300 DP Clutch problem

My 300 DP clutch will not disengage after reassembly. If I deformed the pressure plate hub by pushing it into the rear friction plate hub, would this be evident after splitting the tractor again, or would the plate back off the friction plate hub when I split it again?

One thing I noticed when I got the new friction plates- one was identical to the core with the addition of a dust ring in the center and the other had a slightly shorter hub. Could this be part of my problem? I placed the one with the shorter hub in the rear, with the hub facing rearward. The front plate has the hub forward.

Why do you think you may have deformed the pressure plate, If the splines were both started by turning the engine until the mating surfaces were in contact before drawing any bolts you could not have bent the pressure plate. A lot of the time friction discs are marked flywheel side, when you remove it make sure the center spring area does not interfere with the flywheel bolts or rub anything in that area. If you bent the center of the pressure plate as many have take care the next time together not to even put a bolt in or a nut on till it is together fully. One quick question, did you reset the pedal free travel after assembly? mEl,

I've only done one 300 double plate clutch several years ago so think of me kinda like a little pimple on mEL's butt.

You have the friction plates in correctly? Inboard plate long hub side facing the flywheel, outboard plate is opposite long hub side facing the pressure plate.

The only way I know that the pressure plate or friction plate hubs can be deformed is the drive shaft not in mesh with the friction plate hub(s) or the hyd pump shaft is not in mesh with the pressure plate hub and the block is force mated to the bell housing using the fasteners.

The friction plate hub splines are significantly longer than the mesh of the hyd pump shaft splines in the pressure plate hub. What I am trying to say is the drive shaft has passed through the outboard friction plate hub and is partially meshed in the inboard friction plate hub before the hyd pump shaft splines start to mesh with the pressure plate hub.

When you get to that point, the block is 1/2" to 3/4" from mating with the bell housing. If you're not in very close alignment now the pressure plate hub is butted up against the end of the pump shaft. Turning the engine can turn the pump shaft also (especially if the pump is disengaged) and they will not likely mesh. The engine will turn fairly easy, the only way to know if in mesh is that you can wiggle the block & bell housing together.

Very tempting to use the fasteners to close up but the misaligned pump shaft end will force the pressure plate hub toward the engine, impacting the friction plate hubs, deforming all three hubs.

If you run the engine, the clutch can't disengage. The hyd pump shaft end may slip on the end of the pressure plate hub when the engine runs so check and dress up.

I am not saying that is what happened, maybe something simple like linkage adjustment or an internal problem (wrong part?) but if it is and you have to split again you will know it. Friction plate hubs may spring back some but the pressure plate hub won't.

Joe

Can you tell me more about the pressure plate hub that drives the hyd pump shaft. Just bought a 350 case with a new clutch and pressure plate but previous owner could not get the throw out bearing and parts assembled so the hyd pump drive shaft and throwout parts are not in the tractor. They pushed the tractor halves together and bolted it up and parked it.I have never saw the presure but I wonder if it is the right pressure plate and may not have splines to drive the pump shaft. Slowly putting information together to understand how it needs to assembled so all works.. This is different!

I haven't worked on the 350's, don't know if they are the same setup as 300's.

I took some pix's that I can post of the last 300 single plate clutch job I did. You may be able to match up the parts & and orientation from them.

You should start a new post with 350 in the title for more exposure. There are guys here that have 350's that may not see you comments in this thread.

Joe

Joe, you are giving me to much credit, I'm not sure that I've ever done one, but the procedure is the same just as you described, single or double. The Pressure plate spline is the issue and I've always moved the engine slightly away so the shaft don't drag around on the edge of the splines to turn the engine, I've seen more pressure plates ruined than I can shake a stick at Left a message for you in a later post, would like to talk to you. Thanks, mEl