Clutch Problems with a Ford 4100

[kirkmc]

I put in a reman motor in the tractor and was going to replace the clutch, pressure plate and throw-out bearing. The pressure plate and throw-out I received were the wrong configuration, but the clutch plate was the same, so I reinstalled the old pressure plate and bearing with the new clutch pad (plenty left on the clutch but since I had it split open I thought it would be a good idea to change them out). We have replaced 3 engines in other tractors and 6 or 8 clutches so this was not new to us. It all went back together fine and the tractor started and ran without a problem. The problem(s) came when we pressed down on the clutch. It wasn't there. Nothing happened. The lever on the side of the transmission that operates the clutch moved freely back and forth by hand without resistance. Simply no clutch at all. I know we installed something wrong, but I wanted to have an idea of the problem before we split the tractor again. If that wasn't enough, the power steering is not working. We installed a new filter but did nothing else to the system except reconnect the lines running to the cylinders. The steering wheel doesn't want to turn. Any help someone could offer would be appreciated.

 

[Jim.ME]

If you have two steering cylinders the rod end of one goes to the cylinder base end of the other and the other rod end goes to the base end of the first cylinder. If one hose feeds both rod ends and the second hose feeds both base ends it won't turn as the cylinders are fighting each other.

Sounds like something in the clutch linkage is out of place, if not external, internally.

 

[Bern]

I put in a reman motor in the tractor and was going to replace the clutch, pressure plate and throw-out bearing. The pressure plate and throw-out I received were the wrong configuration, but the clutch plate was the same, so I reinstalled the old pressure plate and bearing with the new clutch pad (plenty left on the clutch but since I had it split open I thought it would be a good idea to change them out). We have replaced 3 engines in other tractors and 6 or 8 clutches so this was not new to us. It all went back together fine and the tractor started and ran without a problem. The problem(s) came when we pressed down on the clutch. It wasn't there. Nothing happened. The lever on the side of the transmission that operates the clutch moved freely back and forth by hand without resistance. Simply no clutch at all. I know we installed something wrong, but I wanted to have an idea of the problem before we split the tractor again. If that wasn't enough, the power steering is not working. We installed a new filter but did nothing else to the system except reconnect the lines running to the cylinders. The steering wheel doesn't want to turn. Any help someone could offer would be appreciated.

Your external clutch linkage is now out of adjustment because you installed a new disc. The new thicker disc pulled the release levers closer in towards the flywheel, which increased the distance between these parts and the throwout bearing. Translation: adjust your external clutch linkage.

 

[kirkmc]

Thanks for both replies. We adjusted the clutch linkage when we hooked it up initially. The problem is that there is no resistance on the external lever coming out of the side of the transmission that controls the movement of the throw-out bearing and hooks to the linkage with the yoke end that attaches to the clutch pedal. When the clutch is depressed, it goes fully down and stays there. When you unhook the linkage you can move the lever back and forth as if it were not hooked to anything on the inside of the transmission. The throw-out bearing seems to be moving freely back and forth but not hitting the pressure plate or anything else. It's weird.

 

[Destroked 450]

Curious has to what was not correct about the pressure plate and throw out bearing
4100 is the same as the 4600SU but uses the smaller 183 ci engine, it uses the same clutch kit as the standard 4600 model
As for reusing the pressure plate did it use shims between the plate and flywheel and did you put the shims back in, if not it would have pulled the levers in to far causing to much free travel for the throw out bearing, and would have compressed the pressure plate to the point it would not release the clutch
As for the steering it sounds like some or all of the lines are connected to the steering cylinders wrong, they could be working against each other or against the steering column

You’ll have to split the tractor to correct the clutch issue and you can correct the lines when you put the tractor back together

 

[Ultradog MN]

Sounds like someone took the bolt out so the clutch fork is just slipping on the cross shaft.

 

[showcrop]

Before putting it back together measure how far apart the fingers will be from the release bearing surface when together. Measure back from the bell housing mating surface to the release bearing surface, and back from the engine mating surface to the surface of the fingers. They should bring you to very close to the same point.