MF168 v stiff clutch

[aidan]

as per title, my MF168 has a v stiff clutch to press, so stiff in fact that it makes it difficult to control moving off smoothly

The tractor has the double clutch arrangement that all MF100 series have. First 70% of travel controls the gearbox clutch and last 30% controls both PTO clutch and gearbox together.

the clutch itself is fairly new

the release position is ok, its about 50% between idle position and bottom of gearbox clutch postion, the freeplay in the clutch is also ok, I would have a lot of 50mm I think from floating position to before pressure begins to appear under your foot

PTO clutch is also ok as I adjusted it recently, it was v difficult to get it to engage using the clutch pedal and the spacing is 3.5mm or thereabouts, per the book this should be closer to 2mm.

Any ideas ?

 

[REStracTORATION]

as per title, my MF168 has a v stiff clutch to press, so stiff in fact that it makes it difficult to control moving off smoothly

The tractor has the double clutch arrangement that all MF100 series have. First 70% of travel controls the gearbox clutch and last 30% controls both PTO clutch and gearbox together.

the clutch itself is fairly new

the release position is ok, its about 50% between idle position and bottom of gearbox clutch postion, the freeplay in the clutch is also ok, I would have a lot of 50mm I think from floating position to before pressure begins to appear under your foot

PTO clutch is also ok as I adjusted it recently, it was v difficult to get it to engage using the clutch pedal and the spacing is 3.5mm or thereabouts, per the book this should be closer to 2mm.

Any ideas ?

Cant just remember is there 2 positions for the clutch rod pin if there is swap it to the next hole.
Might be a faulty clutch unit if its new.
Is the free play easy to move ie the bearing sleve not seizing i mean is really much else to it im affraid
How many springs in the clutch unit 12 springs it will be heavy etc etc diffrent strength spring can be bought the colour determind there strength i think and amount/ number of them.

 

[aidan]

Cant just remember is there 2 positions for the clutch rod pin if there is swap it to the next hole.
Might be a faulty clutch unit if its new.
Is the free play easy to move ie the bearing sleve not seizing i mean is really much else to it im affraid
How many springs in the clutch unit 12 springs it will be heavy etc etc diffrent strength spring can be bought the colour determind there strength i think and amount/ number of them.

clutch rod pin doesn't have 2 posiitons, it an be locked at any positon on the shaft

springs are red I think

 

[agrimax]

That's not the clutch rod. That's the release bearing shaft. Sounds like it's semi seized on the bushes where it goes through the clutch housing.

 

[aidan]

That's not the clutch rod. That's the release bearing shaft. Sounds like it's semi seized on the bushes where it goes through the clutch housing.

Hmmm What exactly is clutch rod

 

[agrimax]

The rod connecting the clutch pedal to the yoke on the shaft that moves the release bearing.

 

[REStracTORATION]

Hmmm What exactly is clutch rod

 

[aidan]

Must check later if it has 2 positions

Without splitting there doesn't seem to be any easy fix is there

 

[Mursal]

Seat position ...........

 

[REStracTORATION]

Must check later if it has 2 positions

Without splitting there doesn't seem to be any easy fix is there

Ive got a similar job 135 with a banging rattle in g box
Stripped gbox down absolutly sweet fa wrong wi it
So back to the drawing board......

 

[Two Tone]

I think the hole that the pin goes through on @REStractorATION's picture is for the gearbox only position. If you put it in the other hole, it will then operate the PTO clutch as well.

But this will lift the clutch pedal up further. My Uncle used to drive one just like this. We knew when he had been driving it, because he always walked around with a limp for a few days afterwards. The reason being that the clutch would often stick a bit, then ping up and hit the front of his left shin!

Bit of a hypochondriac our Uncle was! If anybody was cross with him, he would instantly start to limp again!
On top of which, every morning he would take two tablets, one blue and one pink. The blue ones were to give him some more go and the pink ones were to calm him down a bit! Despite numerous suggestions that if he stopped taking either he would feel the same, he carried on regardless!

Very fond memories of the guy, nonetheless. One of the funniest and most jovial characters you could ever meet!

You can always adjust the yoke on the shaft a bit to reduce the amount of pedal travel. There is a free-play distance to take into account where the yoke hits a stop right by the letter"A" in @agrimax's picture

 

[Two Tone]

as per title, my MF168 has a v stiff clutch to press, so stiff in fact that it makes it difficult to control moving off smoothly

The tractor has the double clutch arrangement that all MF100 series have. First 70% of travel controls the gearbox clutch and last 30% controls both PTO clutch and gearbox together.

the clutch itself is fairly new

the release position is ok, its about 50% between idle position and bottom of gearbox clutch postion, the freeplay in the clutch is also ok, I would have a lot of 50mm I think from floating position to before pressure begins to appear under your foot

PTO clutch is also ok as I adjusted it recently, it was v difficult to get it to engage using the clutch pedal and the spacing is 3.5mm or thereabouts, per the book this should be closer to 2mm.

Any ideas ?

When whoever put the new clutch in did it, did they remember to remove the 3 packing bolts? They are usually painted pink.
You can check by removing the oblong shaped plate underneath the clutch housing, then shining a torch up inside it. Made this very same mistake myself once!

Dead easy to remove, if they are still in there. Get somebody to push the pedal down and you can remove the bolts by hand without needing a spanner. But you will need to recheck the clutch fee-play afterwards.