L245DT New clutch, pressure plate but now slips

CivilRancher

New member

Equipment
L245DT
Nov 19, 2023
6
1
3
Santa Clarita, California
Thought my L245DT needed new clutch so tore it apart and put in Amazon clutch (after market).
Put back together but now the tractor barely moves in low gear and if I put it in H it won’t go up a small incline.
Took it apart again but everything looks perfect.

Did anyone have the same prproblem?

clutch pedal is set withthrow out bearing 3/8” off pressure plate.

Thanks for any suggestion.

when I measured the ol
 

rbargeron

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I think there should be about an inch of free pedal travel. Couldn't quite understand the post above.

What were the original symptoms before replacing the clutch?
 

CivilRancher

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L245DT
Nov 19, 2023
6
1
3
Santa Clarita, California
I think there should be about an inch of free pedal travel. Couldn't quite understand the post above.
Thanks for looking.

I was referencing the 3/8” from throw out bearing to fingers on clutch plate. The 0.8”to 1.25” clutch pedal is not so accurate.
That said, originally the tractor was grinding trying to go in gear (I should have tried to adjust it) so we decided it needed a clutch

It is my neighbors tractor and they have had it for 16 years with a lot of use so we decided to take it apart for new clutch.

Good deeds never go unpunished.

The tractor came apart fine but after first try it had major slippage. Took it apart again and after inspection I saw that 2 of the 6 bolts holding the pressure plate were longer (have a shoulder) so reasoned thatbecause they were in the wrong holes it allowed the pressure plate to deflect and cause the slippage.

put back together but still slippage.

perplexed because this should not be rocket science.
I think there should be about an inch of free pedal travel. Couldn't quite understand the post above.

What were the original symptoms before replacing the clutch?
Would not go in gear if running. Had to turn off tractor and then shift, start tractor and go
 

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CivilRancher

New member

Equipment
L245DT
Nov 19, 2023
6
1
3
Santa Clarita, California
Thanks for looking.

I was referencing the 3/8” from throw out bearing to fingers on clutch plate. The 0.8”to 1.25” clutch pedal is not so accurate.
That said, originally the tractor was grinding trying to go in gear (I should have tried to adjust it) so we decided it needed a clutch

It is my neighbors tractor and they have had it for 16 years with a lot of use so we decided to take it apart for new clutch.

Good deeds never go unpunished.

The tractor came apart fine but after first try it had major slippage. Took it apart again and after inspection I saw that 2 of the 6 bolts holding the pressure plate were longer (have a shoulder) so reasoned thatbecause they were in the wrong holes it allowed the pressure plate to deflect and cause the slippage.

put back together but still slippage.

perplexed because this should not be rocket science.

Would not go in gear if running. Had to turn off tractor and then shift, start tractor and go
Thefirst picture shows animal hair inside the pressure plate so the forks would not spring out. Weird; I don’t know how that much hair got inside the case. It was full of horse, goat, sheep hair.
I cleared it out last night and am thinking about tearing it apart again and putting the old parts back in.
when I try to drive it now in low and pop the clutch it is definitely grabbing but if I put it in high it just slips when I pop clutch. In gear if I have clutch out and hit the gas it doesn’t move. In that situation it should try to move forward
 
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Dave_eng

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Thefirst picture shows animal hair inside the pressure plate so the forks would not spring out. Weird; I don’t know how that much hair got inside the case. It was full of horse, goat, sheep hair.
I cleared it out last night and am thinking about tearing it apart again and putting the old parts back in.
when I try to drive it now in low and pop the clutch it is definitely grabbing but if I put it in high it just slips when I pop clutch. In gear if I have clutch out and hit the gas it doesn’t move. In that situation it should try to move forward
Had the same issue years ago on my manual transmission Pontiac Vibe aka Toyota Matrix.
That style of pressure plate is called a diaphram style. In my situation it was shells from walnuts. I presume a squirrel was slipping them into the bell housing past the clutch lever rubber boot.

The spinning of the fly wheel does a nice job of packing material around the outer part of the pressure plate.

I see you having two choices. A new pressure plate or putting the old pressure plate in a press and use the release bearing and press to depress the pressure plate to allow a more complete cleaning.

A tiny limitation in the movement of the pressure plate leads to slipping of the clutch.

Dave
 
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mcfarmall

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Clutch on the Farmall C is 72 years old and still going strong!
 
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Russell King

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Thefirst picture shows animal hair inside the pressure plate so the forks would not spring out. Weird; I don’t know how that much hair got inside the case. It was full of horse, goat, sheep hair.
I cleared it out last night and am thinking about tearing it apart again and putting the old parts back in.
when I try to drive it now in low and pop the clutch it is definitely grabbing but if I put it in high it just slips when I pop clutch. In gear if I have clutch out and hit the gas it doesn’t move. In that situation it should try to move forward
If you didn’t replace the pressure plate with a new one, I would recommend replacing it now along with the pilot bushing and the throw out bearing.

You can try lubricating the throw out bearing carrier though the access plate on the right side. It is a small cover that allows access to the zero to put a couple of pumps of grease between the shaft and carrier tube.
 

CivilRancher

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Equipment
L245DT
Nov 19, 2023
6
1
3
Santa Clarita, California
If you didn’t replace the pressure plate with a new one, I would recommend replacing it now along with the pilot bushing and the throw out bearing.

You can try lubricating the throw out bearing carrier though the access plate on the right side. It is a small cover that allows access to the zero to put a couple of pumps of grease between the shaft and carrier tube.
I replaced the clutch, pressure plate, throw out bearing but did not replace the pilot bushing (cause I didn't want to mess with the flywheel.

I don't think the pilot bearing would affect any of this.
 

CivilRancher

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Equipment
L245DT
Nov 19, 2023
6
1
3
Santa Clarita, California
I replaced the clutch, pressure plate, throw out bearing but did not replace the pilot bushing (cause I didn't want to mess with the flywheel.

I don't think the pilot bearing would affect any of this.
This clutch from Amazon was exact to the old one.
The pressure plate bolts depressed the pressure plate at least 1/4" down so I know the plate had lots of pressure on the clutch to flywheel.
 

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whitetiger

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Are you absolutely sure you have the disk facing the correct direction?
 
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North Idaho Wolfman

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Based on the wear pattern on the new pressure plate it really looks like the throw out bearing is either wrong or installed backwards (yes it's possible on some to put it on backwards).
If you have the old pressure plate, compare the wear marks.

Another very distinct possibility is that the disk hub it hitting the flywheel( like White Tiger said!) and it looks that way in the photo.
 

Ktrim

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Why would you go through all of that work and not refinish the flywheel??
 

PoTreeBoy

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Thefirst picture shows animal hair inside the pressure plate so the forks would not spring out. Weird; I don’t know how that much hair got inside the case. It was full of horse, goat, sheep hair.
I cleared it out last night and am thinking about tearing it apart again and putting the old parts back in.
when I try to drive it now in low and pop the clutch it is definitely grabbing but if I put it in high it just slips when I pop clutch. In gear if I have clutch out and hit the gas it doesn’t move. In that situation it should try to move forward
I don't think that's animal hair. It looks a lot like the fiber we cleaned out of a friend's Nova at the drag strip back in the mid-70's. He found somebody with a spare, we changed it out at the track, and he made another pass. That fiber almost filled up the bell housing!
 
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North Idaho Wolfman

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Why would you go through all of that work and not refinish the flywheel??
You DO NOT refinish Kubota flywheels on these older Kubota's, it states it right in the WSM.
It changes the already tight tolerances too far out of spec.
Your far better off to just give it a quick scuff and call it good.
 
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North Idaho Wolfman

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This clutch from Amazon was exact to the old one.
The pressure plate bolts depressed the pressure plate at least 1/4" down so I know the plate had lots of pressure on the clutch to flywheel.
Why is there a glob of grease on the pressure plate?
 

rbargeron

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Good question - I didn't see the grease at first - up in the dark photo margin on my screen.
 

Ktrim

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You DO NOT refinish Kubota flywheels on these older Kubota's, it states it right in the WSM.
It changes the already tight tolerances too far out of spec.
Your far better off to just give it a quick scuff and call it good.
I did run into that on an 80s ford f150 hydraulic clutch. Someone had cut it already and with the new cut couldn't get in to release enough to even put it in gear.
When in doubt buy a new one from the get go.