1952 JD AW Clutch Problems

I just got my 52 AW last week. There is a problem within the clutch that I would like your expert opinions on. When I put tractor in gear and engage clutch lever, it never snaps in. I have to hold it forward and apply a force to keep the clutch engaged and moving. What are your thoughts before I tear into the clutch. Friction disks, sliding disk or Toggles and dogs? What is the chance the crank splines are worn causing this problem?

Thanks,
Tim

Sounds to me like you just need to tighten up the 3 Castle Nuts that adjust the tension on the clutch? Maybe try a full turn and see what that does?

Thats what I did on my B. Was REALLY loose, took me 1 1/2 turns, and now it takes a light "push" to make it pop... JUST the way I like it!

Bryce

I would try to tighten it up with the three adjusting nuts. If that doesn't work you may
have a stuck operating bolt. That means it's time to pull it apart, to clean and lub
everything.

Nuts might be set to tight that it can't snap in. Try loosening them and put the lever ahead. Then tighten them all equally till tight and then back them off equally till it snaps out. Same
adjustments apply if it is to loose to snap in.

(quoted from post at 18:20:19 04/24/15) Nuts might be set to tight that it can't snap in. Try loosening them and put the lever ahead. Then tighten them all equally till tight and then back them off equally till it snaps out. Same
adjustments apply if it is to loose to snap in.

Click to expand...

Thanks guys. Will try that next week when I have a minute. I just have worst case in mind with a bad crank spline.
Hope it is that easy.

the and pin and arm hole in the operating sleeve may be badly worn i have a pulley if needed

UPDATE:
Finally got to take the clutch apart and see what is going on. Started by removing the adjusting disk. No problems. Removed the outer clutch facing, easy. Went to remove the double sided bonded disk, PROBLEM !!! Was frozen to the clutch driver. Had to mangle it to pry it off the T-bolts. Finally removed the disk with several large screw drivers. T-bolts were not moving at all. Full of heavy gunk around bolts and holes in bonded disk. Face of driver is heavily corroded. See Images attached. Next, removed driver from crank shaft. No problems. About 3/16" from end of crank shaft to end of clutch driver. My fears of a bad crank are gone. Removed last clutch facing from behind driver. Noted the corrosion behind facing around bearing retainer. Bearing looks dry with clumpy residue around rollers. Everything intact. Remove clutch fork assembly. Find bronze fork is broken in two. PROBLEM !! Slide out belt pulley from reduction cover, no problem. Get it on the bench to find that the operating sleeve will not move in and out. tbolts frozen. Can rotate the operating sleeve 5 deg. and it stops. remove cotter pins from tbolts and drive out from front of pulley. As soon as tbolts are out, operating sleeve moves freely in and out. Looks like grease and oil culprit here.
Clean everything up, sonic clean components, inspect for wear. This is wear I need some guidance. Toggles: Show wear on end of ball in operating sleeve. Dogs - Seem fine but have wear on surface of that Tbolt operates on. Tbolts - Definitely need replacement. Please take a look at pics and let me know what your thoughts are. Dog pins have wear where the dogs rotate about. Need replacement.

Questions - How do you get the bearing retainer out? Drive out with drift from back side of pulley? Most likely replace after removal?
Drive hole in operating sleeve is egged out .200-.250"? Will this hold for a while? This will be a light duty tractor from here on out. Not a puller or heavy worker.

Thanks for your advice in advance.

CT_Popper

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