just replace the shear bolt that holds my "slip" Clutch on after it breaks!!!

Really need to take it all apart and look at it but just can't find the time. The whole mower was $250, 15 years ago, so I will most likely run it as is until it dies...

 

[Forky]

I have never tested the slip clutch on anything. I just gittyup and go. Never heard you needed to do something with em... I assumed they were "automatic"... If you had issues then adjust them. hmmm

It should be an annual event called "running in the clutch"
The metal discs fuse together and need
to be slipped to clean their surfaces to
be sure they slip like they should or the
results will be damage to the clutch.

 

[gstrom99]

Another thread, somebody mentioned using spray penetrating fluid for annual maintenance on slip clutches.

Has anyone else successfully used this method to keep them reliable?

I don't think any kind of oil/petroleum product would be good for the "clutches". I think they're some sort of fiber material?

 

[sandman2234]

be sure they slip like they should or the
results will be damage to the clutch.

I thought that if the slip clutch didn't slip like it was supposed to, the damage would be to the drive gears in the rear of the tractor!
David from jax

 

[ning]

My "light duty" rotary (also a RCR1260) doesn't have a slip clutch, just an oft-breaking (because of me) shear bolt. Am I bad that I removed the shroud that was always in the way of replacing the shear bolt? Seems to me a superfluous bit of safety kit given that you shouldn't be anywhere near the gearbox when that thing is running!

I have a slip clutch on my heavy tiller and it obviously works because a, I catch a lot of hefty rocks when tilling new ground and b, my tractor isn't broken (yet). Definitely do the loosen the clutch and make sure it spins thing on that, though I haven't torqued it before - great idea!