Clutch question on a narrow frame

[PBIjim]

I have a question about the spacing of the clutch on a 100. The current spacing on the clutch seems a bit wide to me. The friction disk is out near the end of the drive pins & that looks like it may cause more stress than is necessary. The drive shaft isn't all the way into the pilot bushing on the motor either. I'm curious if this is normal or not.

If it's not normal, I could probably close up the gap a little with a shaft coupling that is slightly longer than the old one. The current coupling needs to be replaced anyway. The ID is wallowed out past .65". If I'm going to make an adjustment to that part, now would seem to be the time.

Alternately, I could slot the motor mounting holes on the frame and move the motor back about 1/4", but that's a change that I can't undo, so I would prefer to avoid it.

Below is a picture of how it sat just before disassembly. It's apart now. I would appreciate any insight that others can provide.

Thanks,
Jim

[green407]

What does the other end of the drive shaft look like?

Is the end of the pinion shaft worn?

[darkminion_17]

make a longer driveshaft.

[PBIjim]

Thank you for the responses.

My original question was just about how big the gap should be. But others seem to be taking the next logical steps that I was also thinking about. My original thought was to make a new shaft. I have 3/4" material here that I can turn down to .625, but that's a bit of work. That was my game plan back when I thought that it was the shaft that was bent. After disassembly, I see that most of the trouble is in the coupling and the shaft seems worthy of saving, if the length is not a problem.

The rear end of the drive shaft diameter is a few thousandths of an inch below the nominal dimension of 5/8". The pin hole is wallowed a little, but not a lot. The overall length of the shaft is 18", which is what a description in a parts list says that it should be. I don't know how precise the dimension in the description is. I am wondering if anyone might have an accurate length and accurate hole location dimensions.

The front end of the drive shaft is surprisingly good. It actually measures .625" diameter and has a decent finish on it. The bushing that it rode in got clobbered. It's ID was over nominal by about .03" Surprisingly, a .8750" OD on the new bushing provided a nice press fit. I was expecting that it would need to be a little over. I thought that I would need to knurel it up to get a snug fit.

The transmission input shaft nub is a few thousandths under nominal diameter like the rear of the drive shaft, but if I turn my own coupling, I can allow for that. The hole there is also a little wallowed, but not a lot.

What other information can I provide for you good folks to help you to help me?

[darkminion_17]

the length of the shaft is 18.19"

From the front,

First hole is, 1.125" (front plate)

Second hole, 2.255 (rear plate)

Third hole 9.250" (tension spring)

Forth Hole, 13.250" (rear coupling creeper)

Fifth Hole 17.9375" (rear coupling no creeper)

[PBIjim]

Thank you, that should help

[PBIjim]

Thank you again Dark Minion. That information DID help.

The tractor is now back together.
The drive line is now quiet.
The clutch disk is running near the center of it's drive pins.
I'm a happy guy.

Two home made tools made the job go a little easier. One is a spring compressor and the other is a pin press.

My spring compressor is a little smaller and less involved compared to others that I have seen, but it works and you can make it with just a drill press, a file, and a hack saw. To use this one, you slide the slotted plate onto the shaft from the rear end, with the 5/8" center hole plate slid on behind it. When the 5/8" hole plate is past the 1/4" hole in the drive shaft that would normally be used if you had a creeper gear, you then put the little bent pin in that hole so that the plate will have something to push against. Then use the nuts on the 1/2-13 thread rods to push the plates apart & compress the clutch spring. The thread rods are a little over 6" long. The plates are 3 x 4 x 1/2".

The pin press can also be made with those same tools and a tap. I cheated and used a mill to cut a slot, but a clearance hole there would also have worked. This one was made to fit in where the rear of the drive shaft connects to the transmission, but different versions can be made to go in different places. Quite frankly, this tool really wasn't necessary, but it provides an option that may be useful to someone in the future, so I figured that I would post it.

One other thing I figured out was that if you run one front tire up on a 4x4, that will pivot the front axle enough to give you good access to the front motor mount bolt on the other side. That helped a lot.