350 Stuck Left Steering Clutch

[darrenrudolph83]

Hello

I have a early model 350 dozer, it goes forward and reverse just fine and the right steering works great and when you pull and release the right stick it springs back to where it should just fine. The left steering is a different story... When you pull the left stick all the way back it will bog down the engine but will not turn the dozer and only goes about half way back when released unless you push it all the way forward. Stuck steering clutch???

Is it possible to use a backhoe with the dozer on blocks so the left track is suspended and use the backhoe to push and pull the track to try and break them free?

[Jim B]

If it is stuck that solid and the lever is not going back to the full released position on its own, I say it needs to come apart and properly fix it, there might be more to it than just a stuck steering clutch. Sure, you might block it up and use a backhoe as you asked, however I would expect the hoe might move the whole crawler around with little affect on the clutch, a slip with the hoe could break something, it could fall off the blocking while trying this, etc.; I wouldn't recommend that approach.

Just FYI, your 350 posts belong on the Late Models Board, this post will likely get moved over there when Lavoy, or someone else who can do that, sees it.

Jim

[Lavoy]

Unless it is an adjustment, it needs to be repaired. The internet is full of "just do this or that" and it will break free. Well, in a nutshell, it won't, it very seldom works unless it just stuck the day before. Trying some of the methods you see for freeing a stuck clutch may or WILL result in more expensive repairs than just fixing it right in the first place.
Lavoy

[darrenrudolph83]

Thank you for the replies, I might just run it for a bit and see if it lets loose. I will be taking this machine apart this winter for parts so I don't think ill spend the time to repair the stuck clutch. I was just hoping for a quick DIY fix so I could spend a few hours playing on the machine.

Thanks