Stuck clutch

[Down in Dixie]

I have an old international 986 that has been sitting for about 5 years. It fired up and runs but the clutch has bonded to the flywheel. Pulled the inspection plate and there was water in there so probably just rusted to it. The throw out bearing is moving in full range but just can’t get the clutch to free up. Without splitting the tractor do y’all have any good ideas to possibly get it to free up? I can start it and sneak it into a low gear and drive it but have to shut it off the tractor to stop.

 

[jltrent]

Wire the clutch peddle down and as you get it going shift it into higher gears. Run it into plowed ground, up/down hills and bounce it pretty good, apply braking as you go. Sometimes it will vibrate/bounce loose. Also if you can get some penetrating oil sprayed up in it might help. If you can get the starter off on some you can get close to the clutch and pry apart.

 

[callmefence]

If you can get it moving along pretty good. Slamming on the brake while holding down the clutch should do it.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

High gear and slam the brakes and hold the clutch as stated. If that doesn't work then you may be in for a split job.

 

[Down in Dixie]

Guess I will try and start it in a higher gear and slam on the brakes. I will spray a little PB blaster on it also. Not going to be able to touch it again till this weekend but need to get it going before I start to get hay on the ground.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

I wouldn't get too carried away spraying oil on the clutch. Last thing you want to do is go from a rusted up stuck clutch to an oiled up slipping clutch...

 

[Down in Dixie]

I wouldn't get too carried away spraying oil on the clutch. Last thing you want to do is go from a rusted up stuck clutch to an oiled up slipping clutch...

I will try dry and if it doesn’t budge I will use oil. If it brakes free after oil it will get a heavy bath in brake cleaner.

 

[D2Cat]

I'd try something on the back to make it work hard, like a plow. Bury the plow and make it grunt (with the clutch press/wired down). Worst you can do is destroy the facing or springs in the clutch, and you'll have to get in there anyway.

Best think to do when you think a tractor will set for an extended period of time is to block the clutch down so the pressure plate is not clamped to the clutch disc.

 

[jltrent]

I wouldn't get too carried away spraying oil on the clutch. Last thing you want to do is go from a rusted up stuck clutch to an oiled up slipping clutch...

From my experience using water thin penatrating oil the next day you don't even know it was hardly applied. Now using 10w-30 will resonate, would not recommend.

 

[cfpinz]

From my experience using water thin penatrating oil the next day you don't even know it was hardly applied. Now using 10w-30 will resonate, would not recommend.

What's your choice of penetrating oils for this purpose? I've always used a putty knife and a hammer.

Ol' Lucky's clutch is stuck to the flywheel and needs some attention, but she also has no brakes. And no carburetor, no gas tank, no radiator, no........

 

[jltrent]

What's your choice of penetrating oils for this purpose? I've always used a putty knife and a hammer.

Ol' Lucky's clutch is stuck to the flywheel and needs some attention, but she also has no brakes. And no carburetor, no gas tank, no radiator, no........

Kroil is the best I have used, but I usually use PB blaster and let it set for a while. Lucky looked to have a good body as that is a nice project and you will be proud of it when finished. Running down parts on older projects takes time and sometimes luck, but they are out there.

 

[cfpinz]

Kroil is the best I have used, but I usually use PB blaster and let it set for a while. Lucky looked to have a good body as that is a nice project and you will be proud of it when finished. Running down parts on older projects takes time and sometimes luck, but they are out there.

Kroil is my favorite as well, as far as freeing frozen fasteners. Good stuff.

We dug around in Dad's garage last weekend, found 6 old Autolite/Motorcraft 2bbl's and 1 Holley 2bbl. I'm thinking they were off of 289's, but I should be able to cobble something together from all that mess.

 

[Atimm693]

From my experience using water thin penatrating oil the next day you don't even know it was hardly applied. Now using 10w-30 will resonate, would not recommend.

That's one thing I've noticed, PB and a lot of other penetrants are pretty piss poor lubricants. About like water.

I keep a squirt bottle full of diesel mixed with a little hydraulic oil. Those cans get expensive and they don't go that far. I'm not a big believer in "penetrating oil" anyway, lubricants, sure, but I don't think they actually penetrate much.

 

[cfpinz]

I'm not a big believer in "penetrating oil" anyway, lubricants, sure, but I don't think they actually penetrate much.

From the time I spent as a mechanic in an industrial site, Kroil will penetrate rusted fasteners and do more than anything else I've used. Made me a believer.

 

[D2Cat]

I always mix 50% ATF and 50% acetone to make a rust buster. Here's what these guys say.

Kroil vs. 50/50 mixture of acetone and ATF?

Planning on replacing some exhaust pipe gaskets on the Wife's SUV and up till now I have been happy with my CRC "Freeze-Off" penetrating spray to loosen rusted bolts, but may need to up my game. Can anyone provide a heads up comparison between the very expensive Kroil and the DIY mixture of...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[greybeard]

My brother and I once took a hole saw and measured, then drilled a 1" hole in the flywheel housing of a Ford tractor so we could get direct access to the edge of the clutch disk/flywheel interface then used a stiff putty knife and screw driver to break the disk away from rusted flywheel. It worked.
(We had already tried the loaded down double bottom plow on 3 pt thing with no success)
(I may take a picture of that hole later)

 

[cfpinz]

I always mix 50% ATF and 50% acetone to make a rust buster. Here's what these guys say.

Kroil vs. 50/50 mixture of acetone and ATF?

Planning on replacing some exhaust pipe gaskets on the Wife's SUV and up till now I have been happy with my CRC "Freeze-Off" penetrating spray to loosen rusted bolts, but may need to up my game. Can anyone provide a heads up comparison between the very expensive Kroil and the DIY mixture of...

www.garagejournal.com

How do you apply the ATF/acetone mix?

 

[D2Cat]

I mix it and keep it in a glass jar, like a baby food jar. If I'm working on a project I usually use a syringe. Fill it up and I can usually put the solution right where I want it, and it doesn't take much. If you put it in something plastic to spray or store it the life expectancy of the container and the spritzer gizzmo is limited.