B6000 clutch split

[cappys tractor]

Hey all: I have my dinosaur in pieces. But I CAN'T split the clutch housing off the back of the engine. What is holding it together? just the gasket? It's not even wiggling. I have 8 flat head screw drivers all around it. It is acting like it is being held together inside. Any tips?
Thanks, John

 

[tmessenger]

I just pulled my B7100 apart yesterday, there is a gasket between the bell housing and engine plate once that was broken loose it came right apart. One thing my rear seal was leaking and the input shaft was well oiled up. If the input shaft is rusty it could be hanging up in the clutch plate ?

Tim

Hey all: I have my dinosaur in pieces. But I CAN'T split the clutch housing off the back of the engine. What is holding it together? just the gasket? It's not even wiggling. I have 8 flat head screw drivers all around it. It is acting like it is being held together inside. Any tips?
Thanks, John

 

[Stumpy]

The sites are down so I can't look at your parts diagrams but on my machine it's just the obvious bolts and two dowel pins. My took some pounding to get it loose. I had to drop the chain fall that was holding the front end down a bit and then gravity finally cracked it loose enough I could pry it open with screw drivers.

Stupid question but you're not prying the ring that goes around the flywheel are you? That's a separate piece held on by bolts behind the flywheel.

 

[cappys tractor]

OK, Question asked, Answer. Detatch the FWD drive shaft! Duh!. Anyway, How to tell if the NEW throw out bearing is fully seated. I didn't measure the distance from the end of the shaft to the old one. I can't quite see behind the new bearing to tell if it is seated. One good thing about a 35 year old Kubota..... they certainly are rugged little animals!

 

[Stumpy]

Not sure if your's is the same but on mine I took the slide the throw out bearing rides on out of the tractor and popped the old bearing off. The slide is turned down at one end so there's a lip the throw out bearing sits against. I just pressed the new one up against that lip.

 

[cappys tractor]

The dinosaur lives!. Any specs on adjusting the pedal? It appears my adjusting rod is not long enough. Is the theory that the rod should be all the way extended for a new clutch and adjusted shorter as the clutch wears? Or visa versa? Is the length of the rod the determining factor? Or is the set screw bolt on that rests against the housing the adjustment? Too bad the service manual is so vague. I just don't want to start off mis-adjusting it!

Although the clutch definitely has grab, and release; It feels SO loose now compared to the old one. The pedal feels like it is light as a feather compared to the old one. I just want to make sure it is adjusted properly out of the gate.

 

[cappys tractor]

From my experience on this job there are several steps needed to do a clutch replacement. First, have a level space to work on. Second remove the battery and drain the fuel tank. Remove the fuel tank, the dividing plate, the wiring (I disconnected the front end, and pulled it all the way back.) The steering linkage is disconnected. The fuel line has to be unhooked. The hydraulic lines need to be disconnected. The front drive shaft boot is disconnected, which lets the driveshaft fall out of the collar as you pull the halves apart. Although I didn't need to, I removed the hood (I think this is a good time to repaint it to spruce it up)to make it easier to get around it all. The exhaust muffler removal made the hydraulic line removal/replacement easier. Then I had a subframe to disconnect also. ( I also had the benefit of using the subframe to support the back half, and used a 'furniture dolly' to support the front half) Now for the ingenuitive part. You have to keep the front end and the back end completely supported. How you do it is up to you. BUT, The bolts holding the front half to the back half actually keep it all inline. If you remove all the bolts without proper support you will allow the front and back half to collapse. This will bend and ruin the output shaft. As I noted in an earlier post, the lack of documentation on the service manual makes it hard to get the info to do this job. The gasket joining the halves is hard to find. I made one, but finding gasket material 14" wide is problematic. The clutch plate, pressure plate and throwout bearing are all available on the internet, or through OTT. The job is tearing down the tractor to do the replacement. The lack of technical information is vexing. Any other comments to help others who use the search function about this topic?

 

[birddogger]

It appears my adjusting rod is not long enough. Is the theory that the rod should be all the way extended for a new clutch and adjusted shorter as the clutch wears? Or visa versa?

Get under there and push the pedal, see if the rod pushes or pulls. Normally as a clutch wears, the more clearance you need to put back into the linkage; the fingers on the pressure plate move toward the throw-out bearing as the disc wears, so you need to push them less.
Normal clutch free-play is 1 to 1-1/2 inch.

The adjustment screw/stopper on the bell-housing is the clutch stop. You don't want or need the throw-out bearing pushing too far into the pressure plate, you could pancake the springs. Once the clutch releases there should be a little travel until you hit the stop. Note that if you adjust that stopper you may need to adjust the clutch safety switch.

 

[cappys tractor]

Thanks for the comments. After having seen the relative position of the fingers on the clutch upon opening it up, and seeing the position of the fingers when the new pressure plate and disk were installed I can see the relationship of the fingers with a 'new' clutch installation. However, I am having a difficult time grasping the relationship of the linkage. It would seem to me that the throwout bearing would depend upon rod adjustment for the start and end position of the bearing. The adjusting bolt would appear to be what is adjusted as the clutch wears.

However, the throw of the pedal is so long, it appears to be misadjusted. I have about 5" of free travel and about 1" of release at the very bottom.

Is this adjustment determined by feel or by looking in the inspection port? Or is it just a mechanical measurement of the pedal throw?

 

[birddogger]

5 inches of free-play is too much. Like mentioned it should be 1 to 1-1/2 inch. If it is like my 7200 turn the adjuster shackle longer, this should eliminate the free-play. That it came out so far from correct makes me wonder, you have the clutch rod and the return spring in the right holes huh? the adjuster goes in the top hole of the throw-out lever, the spring in the bottom hole; that would throw off the geometry if switched around.

 

[cappys tractor]

The adjusting rod is only in by a couple threads. It was only about 7 turns in when I took it apart. I put it about 4 turns in and put the lock nut on. It is in the center hole. The bottom hole is the spring hole. I would understand if the adjustment was all the way out, to allow for the clutch pressure plate fingers (since they are all the way down with the new disk) But the amount of throw is off. Hey, at least I have a clutch now. Maybe I will let it ride. I just don't want to mess the new clutch up right out of the gate, for lack of info. Does ANYONE have an actual service manual with written instructions? Or is this not available from Kubota? Is there a common manual clutch adjustment description on the 'net somewhere? I have been looking.

 

[Stumpy]

According to the parts diagram you've got the same type of adjustable finger clutch that my machine does. The procedure should be the same though the free play will be a bit different. You need to adjust the fingers back out further and then readjust your pedal linkage. The pedal free play should be as small as possible while making sure the throw out bearing isn't touching any of the clutch fingers with the pedal at rest. Also make sure the fingers contact the throw out bearing evenly. I've scanned the relevant pages of my manual for you.

http://s16.postimage.org/m4mxusmx1/Scan.jpg
http://s16.postimage.org/rhbs8xath/Scan2.jpg

 

[cappys tractor]

Obviously the later model year tractors have a WHOLE LOT better manuals than the early ones! Thanks for that. I will have to look into the inspection port. Interesting that 'total pedal throw' is listed as 5 3/4"

 

[Stumpy]

Heh actually the tractors in that manual are the same vintage as your machine. This is an old I&T manual which is now owned by the people who do the Clymer manuals and is about the same thing as the car manuals. It's quite helpful but they assume the reader knows an awful lot and can skimp on the pictures and diagrams sometimes. I don't think they ever made but the one book for Kubota's unfortunately.