Farmall 350 T/A clutch problem

This has been a pain in my side for a while...

Back in June I had installed a rebuilt T/A and a new clutch in a new to me Farmall 350. When the pressure plate was bolted down the springs were coil bound. There was no room for the pressure plate to lift. The T/A wouldn"t work and since the T/A clutch wouldn"t release the shift lever would jam in gear if there was any load on the tractor.

The rear housing had been replaced. Back then D Slater wrote (The rear)"Housing shouldn"t make a difference. Could be a problem with the linkage or release shaft if some parts were mixed with a 300. Is this a farmall or utility.
Pretty sure you have something wrong with the T/A clutch though. You say the springs are completly compressed, or is the fingers all the way in. With a cleaned up and good shape clutch carrier it pays to check the clutch before installing. With the carrier out of the tractor, new clutch plate and the parts bolted in carrier and on a flat surface the fingers should measure near 3.75 from flat surface to finger tips. Hey left a 3 out, adjust finger height to 3.375."


The distance from the back of the T/A flywheel to the tips of fingers is 2 3/4" . With the T/A T/O bearing pushed all the way back against the front wall of the housing the distance from the bearing to the back of the pressure plate is 3.375".

The clutch housing is part no. 360 486 R5. The parts book calls for housing 368 479 R1. Is this housing ( 360 486 R5) compatable with this tractor ?

Thanks

Greg

360486R5 is correct, other number may be a replacement housing.
Don't think you can measure the same in the tractor. Depending where on the clutch carrier you are measuring from, there's another 3/4 to 1 inch flange in the center of it toward the rear. If measuring from the back side of a ear on the clutch carrier to the finger tips, 2-3/8 should be close enough to work.
Also see if the t/a clutch operating shaft has the number 365961R1 on the 2 hole end. Make sure the clutch pedal doesn't have a stop bolt to limit travel or a threaded hole for one on the lower end. If those parts don't check out and the rear was changed you could have some 300 parts mixed in the linkages.
Also make sure the clutch shaft or the splined sleeve on it gives the t/a clutch plate room to move away from the clutch carrier.
If no other problem found there must be something wrong with the clutch.

Good point on the measurement and thanks for the helpful replies.

The clutch pedal does not have a hole for a stop bolt. I have two of the operating shafts - 365 961 R1 came in the tractor, but it had been cut down. I thought that it had been broken and welded so I picked up another at our local tractor junkyard/repair shop, 360 655 R91. He said they were all the same...

When I saw how much longer the top arm should have been I thought that someone had shortened the original to try to get the shaft to turn farther and in turn move the throw out bearing farther. It does not work either. I'll have to locate one of the 360 655 R91 shafts and see how that works.

It would be very interesting to know this tratcor's story.

Greg

Do you have any specs for the pressure plate ?

For example:
How far the friction surface should extend below the mounting surface of the cover.
The distance from the friction surface to the tips of the levers.

I found part of the problem. One of the levers parted company with the pressure plate. That's not all of it though, previously I had to put in an 1/8" spacer between the pressure plate and the carrier to make it work at all.

Greg

If I remember correct from the friction disc hub to the fingers is about 1-5/8. That's just a ball park number though. Think you need to split behind the engine and start over with the t/a clutch. If using the same main clutch, set the correct free play for it before removing the engine. When all the t/a clutch parts and linkage is in to spec. Turn the transmission shaft by hand to make sure the t/a clutch releases when the clutch pedal is pushed down. also when the t/a lever is pulled back before the engine is installed.
360655 is a 300 shaft. The 350 shaft will move the release bearing more if the clutch shaft movement was equal for both. 350 clutch pedal has the clutch rod hole closer to the pivot point than a 300. But a 300 has a stop bolt to limit clutch pedal travel so they end up close. But if parts from the two are mixed you can have a problem.

"Turn the transmission shaft by hand to make sure the t/a clutch releases when the clutch pedal is pushed down. also when the t/a lever is pulled back before the engine is installed."

Yes, it sounds so simple, but it would have saved me a lot of grief if I had done that the first time.

Thanks for your help. Once I sort it out I'll post the solution.

Greg