112 1953 road grader - I was grading my drive yesterday and about a half hour in I started smelling something like a burnt clutch. The grader still ran good, engaged in the gears good and dug in good with no slipping. When I say engaged good I mean as normal. Normal for this grader is lower engine speed then put in first or lower engine speed and go in reverse or it grinds. I can put into 1st, 2nd, or reverse without lowering engine speed but it really grinds and I have to fight it. Now to the problem, I just got through reversing or doing something adjusting the blade or whatever I'm not sure, but when I put it into first gear to grade there was nothing. Grader would not move, grader acted like it wanted to stall out until I pushed the clutch back in. Played around with the gears for about 5 minutes or so thinking it was all over, but out of nowhere it dug right in and started cutting dirt again but now with a low gear sound coming from underneath and when I put it into neutral it was making a engaging and disengaging gear like sound on and off. Though it was still grading good I decided I would take it back to the house because of the clutch like smell and the gear like chatter sound but never made it back. I pulled the blade up and was driving back and it just started going to a craw. It would move on level ground very, very, slowly but as soon as there was a slight hill it would stop until I put it at full throttle and it would craw forward very slowly. I knew it wasn't going to make it up the hill so I just left it in the field. Does anyone have any ideals on what's going on? If the clutch was really out in it why did it come back to live after in wouldn't move? Could the pilot bearing or something else be sticking up in there. Thanks for any help you can send this way.
I'm assuming this is a dry clutch in front of a manual gear box? Clutches can do some weird things when they come apart. The only part I can't explain is "Grader would not move, grader acted like it wanted to stall out until I pushed the clutch back in" Don't know why it would want to stall? That sounds more like a transmission issue, along with some of the other signs of transmission trouble. See if there's any inspection holes for the clutch, or pull the starter and see what you can see. If the clutch let go, there will usually be plenty of evidence. If not, sorry, take a look at the transmission.
It does have a clutch inspection hole but I couldn't see anything obvious but again I wouldn't know exactly what I was looking for unless there were parts all broke up inside. As for taking the starter motor off it has a pony motor on it. I will try to upload a couple of pictures and maybe a video if the forum allows video so you guys can hear a see what it's doing. I guess this is bad either way transmission or clutch.
Yes, it would be chunks and fluff in the bottom. Can you see the clutch disk or is it hidden by the pressure plate and flywheel? I thought for sure there would be more answers???, give em some time...
Well, for sure the clutch is gone. Not sure about the other sounds/problems. Bummer.