Things I learned about doing a clutch job on my H

Thanks to everyone who walked me through those issues I couldn't immediately resolve on replacing the bad clutch pilot bearing on my '41 H. (I replaced the entire clutch assembly while I was in there). The H is up and running well.

I also learned something I'd like to pass along that may help someone else:

The manual says to remove three of the clutch to flywheel bolts from the OD to the three ID holes to compress the clutch springs when removing or re-installing the clutch and pressure plate.

Works like a charm on removal. However, I found that re-installing the pressure plate with this same method prevented the pressure plate from seating properly. Essentially, the OD of the pressure plate around the three open OD holes was bowed out due to the clutch spring force and the three bolts used to compress the springs weren't long enough to engage the flywheel threads at the bowed out locations.

The only way I could get everything to work was to buy three additional 5/16-18 x 1" bolts that I used to compress the springs, so that all 6 flywheel bolts could be installed and secured before the springs were decompressed.

One more item of interest:

The last thing to do was adjust the long external pushrod that runs from the clutch pedal to the actuation shaft. When all was said and done, the adjustment was fine, but the threaded end of the rod was engaging only about 1/2 the clevis threads, with about 2 inches exposed. Could I possibly have a rod from a B or C?

Art

Tell us the overall length of your clutch rod.

Gordo

length from the center of the clevis to the end of the threads is approximately 29"

Art

And you say it works like a charm, something is amiss. Pressure plate fingers should basically lay parallel to clutch cover when tightened down and rod should be plenty long. I put a clutch in an 806 this winter, and yes I screwed up. The disc was much thicker than an original thickness disc and I didn't do a preliminary assembly on flywheel or measure the clutch pads before pushing tractor together bolting clutch in from underneath. Needless to say , the rod was out to end of adjustment and fingers contacted backing plate. So, popped it apart and got a different disc. Never saw and H or M where plate bowed when bolting it up.

Here's some more info:

I changed out everything because of the pilot bearing failure. The new clutch is about .030 thicker than the old one. The old rod length and the new one were different by only abut a turn.

I went over to my neighbor's to look at his '47 Farmall M. His clutch rod is also screwed way out. The biggest difference between his clutch and my new one is that his is very stiff (requires a lot of effort to move the pedal) and my pedal is eerily too easy to actuate. (I did lubricate everything before reassembly)

Everything is working fine (I hauled a trailer this afternoon and took the tractor around the neighborhood and there were no problems).

Art

Well, as long as it works fine, I would not worry about it. If it was mine I would look at the fingers though to see if they are laying parallel to flywheel. If they are forward toward flywheel it will push somewhat easier also and if they are worn,(can't remember, did you say you installed rebuilt pressure plate also or just disk) in the pivot pins they will be low and therefore cause your adjustment problem

new clutch, pressure plate, throwout bearing, etc

fingers do appear to be where you say they should be