350B clutch frustrations

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Griff
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350B clutch frustrations

Post by Griff » Tue Dec 22, 2009 9:17 pm

I pulled the left side final drive off my machine last year to change the plates because the clutch was frozen (or so I thought), turns out there was a good amount of rust but all the plates seperated when I took them out and were all in pretty good shape. My redneck neighbor that is usually a great heavy equipment mechanic helped me clean them and then I re-installed them. (I wish I would of known to check the adjustment before I did all that, oh well). I finally got her out of the shop and pushed a few trees over and now its acting up again. My quess is the clutch is slipping and needs to be re-built properly this time. It turns left great, when I turn right it works sometimes and others it starts to turn then stops. It also pulls slightly to the left when trying to go straight. Is there anything other than the left clutch adjustment I can check?
If I need to change the plates (for real) this time is there any secret to doing it without removing the track completely? I have to do this one in a field by myself with only hand tools so I'm trying to get creative to make it faster and eiser. I'm also broke so I can afford to change much other the the plates, do I have to change the steel plates or can I leave them in?
Thanks for any advise.

KenP
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Post by KenP » Wed Dec 23, 2009 5:26 am

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Griff
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Post by Griff » Wed Dec 23, 2009 10:31 pm

Its definitely adjusted right. Is there anything I can put in there to make the fiber disk swell to esentially lock the clutch, at least that way I could move it and get in on some concrete to do the rebuild.

KenP
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Post by KenP » Thu Dec 24, 2009 6:14 am

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Lavoy
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Post by Lavoy » Thu Dec 24, 2009 9:42 am

Pulling it will probably work, especially if you are under power on the machine itself, all it needs is a little help.
Double check your freeplay, for it to slip that badly, it just seems like the throwout bearing is rinding the pressure plate. If it is not, then I do not believe it is solely a disc issue, I think your pressure plate is bad as well.
If the steel discs are not badly pitted, they can likely be reused. I can sympathize with the money aspect, but doing things cheaply often leads to the situation you find yourself in now. I would guess if you put in new fibers and a pressure plate, plus set the pressure plate with the clutch gauge, you will be good to go.
Lavoy

Griff
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Post by Griff » Fri Jan 08, 2010 12:45 am

How would I go about check that? Where can I get the guage/tool to check my pressure plate? I pulled the final drive today and have a set of fiber disks, I measured the metal disks and they are 0.095 inches and not pitted too bad. If someone can give me some pointers on this pressure plate and throw out bearing situation I would appreciate it, I will also check my manuals tomorrow when I get back to the shop.

KenP
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Post by KenP » Fri Jan 08, 2010 6:01 am

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JWB Contracting
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Nothing wrong with cheap and easy

Post by JWB Contracting » Sun Jan 10, 2010 10:37 pm

I would just clean everthing up really good, including the fibers (bead blast or gentle wire brushing with an angle grinder). Buy 2 more steel and start out with 2 steels in the back of the clutch housing. Have new springs made that are 25% heavier.

Follow the comments by others on adjusting your clutch closely. I start by slacking of the brakes completeley and adjust the clutch up until there is just a small amount of free place. I will stick my hand down and spin the throw out bearing to verify i have free place. Then i adjust the break up. Don't need may adjustments after this.

Hope this helps, This is the way we do it up here in Canada. I learned from the master of cheap and quick.
Jason Benesch

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Lavoy
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Post by Lavoy » Mon Jan 11, 2010 9:17 am

Adding an additional disc is not the way to go. If you set the pressure plate with the gauge, it is set to the same height as it was when the crawler left the factory new. If you just arbitrarily throw in another disc, it is who knows where. If you add a disc, and still set the fingers with the guage, you are still at factory spec, the added disc has done nothing. Unless you really enjoy pulling finals and your time is worth nothing, do it right the first time, and you won't have to do it again.
Lavoy

Griff
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Post by Griff » Mon Jan 11, 2010 5:45 pm

Thank you for the information!!! I ended up getting the pressure plate set properly and then after less than 3 hours I had her all back together (by myself) and out of the shop. I tryed to adjust the steering clutch per the book but I found it to loeave out the part about setting the brake band so ended up driving across a pasture with no seat or inspection covers and adjusted it while I was going across the pasture, got it adjusted perfect now and I think I may even have the feel where I could do it a lot easier next time.
Now my question is how to adjust the master clutch? I looked in the manual and it tells how to adjust one without a reverser but I have a reverser knob and I don't see any obvious way to adjust it, there is just a solid bar going from the pedal shaft to the linkage. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
If anyone is interested I can post the step by step pictures I took on how to pull a final drive with out many tools.

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Post by Lavoy » Mon Jan 11, 2010 6:49 pm

Reverser crawlers have no clutch, so there is nothing to adjust. The clutch pedal simply actuates a valve that disengages the clutch packs in the reverser.
Lavoy

KenP
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Post by KenP » Mon Jan 11, 2010 6:52 pm

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Griff
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Post by Griff » Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:40 pm

What would make it sometimes have good power and sometime not? Maybe the PTO, but I don't know what a PTO is, can anyone explain how it works and how to adjust it

KenP
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Post by KenP » Fri Jan 15, 2010 5:47 am

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Griff
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Location: Neiderwald, Texas

Post by Griff » Fri Jan 15, 2010 2:01 pm

That could definitely be it, where would I look to find where to change or fill the reverser fluid and filter?

Is there a list of fluids I can just change them all at once, probably needs to be done anyways. (other than engine oil, fuel, and antifreeze)

Thanks, pictures coming very soon of all the work, getting photo shop tonight to size them down

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