Stuck Clutch

[thebunns]

Can somebody think of a way to "unstick" the clutch on my '39 Farmall Cultivator A"? I won't try and start it with it in gear as I might run over the person with the crank.

 

[SDE]

Block the pedal in the down position. Pull the coil wire off of the coil. Try to tow it and step on the brakes hard a few
times.

 

[used red MN]

If I would try what SDE suggested I would also pull the spark plugs and probably shut off the gas and drain the carb. Pull in 4th gear.

 

[Jim Becker]

You can tow it around all day and once the engine is turning, which will be as soon as you start to move it, nothing is going to change.
Pretty unclear what stomping on the brakes will accomplish.

 

[old]

If you pull the spark plugs you loose the engine compression hold back which would not help free the clutch up much if any

 

[old]

What I would do with it is this. I'd jack up one rear wheel. Put blocks both in front and behind the front wheels and put it in high gear. Then I would start it. Once running I'd take the block out from in front of the tires and get on and hit the brake on the side that is in the air. That should make the tractor fall off the jack and then you can drive it while hitting the brakes to try to free up the clutch

 

[Janicholson]

Pretty easy method, not guaranteed, but better and much easier than others: Block down the clutch pedal. Put it in high gear with
nice 6X6 blocking both rear wheels. Put the crank in (coil wire out). Use a pipe wrench on the crank to extend it another 12
inches or more. hang a 5 gallon bucket on the end of the wrench with sand or soil in it. With this force on the clutch, use a
brass drift and 2 pound hammer to whack the flywheel through the timing hole at the bottom. Jim

 

[thebunns]

Can I gain anything by removing the plate (2 screws) off the front of the bell housing?

 

[Janicholson]

sure. Jim

 

[rustred]

dont know if you have an implement behind it or not? use a pull start tractor to start it then deepen the implement in the field. while the
pull tractor keeps driving ahead of you as you have the clutch pedal disengaged. thats what i would do but i am a farmer so i have lots of
room. other option is to split the tractor. like when was it last used in working order?

 

[rustred]

the engine pulling a load with clutch depressed is by far way more effective than a pail of sand. and if that dont work you definitly need a
split. hook even if you have to hook another tractor behind you. need to get some resistance.

 

[Jim Becker]

(quoted from post at 20:25:58 08/03/22) . . . other option is to split the tractor. . . .

Good point. Splitting a hand-crank A isn't that big a deal. Wedge the front axle. Pull the hood, unhook the gas line and choke rod. Unbolt the front fuel tank support. Remove the lower cover from in front of the flywheel. Pull the bolts from the bell housing.

Did I miss anything?

 

[rustred]

you and i are on the same page. i can split a 660 in less than i hr. so this tonka toy would take me 20 minutes. its like do it properly.
then things can be cleaned up nicely.

 

[thebunns]

(quoted from post at 18:04:22 08/03/22) you and i are on the same page. i can split a 660 in less than i hr. so this tonka toy would take me 20 minutes. its like do it properly.
then things can be cleaned up nicely.

Can I do it in 20 minutes in my mid 80's with a brand new pacemaker?

 

[Jim Becker]

You probably will want a helper when you get ready to push the back end away from the front and to push it back together. (I always move the back half. Fairly easy if pushed by the top of the tire.)

No individual part of the job is any more strenuous than hand cranking.

 

[old]

While splitting a tractor can be easy the big thing about do so is having a shop that is set up to do so. Many people do not have a shop set up to do the job. Me yes but I have 5 chain hoists and an over head I-Beam and trolleys so I can hang the tractor parts up

 

[gene bender]

pull the tractor with a long chain then you push the clutch in while pulling
and keep hitting the brakes usually works let the off position on the sw so
engines will not start

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

(quoted from post at 19:08:09 08/03/22)
Can I do it in 20 minutes in my mid 80's with a brand new pacemaker?

First off, how was anyone here supposed to know that? Even if you said it here somewhere before it is not any of our jobs to keep track of the age and health of the site's members.

Second off, that's not the point. The point is if an experienced guy can get it apart in 20 minutes, it is a job that is suitable for someone less experienced. It might take you 2-3 hours but it is still something you could tackle in a garage or barn on a concrete pad. Even outside if that's what it takes.

 

[caterpillar guy]

One thing nobody has said is do not hook chain to the front axle or pedestal. Hook back to the drawbar if you try pulling it, unless you want it split at the radiator. Not a good picture to see. Lots of them done from pulling on the front axle. It should split pretty easy with a few parts and some blocks to hold it.

 

[M-MAN]

Block the pedal down and walk away from
it for a few weeks. It's much safer to
let mother nature unstick it!

 

[Fritz Maurer]

Will polish up the brake drums...

 

[thebunns]

(quoted from post at 20:10:34 08/03/22) You probably will want a helper when you get ready to push the back end away from the front and to push it back together. (I always move the back half. Fairly easy if pushed by the top of the tire.)

No individual part of the job is any more strenuous than hand cranking.

One of you guys was asking how long the tractor had been sitting. I think it has been around 10 years since it was moved. I start it about once a month, like every other engine I have but don't necessarily move it.

 

[550Doug]

(quoted from post at 14:23:09 08/03/22) Can somebody think of a way to "unstick" the clutch on my '39 Farmall Cultivator A"? I won't try and start it with it in gear as I might run over the person with the crank.

I had a similar problem with a Ford 8N. I made a spray hole, tapped it and sprayed brake cleaner all over the clutch and flywheel. After a few minutes I started the tractor and the clutch was still stuck. So I got another can of brake cleaner and sprayed the whole can in there. Then I got a long chain, hooked it to the rear of the 8N and hooked it onto another tractor (Cockshutt 540). After clamping the clutch on the 8N down with a large clamp, engine off and gear shift in Reverse, I got on the Cockshutt and with a fair throttle I gave a big sudden jerk on that chain. That did it!! The big jerk with the spray did the job for me. Of course I then put a bolt into that tapped hole.
Hope that helps.

 

[rustred]

thats a SPLIT for sure!

 

[used red MN]

Post is older, but in reply to old about me suggesting to pull the spark plugs. I am counting on the inertia of the spinning engine reacting to the sudden change of speed when the brakes are suddenly and firmly applied. Your idea of starting it with the wheel jacked up is pretty good, some amount of risk involved. Just driving a car on the road also has risks, we choose what we do and accept the possible outcomes. Not being around those machines the poster who suggested to be careful about breaking the front end pulling it. This is where a small tow machine like a riding mower would be best for this suggested method.

 

[thebunns]

I just tied the clutch down, put the transmission in 3rd gear, pulled the center coil wire, wrapped a strap around the front axel & dropped it over the ball on the front of my 9N. I backed up about one foot & stopped. I noticed that it & the Farmall rocked back a little. I decided that it wouldn't be possible with a stuck clutch so I took it out of gear & started it. I gradually released the clutch & heard it connect to the transmission. Done!