35X clutch

[Valiant Farmer]

Hi all,
I got a Massey Ferguson 35X with a
collapsed thrust bearing and clutch
finger screws worn out. I've replaced
them. I've adjusted the PTO plate lifting
bolts so the tolerance and height is
correct. The the plate and cover is very
oily. With a 600mm adjustable wrench on
the PTO, clutch down, it turns the
engine, plate still stuck. What is the
next step?
Thanks!Joshua

 

[Jim.ME]

Single or dual clutch, you should specify. I am assuming you are referring to the throw out bearing when you say collapsed thrust bearing. That, along with the oil on things, and saying the finger screws were worn out and you replaced them leads me to say you need to split it and do a complete clutch job. (Not sure if you mean you replaced the thrust bearing as well or just the screws, thinking you may have just replaced the screws) Also the source of the oil , likely engine rear main seal or transmission input seal maybe both, will need to be fixed at that time to stop allowing oil in that area. Just my thoughts from your description.

 

[Valiant Farmer]

Dual clutch. I replaced the throw out
bearing as well. The old bearing had
seized and had hastened the end of the
screws. BTW is the rear main seal a rope
seal like the Dexta?
I have split and put it together again,
so I could test the clutch, as I bought
it without knowing clutch condition.
Thanks

 

[John Deere D]

Quote:
BTW is the rear main seal a rope seal like the Dexta?

See pictures....
There is an after market REAR LIP SEAL assembly for sale. I have an e-mail from a supplier in IRELAND.... I have not been able to obtain any comments from a hands on experiences Technician as to actually installing one of these REAR LIP SEALS.I did receive the procedure as to the installation of the after market LIP SEAL...but have not received any actual experienced installation comments.
There seems to be no information on these LIP SEALS in CANADA or the USA..?
Bob..Owner MF 35 X

 

[DavidP,South Wales]

Hello, that’s some safety frame that you have there! If there is oil present on the clutch cover you should be able to tell by the colour and smell which it is. If it’s clean oil it is likely to be from the transmission. If it’s black from the engine. Oil on the cover would ie in with a sticky PTO plate. It may not have reached the main plate yet. Check the trans oil level as being overfilled or having water in the oil will raise the level and cause oil to run forward. Contaminated clutch plates can cause slippage but can also be difficult to engage/disengage......not good from a safety issue. My advice would be to split the tractor and rectify the fault wherever it is and replace any clutch components that might be required. On doing this it would be worth replacing the rear crank seal and gasket as a precaution. I have not fitted a lip seal in place of a rope seal always preferring to fit a GENUINE MF/Perkins one. It is possible that the rear sump (oil pan) gasket may also be leaking but you have not indicated any significant oil leakage. If you wish to tackle the job yourself we are here to guide you through it.
DavidP, South Wales

 

[Bob in Australia]

I bought a 35x many years ago. The clutch was sticking to the extent that the tractor was dangerous to operate. Took it to the local MF dealer to fix, came back even worse. Decided to bite the bullet and do it myself. Split the tractor and put in a complete new clutch unit from Bareco as all of the old clutch parts were worn out. The new clutch cost less than the individual parts and the whole job took me about 5 hours. The clutch has worked perfectly now for over 20 years.

Look at Jack in NB instructions on splitting MF tractors to the left of this page, as care must be taken in rejoining the tractor and tightening it.