clutch problems

Big Rick · May 11, 2012

clutch will not disengage ,is this an easy fix or will i have to do a teardown and replace clutch and pressure plate. tractor sat for 4 or more years but every thing else runs well.this is a mid 70s S 550 G Satoh

284 International · May 11, 2012

Often clutches will corrode and like the friction disk to the pressure plate and flywheel. Try getting it started, then dropping an implement into the soil with the clutch in. The clutch should slip free, and work properly after that if the case is relatively mild.

Big Rick · May 11, 2012

I can start the tractor but have no implements only a woods belly mower ,only way to move it is start it in gear

284 International · May 11, 2012

I don't know if a belly mower would provide enough resistance, but you could try it. You're trying to make the engine transmit force through the clutch without spring pressure. A very steep hill might be enough in high gear, or your belly mower if driven off the rear PTO. I have used my tiller, a box blade, a disk, and chaining the machine to a tree before.

evan price · May 14, 2012

Put the tractor on a chain to a fence post or tree. Leave slack. When you start it, push in the clutch pedal and let the tractor come to the end of the chain and try to dig in. If the clutch is just rusted on the pressure plate it will most likely separate when you do this. Make sure it is a strong post or tree and a good chain.

rambler · May 14, 2012

Do that in a low gear, idling - you don't want to pop yourself over the hood.... !!!!!

Most likely your clutch rusted/ froze onto your flywheel.

Have you put a block of wood under the clutch pedal to keep the clutch pushed in for a few days, see if it would drop free on it's own? I had this problem once, and this worked for me.

There are a dozen other things that it 'could' be. But best bet is a frozen up clutch, which you need to let fall loose (with the block) or shock loose by driving it with the clutch pushed in and adding more pull to it.

I had one tractor the clutch wouldn't disengage. The shaft that went in to the clutch, the welded on arm came loose, the weld was bad, and at 3000 hours on the tractor this arm slowly rotated on the clutch shaft. About drove me nuts trying to figure out what was going on, as it still grabbed the shaft pretty good, was very hard to figure out....

--->Paul

284 International · May 14, 2012

evan price said:
Put the tractor on a chain to a fence post or tree. Leave slack. When you start it, push in the clutch pedal and let the tractor come to the end of the chain and try to dig in. If the clutch is just rusted on the pressure plate it will most likely separate when you do this. Make sure it is a strong post or tree and a good chain.

If you decide to try this, I would suggest doing this in reverse, just to ensure the tractor won't loop over onto you in case the clutch is irreversibly stuck.