RX6010 clutch issues

Sean2202 · Sep 9, 2019

Greetings,

I have a Kioti RX6010 model #4B243TLWM serial #MK1400xxx. This tractor has a KL601 loader on it. It has approx. 2100 hours on it right now. I am starting to wonder if the clutch internally is starting to get worn. Here is what is happening. For a few hundred hours now it seems as the clutch cable needs to be constantly adjusted. I have replaced one cable because of breakage. My current cable has about 300 hrs on it. I adjust by the manual and try to give free play .8 to 1.2 inches. What is happening is after the adjustment when the clutch is pushed to the floor it still feels like it is grabbing and not being released. If I adjust to where there is less free play as stated by the book then the clutch releases better when pushed to the floor but there is minimal free play. The users are not nice to this tractor, which is another story and probably part of this problem. They use the manual throttle and keep it throttled up while changing gears and shifting to forward and reverse which I am sure is not helping the situation. The clutch does not slip while in gear and I have never had any complaints of that. Overall it is just hard to shift from forward to reverse with the clutch pedal to the floor.

Thanks for any help.
Sean

Sean2202 · Sep 12, 2019

Well I replaced this clutch cable yesterday and it seemed to help some. The cable itself has some strange bends to it which probably leads to its early demise. When I try to move the cable that I replaced I can feel the cable binding up inside. A good strong pull and at the point of a severe bend where it mounts to the frame the cable has frayed quite a bit. I will be moving this cable to a PM replacement at a maximum of 300 hrs.

The tractor was purchased new here at the club. I asked "How was the tractor when it was new did you have these clutch cable problems". The answer I received was. "When it was new it seemed to work well and then after a few months we started having cable problems and clutch out of adjustment. It seems to have always been an issue since it was new"

justman777 · Sep 12, 2019

Maybe grease the friction points if you're able?

Sean2202 · Sep 13, 2019

justman777 said:
Maybe grease the friction points if you're able?

What exact friction points are you speaking of?

justman777 · Sep 13, 2019

I've not looked at an RX, so I can't say for sure. But generally speaking, every clutch cable I've dealt with rides in some type of channel and has had grease applied the length of the cable. If you have the capability of putting some grease at the points where the cable bends, it may provide enough lubrication to where it doesn't bind. But again, I'm not there looking at what you're seeing, so I can't really say for sure.

Sean2202 · Oct 1, 2020

Well now the tractor has 2549 hrs. The clutch cable seems to be failing more often. This last cable I got all of 131 hrs out of it before it was broken. An adjustment at about every 50 hrs or less is needed. Tried lubing it, not sure where I go from here. I assume the tractor would have to be split to replace the clutch. $897.53 for the Disk, cover and bearing from Kioti site.

Called my local Kioti dealer in Rhode Island and they were not much help. Just wanted to get a base line for a clutch replacement and they told me to look the parts up online and they are $78 per hour and they would have to see it to give me a quote on a clutch replacement. "Shipping is on you. I am not going to take man hours out of my shop to come get it". WOW! Not very friendly. I would not recommend them!!

Kioti Paul · Oct 2, 2020

I have no knowledge at all of your particular tractor, however I was a mechanic for a Ford dealership back in the early 1970's when the Pinto's and Mustang II's had clutch cables which were an utter disaster! We had a constant stream of 'cable replacement' jobs coming through the door on cars with VERY low mileage. As the 'fleet' aged we saw many broken attachment brackets from being overstressed by the outer 'housing' being forced to move along with the inner cable.

As a side note, I also had a motorcycle that I had to regularly replace the clutch cable because individual strands of the inner cable would break, then begin binding in the housing. (same as the Pinto and Mustang II)

While I understand the necessity of the clutch cables on motorcycles, I am not aware of any other cars that used clutch cables, and I just can't imagine WHY a tractor manufacturer would design a tractor with one...it seems like your clutch pedal would be 'right at' the bellhousing, and a mechanical linkage would be so simple (read dependable). If there are "extenuating circumstances", surely a hydraulically actuated clutch would have been far superior.

Sorry for not being of help.

For what it's worth, I feel reasonably certain that there is nothing wrong with the clutch; the problem is with the cable (ie the design!) I think you would be throwing good money after bad, to replace a clutch that is not slipping, chattering, or making noise!

Maybe, (if there is a way of doing it), if you keep the (inner) cable well lubricated, it MIGHT last a bit longer.

Unless you are mechanically clever enough to "re-engineer" your clutch actuating system, I think you are ultimately going to be left with a 60 HP 'paper weight'.... just my opinion.

By the way - you never mentioned it - one way or the other - but I am assuming that, when the cable is brand new, the clutch pedal is not noticeably stiff???

Sean2202 · Oct 2, 2020

Thank you for KiotiPaul for that great reply! On the contrary this was great help! I always say that they designed this tractor and then were like..."Ooops we for got to design how the clutch will be operated" Then threw this half *** cable in there with cable attachments that ARE stressed and the cable DOES have some severe bends to it. Sounds like what you mentioned with the PINTO.

Yes when I replace a cable or inspect one then replace it, I can see strands inside it starting to separate because of stress. You can also feel it when pushing the clutch that the cable strands are binding when getting worn. The tractor has about 2550 hours on it now. The clutch does not chatter, make noise or slip. Just engaging it into gear forward and reverse is challenge. When the cable is new it isn't bad to push.

KiotiPaul I see you have a Kioti DK45SC, is that a cab model? You got me thinking, I have two other Kioti DK45S here that have a mechanical linkage that connects the pedal to the clutch actuator. Check yours. The design is somewhat similar between the two tractors and it may be something I explore more to adapt the linkage to this tractor. Only problem is I would have to cut all the mounting points for the cable as they would be in the way and then it would be all in.....

Before I go all in with a redesign, the next cable job I will grease the whole thing up good before installing it. There is also a moly dry lube that I may try as well.

Sean2202 · Oct 2, 2020

Here is a picture of that crazy cable. Who knows maybe I am missing the obvious here.....

View attachment 671702

Kioti Paul · Oct 3, 2020

Sean2202 said:
Thank you for KiotiPaul for that great reply! On the contrary this was great help! I always say that they designed this tractor and then were like..."Ooops we for got to design how the clutch will be operated" Then threw this half *** cable in there with cable attachments that ARE stressed and the cable DOES have some severe bends to it. Sounds like what you mentioned with the PINTO.

Yes when I replace a cable or inspect one then replace it, I can see strands inside it starting to separate because of stress. You can also feel it when pushing the clutch that the cable strands are binding when getting worn. The tractor has about 2550 hours on it now. The clutch does not chatter, make noise or slip. Just engaging it into gear forward and reverse is challenge. When the cable is new it isn't bad to push.

KiotiPaul I see you have a Kioti DK45SC, is that a cab model? You got me thinking, I have two other Kioti DK45S here that have a mechanical linkage that connects the pedal to the clutch actuator. Check yours. The design is somewhat similar between the two tractors and it may be something I explore more to adapt the linkage to this tractor. Only problem is I would have to cut all the mounting points for the cable as they would be in the way and then it would be all in.....

Before I go all in with a redesign, the next cable job I will grease the whole thing up good before installing it. There is also a moly dry lube that I may try as well.

Yes, I do have a Cab model, but the clutch mechanism is the same for all the DK45 series (as far as I can tell). I have no earthly idea how that compares to a RX6010.

I have attached a couple of picts from my parts manual showing the "Clutch Pedal Group"

By the way, I was unable to open your pict of the cable