'57 International 350 Utility TA clutch malfunctioning?

[chevypanel46]

I’m sure looking forward to hearing from the very knowledgeable 350 Utility owners here. I've been using my ‘57 350 Utility with front loader and blade for driveway maintenance for 8 years now. Now...almost everything works well—it shifts smoothly into all 5 gears and main clutch appears to be working perfectly. I’ve never had to use the TA for any reason, but it appears to be operating exactly as it should (going into “lower gear mode”), but when depressing the clutch pedal while going up a grade the tractor will not roll backwards and seems to be locked in gear until engaging the clutch to give it a little forward slack to pull it out of gear. It does exactly the reverse of this in reverse gear on a downhill grade. Like “used red MN” describes in one of his posts:​

“Say you have piled some dirt with the loader and you
run the front wheels up the pile. When you push the
clutch in the tractor will be locked from rolling
backwards due to the one way clutch.”

So it appears the TA "one way clutch" is frozen up but I’m hoping it can be unfrozen without splitting her open. I’ve watched Doug Gingell’s YouTube video, “How to Adjust the Farmall Torque Amplifier”, and I’ve tried—and tried—to adjust the TA/clutch linkage but with no improvement.

-Strange as it seems, with the clutch pedal full down and the TA lever all the way to the rear (engaged) the tractor WILL roll backwards, but only as long as the TA lever is held there.

-After removing the 4 hole inspection plate I was pleasantly surprised to find the clutch assembly looking completely intact with what appears to be a good looking clutch assembly, good throwout bearing operation, and a healthy looking clutch disc.

-With the clutch pedal down I can easily rotate the TA clutch counter-clockwise (looking from rear to front) but not in the opposite direction.

-With the shifter in neutral and the TA lever pulled back I can rotate the clutch disc with my finger tips.

Don’t know what more to add, but I sure look forward to ya’ll’s good advice.

 

[Mrfred54]

From your description I would say you are not realeasing the TA clutch when depressing the clutch pedal. Try this, going forward with the TA in direct drive (TA handle forward) stop the tractor on an incline, does the tractor sit right there like it is locked, if so pull the TA handle back to low range while keeping the clutch depressed, now did it roll back like it is unlocked so you can get it out of gear. Does the TA handle lock in the low speed position? When the handle is forward the rod linkage should have 3/16 free play in the pin. Clutch free play should be bout 1 to 1-1/2 inches. Now the linkage that connects the clutch cross shaft to the to the TA clutch cross shaft, when the clutch is fully depressed the linkage should pull the TA cross shaft the same distance as pulling the TA handle back to low. Hope this all makes sense.

 

[chevypanel46]

Thanks for your feedback, Mr. Fred. I’ll be back at it in the shop today trying to get ‘er lined out.

This is my first time posting on YT and I inadvertently posted this under both Tractor & Farm Talk and Farmall, International & McCormick threads.

 

[Janicholson]

TA adjust

The process (as I do it): Set the clutch free play at 1 inch down from all the way up measured at the stop against the platform or foot plate, to cast contact in the pedal arm. this can be felt by hand. In an open area with nothing to run into, use low gear, and a tape measure, measure the point that letting up on the pedal causes the tractor to begin to move. this is the engagement point of the master clutch. The TA linkage is now adjusted so it begins to be released at this position of the foot pedal. further depressing the pedal releases the TA clutch fully. (usually another 3/4" or so to an inch of foot travel. This assures that the TA clutch is fully engaged when the master clutch applies power through it. It also assures that the full pedal depression releases the TA clutch so shifting is not bound up. The lever should apply and fully release the TA clutch very near the center of its travel. Doing this compensates for linkage wear and I have had no issues doing it this way. Jim

 

[Janicholson]

See the postings in Tractor and Farm talk. Jim

 

[chevypanel46]

See the postings in Tractor and Farm talk. Jim

Thanks, Jim!