Slip clutch doesnt, help please

M

Mith

Active member
Long story short, lots of stuff got sheared that shouldnt have.

I have a slip clutch in the PTO shaft, but its pretty obvious that it isnt working. I'd guess its siezed up.

I assume the easiest way to unsieze it is to loosen it off and go topping. But my question is how do I know how much to tighten it up when it is unsiezed? Hoping there is something more scientific than doing it up a little at a time until it stops slipping.
 
Mith, What brand? See if you can get a manual first off. There is a definite way to do the slip clutch. Each bolt/spring must be the same tightness. I had to adjust the clutch on my new tiller because the paint had it stuck. I will tell you basically how I did my tiller clutch but yours will be somewhat different.
1. Look down on top of the clutch and make a pencil mark across so that the plates are are scribed. Measure the length of the springs to the exact degree- write it down..
2. Loosen each nut exactly 2 turns. Use an end wrench on one side to make counting the turns exact.I used a socket marked top with marker and an end wrench rigid on the other end.
3. Turn on pto just a couple of seconds. Cut off. see if the pencil marks are lined up. try again for a couple of seconds. if they are still lined up then the clutch must be disassembled and cleaned up.
4. Remember the length of the springs before messing with it.. remove each nut,spring,bolt. Then remove each friction discs. remove rust and check for problems. Remember how they went together. My manual on the tiller says each disc is originally 3/32" and should be replaced if used down to 1/8".
5. reassemble and recheck and adjust accordingly each spring the same length and number of precise turns.Then if it still sticks you can do the test with the pencil marks and adjust from there.
My clutch springs are 1 3/32" originally. Bordercollie
 
#5 Could be interpreted differently that I meant. I meant to say on re assembling, tighten each spring to the original measurement (length) and retest- adjust accordingly from #1. bordercollie
 
Thanks for the write up. I kinda followed your advice BC.

Loosened it up and went mowing. Found a nice downed tree that I mulched up, hit a nice lump about 4" diameter and it was pretty evident the clutch broke free and started slipping.
I found on the internet that I needed my springs to be 1" long. That was for 60HP through the shaft, but I'm not sure I want to put 60HP into a 6' topper.
So set them at 1.125".
Went off mowing again. Found some nice heavy growth that was pulling the engine down. When I stopped the clutch was still cool, so I guess that means it isnt slipping.

I think we'll call that fixed. Or atleast until the next time it siezes up and I run over something I shouldnt.
 
Hey Mith, glad to see you around again. It's been a while or did I just miss you?.

I'm afraid that I wouldn't have been much help in answering your question. When I replaced the friction plates on the bush hog at the farm, the first time in 30 years, I did it by the trial and error method. I did measure the tension bolts and spring length before I took it apart but with the new friction plates in there and tightened up to the same length, that thing would have twisted the PTO shaft in half before the clutch slipped. I just kept backing it off until I got to a place where I thought that it was OK.
 
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