JD 630 clutch slipping

[jhansen17]

On Thanksgiving I had the family out for a hay rack ride behind the JD 630. As I was going up the hill in third gear, I noticed a loss of forward progress that I can only attribute to the clutch slipping.

A few weeks back the tractor was showing a couple quarts low, so I added oil. In the process I made a pretty good mess around the filler opening. I didn't spill any oil on the pulley itself, but all around the filler neck was pretty bad. Since then I used the tractor for a couple hours mowing with a brush hog and didn't notice any issues, but it was mostly on flat ground.

Is it likely that oil has found its way onto the clutch plates and that is causing the slippage, or is it possible (or likely) that the clutch is just too loose and in need of adjustment?

If I go to do the adjustment, will it be pretty obvious from a visual inspection whether or not the oil on the clutch plates is or isn't an issue?

Finally, if it is an issue, what's the best way to remedy (other than using a funnel next time I add oil- DOH!)? Am I going to have to tear it all apart and clean off the oil?

 

[Roadworthy]

I doubt the oil found its way to the clutch plates. If the engine speeds up, especially in a higher gear, but the tractor doesn't that is frequently a sign of a slipping clutch. Selecting a lower gear may get you by temporarily. Try adjusting your clutch linkage to give you about an inch of free play before the pedal actually starts to operate the clutch. The next step is generally to split the tractor and replace the clutch. When servicing oil without a funnel try putting a thumb over the top of the container, removing it when the container is positioned. A screw on pour spout can also help.

 

[Tx Jim]

Roadworthy
JD model 630 has a hand operated clutch assembly that can be totally replaced without the need to split the tractor. 1'' clutch pedal free travel doesn't apply because 630 has no such pedal. I agree with you I doubt spilled oil found it's way to clutch plates.

 

[Tx Jim]

jhansen17
Does clutch operating handle require a little effort when engaging clutch? If not I suggest to remove clutch pulley cover, remove cotter keys in each of the 3 adjusting nuts & tighten each nut 1 castellation until clutch holds/requires firm pressure to snap in then reinstall cotter keys & cover.

https://partscatalog.deere.com/jdrc/sidebyside/equipment/80169/referrer/navigation/pgId/192276

 

[beenthere]

until clutch holds/requires firm pressure to snap in

Growing up with hand clutch John Deere's, I was reminded by my father to not ride the clutch and to snap it in to engage. The last reminder I needed was with a firm cuff to the back of the head. Didn't need another reminder after that one.

 

[rScotty]

jhansen17
Does clutch operating handle require a little effort when engaging clutch? If not I suggest to remove clutch pulley cover, remove cotter keys in each of the 3 adjusting nuts & tighten each nut 1 castellation until clutch holds/requires firm pressure to snap in then reinstall cotter keys & cover.

https://partscatalog.deere.com/jdrc/sidebyside/equipment/80169/referrer/navigation/pgId/192276

I just did a clutch job on our JD530 last week. I went to move it and found the 530 had at with a hole in the tarp just in the wrong place for a few years and the clutch rusted solid.

It's an easy job. Spent about half an hour taking it all apart, examined the rusty group & ordered 3 springs and all the friction disks from Steiner tractor parts online. Painless.
Best of all, the work is all done at waist level with the flat part of the engine for a parts bench. A full clutch job on a JD 530 takes about the amount of tools you can carry in one hand.

I spent more time scraping and wire brushing the worst of the rust off of old parts than I did turning wrenches. Then I thought, "what am I doing? I'll put this clutch back together and the JD can scrape it's own rust off while I use it.....at worst it will cost me another couple of $12.00 friction disks."

So another half hour to put it back together and adjust the engagement. Done. It works fine, just as it always has. I may take it apart next year if I get curious about he rust...or maybe not.

I have no doubt that you could take yours apart, clean it all up, and have it working better for nothing more than a couple of hours & the cost of a few cotter pins.

The only assembly trick is just what Jim said about adjusting the castle nuts evenly so as to make the hand clutch lever snap into position with just the right wrist motion.

BTW, How is your fuel filter doing on the 630? Keep an eye on it for leaks. There is a new type rubber for both our filters that stands up to alcohol in the gas better. Some people double up the diaphams and use 4 instead of 2. You'll know what I mean by that when you rebuild your fuel filter.

Remember: Unless your 630 has been converted, both of ours were originally a positive ground to frame for the battery. Nobody knows why JD did that, but British Lucas Electrics also used a positive frame ground during that era. That ought to make us feel confident!

rScotty

 

[jhansen17]

jhansen17
Does clutch operating handle require a little effort when engaging clutch? If not I suggest to remove clutch pulley cover, remove cotter keys in each of the 3 adjusting nuts & tighten each nut 1 castellation until clutch holds/requires firm pressure to snap in then reinstall cotter keys & cover.

https://partscatalog.deere.com/jdrc/sidebyside/equipment/80169/referrer/navigation/pgId/192276

The clutch has required minimal effort to engage/disengage. There is still a noticeable snap. I will have a go at adjusting the clutch to tighten it up and see if that addresses the issue.

One other question on the subject of the clutch/pulley: Have any of you ever seen oil leak from between the pulley and the "tractor side" and the pulley? In the past (prior to my oil spill which didn't involve the pulley), I've noticed some oil getting flung up onto my right fender. It appeared it was coming from that narrow little gap between the pulley and the "guard" plate the pulley run alongside (see pics for clarification). This has only happened after the tractor has run for quite a while. Once I was driving it some distance on roads. That time I noticed when I shut it down at my destination that the pulley was hot to the touch. More recently I thought I noticed it again after running the brush hog with it for a while. Any thoughts on that?

 

[beenthere]

May have been hot to the touch because the clutch was slipping. And if that hot, may have caused oil/grease to move. See how it does after adjusting the clutch. Would like to hear back on the results.

 

[Tx Jim]

If presence of oil on RH side of engine continues you may have to replace the seal(item 36) part # AF2659R

https://partscatalog.deere.com/jdrc/sidebyside/equipment/80169/referrer/navigation/pgId/122557

 

[jhansen17]

May have been hot to the touch because the clutch was slipping. And if that hot, may have caused oil/grease to move. See how it does after adjusting the clutch. Would like to hear back on the results.

That makes sense. What has me scratching my head a bit is this: Around this same time, the clutch lever was really tough to engage/disengage. I could get it in and out, but just barely. It seemed to get progressively more difficult over the course of a few months.

Not sure what might cause that symptom. I had the pin in the pivot point of the clutch handle replaced and put in a shim to tighten up the handle and the tractor was sitting outside most of the summer following that. I wondered if maybe some rust forming inside that joint might not make the handle tough to operate, but didn't think it would make it as tough as it was to engage/disengage.