L39TLB GST Pressure - trans not fully engaging

[Marty Jones]

My last hope is taking the starter off. The flywheel looks to be very thick so I kinda doubt that I will be able to see anything. Might be able to spot debris in the bottom of the clutch housing. The machine is mostly apart right now anyway...I reconnected the wiring harness and hydraulics just so I could get pressure readings and check it with the engine running again. The dry clutch seems to be the last potential weak point - or any shafts between that and the output gears.

If the problem is something other than the clutch, it would have to be in the transmission. So it goes back to splittsville again.

 

[Marty Jones]

Well, looks like the main clutch... Thanks to @PoTreeBoy for suggesting.
I took the starter off, and the top of it was covered in clutch fibers.

I would have to say that I was fooled - because the clutch housing is sealed - meaning that any smoke or fumes from a hot clutch are trapped.

 

[Marty Jones]

And...[drumroll]...The flywheel side of the clutch looked fine. But there was zero friction material left on the other side. The flywheel looked great. The pressure plate had wear on only about 90degrees of the outer edge. I haven't looked closely yet, but it suggests that something got lodged there.

 

[Firefight100]

by going down hill with the clutch depressed and speeding, he was able to drive that disc at a speed higher than it was designed to go. And centrifugal force took over. And now you know why you never loan out your tools.
Glad you found the problem.

 

[acode13]

How did you end up splitting the tractor? By looking at my L39 with the loader TL1000 and backhoe BT1000 it would seem the tranny has to come out and not the engine being pulled the way the frame and all is set up. I'm having a similar issue where I can drive it and rev mine up but it's acting like the dry clutch is slipping really bad. I'm going to try and pull starter like you did and just see what I can but I'm a little lost on how to get into the clutch housing itself unlike other tractors I've split they were easy compared

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

How did you end up splitting the tractor? By looking at my L39 with the loader TL1000 and backhoe BT1000 it would seem the tranny has to come out and not the engine being pulled the way the frame and all is set up. I'm having a similar issue where I can drive it and rev mine up but it's acting like the dry clutch is slipping really bad. I'm going to try and pull starter like you did and just see what I can but I'm a little lost on how to get into the clutch housing itself unlike other tractors I've split they were easy compared

They all split the same way at the bell housing.
You'll need to loosen up the frame to get it split.