Question on Super M clutch assembly

Having recently rescued a '53 Super M from the greenbriars and bushes, I have been going over it in the shop. Supposedly this tractor was in use ten years ago and then parked. I have gotten it running, but the problem I am working on right now is dealing with the clutch. When the pressure plate is bolted to the flywheel, the three fingers are pulled all the way in so that the throwout bearing won't touch when the pedal is pushed in all the way. There are no means of adjustment on the fingers. I currently have the tractor split and have been searching for pictures or other information on the internet to see if indeed this is the correct disc/pressure plate for this assembly. I cannot find a parts number to identify. Any help on this would be appreciated.

The adjustment screws should be clearly visible. Apparently the previous owner found a clutch that "fit". If so it is not the correct one. Have you tried adjusting the linkage between the pedal and clutch shaft? Also in some older clutches there are bolts that compress the pressure plate until the clutch is installed, then they are supposed to be removed.

CNKS is right, if it's a Rockford clutch, the adjustment for the fingers are the bolts with the jam nuts at the outer end of each finger. Look around for an 11RM (9 springs) or 12RM (12 springs) stamped somewhere, which would be Rockford's number for the clutch. It may not be there.

If it is the correct clutch you're likely going to need the IH repair manual specific to clutches to get the specs for setting it up to check out whether it is shot or just severely out of adjustment.

Where you've got it split already, it's fairly easy to check. Bolt it back up to the flywheel just as it is, but use only three bolts to remount it. See if those fingers flop around in and out as a first step. That would be a sign that it may just be out of adjustment.

Use the other three bolts as CNKS described -- you should find three holes in the cover that open into threaded bosses on the rear of the pressure plate. (Scout that out before you bolt it back up. Thread those three bolts into those holes until they are just snug. They will keep the whole thing from expanding when you remove it again.

Then take the clutch back off and lay it with the pressure plate down on a flat surface. The first step is to adjust the three bolts until the under-edge of the clutch cover is 1-3/32" off the benchtop for the 9-spring clutch, or 1-1/32" for the 12-spring. Uniformity is important, so if you can use a fixed gauge of some sort instead of measuring each corner with a stick, you'll get a better result.

Once that's done, use the bolt at the outer end of each finger, and measuring down through the center, adjust each finger until its top edge is 2-21/32" above the bench top. Again a gauge is better than individual measurements for uniformity. The depth end of a vernier or dial caliper with the slide locked down would work well.

If you can get it adjusted to this point, it ought to work. That assumes that it is in otherwise good shape, i.e, all springs in place, no excessive play at the pins that hinge the outer end of the fingers . . . I haven't actually looked at one, but I suspect the clutch service manual will have other specs to help you evaluate the condition and servce limits of the various parts. If there are failing parts, or it can't be adjusted on the bench to the measurements above, it's probably time to just replace it.

HTH

If this tractor was running and then parked, it is possible that it was parked for a clutch problem. The levers should be about parallel with the friction surface of the flywheel when installed. All three should be the same. As wear occurs the levers will start to move back farther. If they are tilted in, especially if they are not even, it is possible that the lining came loose on the disc and doubled up. On a Super M it is possible to remove the disc from the clutch but you cannot get the pressure plate assembly out. It is probably time to split the tractor to remove and inspect the clutch.