NH TC45DA Sensi-Track Clutch.

[OldSoldier]

Due a 600 hr service on my TC45DA and, at the same time I have recently noticed a slight hydraulic oil leak beneath the operator's platform... spent an inordinate amount of time and finally (after removing the rubber mat and access-plate) found oil leaking from one of the two pressure gauge access ports - no Teflon tape on it but the other one had it. Removed, applied Teflon tape... leak stopped. Started to do 600 hour service and balked... "Remove the SensiTrack Clutch, invert and drain, re-install and refill." What am I going to get into removing the clutch housing? Anybody here "been there, done that" ... and can relate what is involved?

Joel

 

[jinman]

From the Repair Manual:

1. Loosen the two Sensitrack universal joint boot clamps and slide the boot to the rear of the drive shaft.
2. Loosen and remove the u-joint retaining bolts fro the front and rear u-joints.
3. Remove the drive-shaft assy fro the transmission output shaft and differential input shaft.
4. Remove the Sensitrack linkate from the shift arm.
5. Loosen and remove the four mounting bolts from the Sensitrack housing and remove the housing from the tractor.

That seems like the most asinine service procedure I've ever heard for an oil drain/refill. I think I'd just try to use a small flexible piece of clear tubing and siphon out the oil or as much as I could get. Then I'd replace it with fresh and call it done. There is no way I'd remove the driveline and clutch for this maintenance action. All the Sensitrack clutch does is sense a difference in the rear wheel rotation and the front wheel rotation using lobes to automatically engage a gear and lock into 4WD. There are no traditional "clutch" surfaces, only a cam engaged gear.

 

[OldSoldier]

Thanks Jim... I was considering the siphon as an option for the same reasons you cited. How much trouble could it have been to put a drain plug in? It seems pretty obvious that some design engineers have never spent a day on the farm (to our detriment). Same thing with those two pressure gauge test ports! It took me forever to find where the leak was originating because it leaks onto that large flat surface, mixes with the chaff and dust and then finally drips from a number of different points and if you don't know those ports are there, you just keep searching.
I really do appreciate your expertise and willingness to share.

Joel

 

[jinman]

Joel, the design of that fill/drain/level plug is akin to somebody putting an engine in a car that had to be removed and turned upside-down to do an oil change because there was no drain plug on the oil pan. Maybe they were thinking about putting the whole tractor on a platform and rotating it over on its side.:confused2:

Truthfully, I'm thinking the engineer thought you would add oil to the clutch and only needed a plug to check the level and top it off. Since there is no gear-to-gear action, all you need oil for is to allow the clutch cam to be lubed. When you go to 4wd lockup, there is no relative difference in the rotation of components and no wear surfaces whatsoever. I think checking and topping off was the original design and somebody at New Holland decided it would make sense to drain and refill. I'd bet if the person who wrote that ever had to actually do it, it would change to check and top off.