unsticking a clutch

[Anonymous-0]

Hey all,
My MF 25 tractor sat up and the clutch is stuck to the flywheel, or so I"m told. To get this fixed at the shop the man said it would be $1500.00. Is there a cheaper method of doing this. The clutch has not been stuck but like 2 months. All help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Allan in NE]

Tom,

Have you ever kicked off a set of clamp on duals?That shop will probably use the same method.

Charge you $1500, take the tractor around behind the shop, put it in gear, release the clutch and start pumping the brakes until it pops loose. :>)

Allan

 

[Mike M]

I learned a trick on this site where you get it going fast by shifting trucker style on a good flat surface. Than hang on to the wheel and be prepared to countersteer and then you apply just one brake. The shock of this breaks them loose have the clutch held down or tied down all the while, it may take a couple of times with the brake but it does work really good unless they are terribly stuck. Maybe start out slower and work your way up to being more aggressive if needed. This way your will learn more how it reacts. Remember clutch pedal down and only use one brake at a time. And be careful do this only on an open flat area.

 

[rustyfarmall]

Exactly. I've had to do that with my M a couple of times. The second time I didn't even have to apply the brakes. Just started it up in 4th gear with the clutch pedal depressed. Hadn't gone 25 feet and it released.

 

[Scott KY]

Had that happen on a 601 Ford. I found a big tree to pull up against, put it in gear, spun the tires, and it came loose. You need a front bumper on the tractor for that to work.

 

[Larry59]

Learn something new almost everyday! Hummmm
One just never gets to old for it either.

 

[rrlund]

I bought a combine a few months ago that had the clutch stuck but good. I found drove it home,kept trying to hold the pedal down and hit the brakes etc. She wouldn't come loose. I found a round cover on the backside,sprayed PB Blaster in there on both sides of the clutch and on the shaft,then did the stomp the brakes thing. It took a little time to get it completely freed up so I could push the clutch down and shift it instead of starting it in gear,but I had to use the PB Blaster.

 

[Mike M]

I never was around combines much. They don't have individual brakes do they ? I never had any luck on tractors pushing on both brakes. The secret seems to be just one brake at a time. Must send a shock way up through there ?

 

[rrlund]

They have individual brakes,but can be locked together. I tryed everything without the Blaster.

 

[Anonymous-0]

This works best in the highest gear.

Otherwise the transmission shaft turns too easy to break the stuck clutch loose.

Then when its loose, polish the metal parts up by slipping the clutch in top gear until its hot.

Could be the plate rusted to the flywheel or to the pilot shaft.

Gerald J.

 

[Anonymous-0]

After you get it unstuck using afor mentioned methods then chain it to a tree in high gear and slip the clutch untill it smokes. You probably have a leaking trans seal and have gear oil on the clutch plates. amazing how that will stick them together. By smoking the clutch a couple times that will burn oil off and unless you have a really bad leak it will last long time until you have to do it again.

 

[Mike M]

PB to the rescue again. Must of helped loosen up some rust. Wonder if some kinda solvent should be sprayed in there to flush out the PB ?

 

[old]

Well since I have run into this many times heres what I do and it has worked every time so far. Start the tractor in the highest gear that it will start in. Hold the pedal down and drive it around it may take 5 minutes or an hour. If you can load it down as much as you can with say a back blade. Then after it pops free remove the starter and use brake cleaner to clean the clutch disk and fly wheel. DO NOT use PB blaster or any other type of oil to do it because it will only make it worse. Then from now on block the clutch pedal down when you not using the tractor. I have 2 tractors here that have the pedals blocked down because if I don't they will lock up in less then 24 hours
Hobby farm

 

[Mike (WA)]

If you don't want to risk death and dismemberment of the mechanicals by using the methods below (of if you try them, and still no luck), remove the starter; block down the clutch pedal; Get a kitchen knife (with a thin blade) out of Mama's drawer that she doesn't use much, so won't notice when it comes up missing; heat the blade with a torch about 2 inches from the end, and bend it at a right angle (to the left, as you're looking down on the unsharp top edge); Working through the starter hole, you can work the knife blade in between the clutch disk and the flywheel, through the spaces in the pressure plate; rock the knife up and down (gently) to free up a little bit of it; turn flywheel with a large screwdriver in the ring gear; repeat with the knife. By the time you get around the flywheel, it'll be loose. Save the bent knife, because it'll probably happen again. I'm having a half-price sale this week, so just send me $750 (no checks or PayPal).

 

[rrlund]

Don't know. I put it in the shed for the winter. Hope it doesn't eat the face off the clutch.According to the owners manual,it's a ceramic button clutch.

 

[robert wood]

Mechanic friend told me I could free up a stuck clutch on my 8N by running it into a tree. But a better 2d choice was to jump on one of the brake pedals while underway. It worked, and I now block the clutch pedal when the machine not to be used for a spell.

 

[kyhayman]

Iv'e tried starting it in the highet gear and while holding down the clutch pedal hitting the brakes. Sometimes it works, somtimes it doesnt. Also destroyed a few clutches doing that too.

For what its worth, thats about 1000 too much for a clutch job depending on what the actual clutch needs. I normally get 300-400 to split and reassemble dependsing on how complicated.

 

[37 chief]

I have been told of a method that works also. loosen all the bolts where you would split the tractor just a few turnes. You should have a gap at the bottom. insert a couple 1/2 in washers in the split, and thighten all bolts again, This will give you a small misalignment at the clutch and pressure plate, and should seperate after operating for a short time. I have never tried this, but would as a last resort. Stan

 

[Aaron Ford]

I have heard that if oil is the problem, one need only spray an entire can of Brake cleaner into the clutch housing from up through the inspection hole. This will break the tension of the oil and allow the clutch to come free.

Hope this helps,

Aaron

 

[Rickey H]

I had to chisel one off the flywheel once, 8n ford owner let it roll away down a hill and in a pond, was a mess.... Rickey