Farmall M clutch adjustment settings

I have a 46 M. All the clutch parts have been changed out (bushings,bearings,plate,etc.) My manual said in order to remove the clutch, loosen the cap screws on the three fingers completely loose for removal. This I did, but now do not know what or how to readjust the clutch fingers for operation. Anybody out there done this before? A auto mechanic told me that most clutch fingers need to be within .020 of each other but had no clue with this tractor and I don't either Thx guys

You may or may not be in a mess there, Chris.

First off, the reference to the three bolts was not to the bolts that adjust the fingers. There are six bolts that hold the clutch cover to the flywheel. Maybe the Auburns (don't know for sure), if that applies, but certainly the Rockford, clutches were designed so that you could remove every other bolt around the clutch cover, one on each leg of the cover. You then go toward the center of the cover where you will find three holes. If you thread the bolts you just removed into those holes, they thread into the back of the pressure plate and hold it in its compressed state, while you remove the remaining three bolts, making easier work of removing and later re-installing the clutch. The whole procedure is primarily for work on the flywheel or motor when the clutch is otherwise in good order and can be put back as it was.

If you've got the bolts (the ones with the jam nuts at the outside end of the fingers) out of the clutch, try to get them back in before going any further. No sense at this point trying to even them up, but it wouldn't hurt to try getting them as even as you can. That would be measured by the distance from the face of the fingers to the face of the throwout bearing. Assuming the bearing is out and not there as a reference point, try to even them up by feel.

At that point, you can abandon the three bolt approach to removing the clutch. The pressure plate needs to be free and sitting on a bench to do the adjustment you started out to do. Just work the six bolts on the cover off fairly evenly until the cover with pressure plate come away from the flywheel.

From there it's up to you whether you want to try to adjust the action/throw of the plate yourself or have a machine shop do it. (The latter is highly recommended) It does involve having a level surface and the right tools to measure with.

There are two sets of specs you or the machinist will need. Early Ms came with 11-inch clutches, later with 12". They can be distinguished by the number of springs. The 11" has 9 springs, the 12" has 12.

When properly adjusted (using the three bolts in the fingers), the underside of the cover should be 1-3/32" above the bench on the 11" clutch. On the 12", it should be 1-1/32". On both clutches, the fingers should be 2-21/32" above the surface when the cover/pressure plate span is set to those specs.

Reading back, this is all pretty dense stuff, so lemme know if this stopped making sense at some point and I'll try to clarify it for you.