D-250 clutch won't disengage!!! Help!

[BigMan-TinyTractor 6]

Hey guys and gals...

 

Had something super weird happen.

 

I went to start my D-250 (Renault Engine) and the clutch won't work. 

 

So, instead of mowing for my 4th of July cookout, I pulled the 60" deck out and climbed underneath.

 

The clutch linkages are intact and the throw out lever was a little bit loose on the adjustment rod.

 

I adjusted the slack out of the throw out lever and prayed...

 

No change.

 

I fear something is internally wrong with the clutch.

 

The weird thing is that it worked fine when I last used it. How could something break sitting still?

 

I'm frustrated and confused.

 

I have a parts breakdown for the clutch assembly and I am dreading having to pull the whole motor to work on it.

 

Any advice? Am I missing something? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Happy 4th everyone!

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 12,519]

Sounds like the clutch disc has stuck to the flywheel or the clutch pressure plate. If you can start the tractor in gear with lots of room to drive it do so while holding the pedal down. Speed up and slow down a few times to see if it will break loose. The higher the gear you can use the more effort is applied to the clutch. But do so safely.

 

Garry

[squonk 48,287]

Roll it up to so the front end is against a tree. Put it in high gear. Do not touch the clutch pedal, disable the ignition and crank the engine. The disc should break free.

[BigMan-TinyTractor 6]

Garry,

 

I tried that. It didn't work. 

 

Squonk,

 

Ain't tried that. I'll letcha know.

[squonk 48,287]

26 minutes ago, BigMan-TinyTractor said:

Garry,

 

I tried that. It didn't work. 

 

Squonk,

 

Ain't tried that. I'll letcha know.

Actually I'm wrong. you need to hold the clutch pedal down while cranking. Sorry for the brain fade! 

[BigMan-TinyTractor 6]

Okay...

 

It worked!!!

 

I tried Squonk's method but the battery/starter didn't want to cooperate at cranking RPMs.

 

I revisited Garry's method as it occurred to me that I first tried it in low range.

 

Shifting on the fly in high range was impossible on level ground and the gear grinding scared me as I don't know how stout the gear box is or isn't. So I creeped it up an incline in granny low and turned around facing downhill.

 

With the engine idle cranked all the way down (motor barely running to the point the alternator light was coming on), I began a descent in neutral and was able to sync the gears to top gear in low range. I then climbed the hill again and repeated the process only in low 4th... Started down the hill and threw the range lever over in to high gear, mashed the clutch, said a few cuss words and dumped it.

 

All at once a big cloud of brown dust (dirt I'm assuming) blew out from under the mower (the deck was removed prior to this) and a couple interesting noises ensued and presto... It started working again!

 

I have no idea what the dirt cloud was about unless somehow it vibrated loose crap out of places I can't see from any angle. The machine is relatively clean.

 

Then something occurred to me and I may be in LALA land about it...

 

There is a tiny hole in the bottom of the fake bell housing that's actually part of the oil pan assembly (isolated from the actual oil sump) so as to have screw driver access to the flywheel as well as drain any oil from the clutch that may sneak past the rear main seal I'm assuming.

 

That hole is large enough to allow Mud Daubers to get in and they're bad here this year.

 

I have no earthly clue if that's what it was or not but I don't know what would cause a clutch to stick after being parked in a functional state.

 

Anyways,

 

Thank you both so much for the help and quick responses. You boys saved my tail big time.

 

I can only imagine that a new throw out bearing and clutch disk is nearly impossible to obtain.

 

Cheers, guys...

 

Thanks again!

 

Jacob

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 12,519]

Not uncommon for the friction material to stick to the drive plate. Don't know why unless it is periods of high humidity and lack of use allowing a bit of rust to develop.

There is a large farm tractor next to me that gets parked with a stick of wood holding the clutch pedal down when not used.

 

Garry

[953 nut 70,057]

38 minutes ago, gwest_ca said:

gets parked with a stick of wood holding the clutch pedal down when not used.

Grew up with a Ford AA Doodlebug that we always propped the clutch down with a stick for that reason.

12 hours ago, BigMan-TinyTractor said:

Started down the hill and threw the range lever over in to high gear, mashed the clutch, said a few cuss words and dumped it.

 

All at once a big cloud of brown dust (dirt I'm assuming) blew out from under the mower (the deck was removed prior to this) and a couple interesting noises ensued and presto... It started working again!

          Sure wish we had a video of that, sounds like a fun ride! 

[BigMan-TinyTractor 6]

After the clutch freed up, the range is stuck (won't even move) in high range.

 

Any ideas?