Clutch adjustment/ massey

[denoginnizer]

My massey 281xe is grinding a little bit when I shift into a different gear. It doesnt grind at all if I engage the clutch and count to about 10 , but being that I have alot of stuff to do I cant spare the time. Anyway , I see a long rod that looks like if I adjusted it , the foot pedal might make the clutch engage a little further. Does that sound like it will fix my problem? Any suggestions? Nearest massey dealer is about 1 hour away and they get paid about what a doctor gets per hour .

 

[flaboy-]

You can try to take out some of the free play in the pedal. Do you know how much you have? This would be measured from the very top of the pedal down to where the pedal rests by itself. Pull the pedal all the way up and measure from there down to where it rests. I can look up the proper free free play for ya tonight if you don't have a manual.

Remember these things don't have synronized transmissions in them. They never shift well from one gear to next. I always take off in whatever gear I plan to work/run in.

 

[Cabo]

You can try to take out some of the free play in the pedal. Do you know how much you have? This would be measured from the very top of the pedal down to where the pedal rests by itself. Pull the pedal all the way up and measure from there down to where it rests. I can look up the proper free free play for ya tonight if you don't have a manual.

Remember these things don't have synronized transmissions in them. They never shift well from one gear to next. I always take off in whatever gear I plan to work/run in.

Mine is the same way, never has shifted worth a flip no matter how I adjust it.

 

[denoginnizer]

Found the settings in manual. Seems I am about half inch low. Will adjust it tomorrow in the light.
What damage will occur if the adjustment doesnt resolve the grinding?
How do you know that your clutch is going out?
Thanks Ed

 

[flaboy-]

Found the settings in manual. Seems I am about half inch low. Will adjust it tomorrow in the light.
What damage will occur if the adjustment doesnt resolve the grinding?
How do you know that your clutch is going out?
Thanks Ed

Well it's kind of hard to say. They can go out two ways. One is slipping and the other is non engagement. Slipping is when the clutch disk will lock up on the flywheel. Meaning it is in gear but the engine runs faster than the wheels so to speak. Could be a bad/worm disk or oil or some other contaminant on the disk.

If you can not engage the transmission into any gear with the engine running but, can engage it into gear with the engine shutdown., that's a good sign that either the clutch disc or pressure plate is bad or going bad depending on how bad it is and how hard/easy it will go into gear.

I know this doesn't help a lot but clutch problems are not all that easy to diagnose. Like I said before some tractors will grind unless it is completely stopped or maybe put into a higher gear before trying to put it in a lower gear. Stuff has to get synchronized just right unless you have a shuttle shift or automatic. Your 281 is like my 271. Mine grinds most all the time. I have a Ford and a MF245 that are more than 20 years old and they have done that from the start. My advice is to drive it until it just won't move anymore.

 

[denoginnizer]

Thanks for the advice

 

[dj]

does the 281 have the muti power shift?
if so I find it easier to shift with it in low, less binding and grinding.

 

[Aaron]

Our 184-4 does the same. Wait about 5 seconds after I fully depress the clutch and then shift. I use the clutch and brake together when I am shifting between forward, reverse and creeper, to speed up my shifting.

In another light, seeing as you have quite a bit of knowledge about MF's, flaboy, I was wondering if you knew anything interesting about the 184-4.

 

[flaboy-]

Our 184-4 does the same. Wait about 5 seconds after I fully depress the clutch and then shift. I use the clutch and brake together when I am shifting between forward, reverse and creeper, to speed up my shifting.

In another light, seeing as you have quite a bit of knowledge about MF's, flaboy, I was wondering if you knew anything interesting about the 184-4.

Well I think it was a Landini tractor with a Perkins motor marketed by MF.