Some good clutch advice (long post)

[etpm]

Several years ago I bought my Yanmar YM2310. My previous tractor purchases were a Case 580 CK and a Ford 9N. I had no experience with tractors made for rice paddy work. The seller told me that the tractor had not moved for 2 years and that the clutch was stuck. I got it started and drove it home with me pressing the clutch pedal down all the way home, which was about a two mile drive. The clutch started to slip when I was close to home. I determined that the clutch disc had broken loose from the flywheel or the pressure plate but was still sticking on the spline on the clutch input shaft and this caused the clutch to drag. After my son and I stepped on the clutch pedal countless times the clutch disc finally broke loose from the spline and the clutch started acting normally. There is a lever that is meant to be slipped over the clutch pedal when it is depressed to keep it in the depressed position when the tractor is parked for long periods of time and so avoid the whole clutch sticking business. Since the clutch was no longer sticking and I felt that it was being driven often enough I stopped using the lever that keeps the clutch pedal depressed. It turned out that I needed to use that lever more. After being parked a couple weeks the clutch stuck. I broke it loose by driving the tractor about 1/4 mile with me stepping on the clutch pedal. I then used the tractor for a few hours and everything worked great. I then parked the tractor for a few days and when I went to use it again the clutch worked properly. Then I parked it for about a week and the clutch ended up sticking badly. After trying for a few hours to get it to break loose I gave up and parked the tractor. I parked it with the lever in place holding the clutch pedal depressed. The tractor sat that way for a few weeks and then my son went to use it yesterday and it worked fine again. I think what is happening is that the clutch disc is sticking on the spline. It is sticking because it needs to be lubed but there is no way to lube the splined shaft without splitting the tractor. So if your Yanmar clutch is experiencing this sticking issue it would be wise to use that little lever that holds the clutch pedal down if you are gonna park the tractor for more than a week or so. And if anyone knows how to lube the splined shaft without splitting the tractor please lest me know.
Eric

 

[CalG]

Can you go in through the starter motor hole?

My Kubota B7200 has a lube point (Alemite fitting) but takes a long straight tube on the grease gun to get to it... I really should, it's been years and years....

 

[5030]

Had a few larger tractors with stuck dlutches in the past and what I did was fine a substantial tree and nose them up to the trunk, put the gearbox in 3 rd of 4th gear, start it and let the tree unstick it, always hovering over the clutch pedal

Non issue now as neither of my Kubota's have dry clutches, in fact they have no clutches, wet plates instead. You couldn't GIVE me a tractor with a dry clutch.

 

[bmaverick]

Several years ago I bought my Yanmar YM2310. My previous tractor purchases were a Case 580 CK and a Ford 9N. I had no experience with tractors made for rice paddy work. The seller told me that the tractor had not moved for 2 years and that the clutch was stuck. I got it started and drove it home with me pressing the clutch pedal down all the way home, which was about a two mile drive. The clutch started to slip when I was close to home. I determined that the clutch disc had broken loose from the flywheel or the pressure plate but was still sticking on the spline on the clutch input shaft and this caused the clutch to drag. After my son and I stepped on the clutch pedal countless times the clutch disc finally broke loose from the spline and the clutch started acting normally. There is a lever that is meant to be slipped over the clutch pedal when it is depressed to keep it in the depressed position when the tractor is parked for long periods of time and so avoid the whole clutch sticking business. Since the clutch was no longer sticking and I felt that it was being driven often enough I stopped using the lever that keeps the clutch pedal depressed. It turned out that I needed to use that lever more. After being parked a couple weeks the clutch stuck. I broke it loose by driving the tractor about 1/4 mile with me stepping on the clutch pedal. I then used the tractor for a few hours and everything worked great. I then parked the tractor for a few days and when I went to use it again the clutch worked properly. Then I parked it for about a week and the clutch ended up sticking badly. After trying for a few hours to get it to break loose I gave up and parked the tractor. I parked it with the lever in place holding the clutch pedal depressed. The tractor sat that way for a few weeks and then my son went to use it yesterday and it worked fine again. I think what is happening is that the clutch disc is sticking on the spline. It is sticking because it needs to be lubed but there is no way to lube the splined shaft without splitting the tractor. So if your Yanmar clutch is experiencing this sticking issue it would be wise to use that little lever that holds the clutch pedal down if you are gonna park the tractor for more than a week or so. And if anyone knows how to lube the splined shaft without splitting the tractor please lest me know.
Eric

Some models have an access plate or remove a bolt to spray in there. Of course you are doing this blindly thru just a hole. Those old school Yanmar techs would know.

The YM2310 has item-5 as a Cap Housing, just like the YM226.
If you can remove item-5, you have access inside with a pen flashlight for a look-see.
Hint, this might be the same setup and clutch as the YM226.
Shop CLUTCH HOUSING (YM226D) today | Yanmar US

 

[California]

Guess I've been lucky. My YM240 (sold new in the US about 1980) has never had the stuck clutch issue in the 20 years I've owned it. Now that it is semi retired to backhoe-only use, it may not be run for months. But then it starts and runs like it had run yesterday.

I've never used that lever. I assume it's critical on our rice-paddy cousins that can get water in there. But in US use, our experience shouldn't be any different than a small Japanese car that has the same clutch.

 

[sandman2234]

I had a 1948 HG48 crawler that the clutch loved to get stuck on! Most people that had them thought you had to split them to get the clutch unstuck. However, you could open the access hole in the bell housing and mash each of the three springs to get it unstuck (rotating flywheel was a given)
However, if you couldn't get it unstuck that way, and you could get it into gear, a really big chain around an even bigger tree that would stop it in its tracks and give it a pull with the clutch depressed. Keeping a hand on the kill switch was also a given!! Also, you had to hook the chain below the center of gravity so that it wouldn't flip when you hit the end of the chain!
David from jax

 

[5030]

It is a somewhat dangerous method and you need to have your wits about you, but it's doable if you are careful and have a stout enough tree. As you state, always chain to the drawbar or the lowest point and always below the centerlines of the axles.

Bought an ancient Massey diesel at auction that had a stuck clutch for cheap and I used the tree method, got it unstuck and sold it for twice what I gave for it.

 

[CalG]

Problems can arise if the friction material "bonds" to the pressure plate or the flywheel. The friction plate then self destructs.
Wet clutches are the solution, Heck, Even my 1950 Fordson has a wet clutch. l-)

 

[careyo63]

My 2 stage ford clutch was stuck. Found the CL. needed TLC!!!. Sent it to the shop! it had other problems with the shifter. Stuck in Rev.. The clutches was stuck engaged from rust dirt etc. on the Dr. shaft. Prev. Ghetto rig!! pry barred the clutch packs from the Flywheel. F' them up!! Then the shifter itself from the rig. job!! New it when the shop showed me the clutches. Agreed there wasn't much doubt what happened. The clutch pads had plenty of wear so that wasn't the problem. To easy and cheap to pull it and clean it up, Worse case new clutch disc/bearing?! And then your good for Decades.