Chipper PTO Clutch Removal (Was: Special socket for SAE PTO bellhousings?)

awheelterd said:
The real question should be, exactly how bad is the problem you're trying to solve by removing the bell housing? Broken bits that don't allow the machine to operate or a leaky seal? One requires further attention, the other can be solved with some kitty litter.
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The teeth on both fiber clutch discs rotate with the flywheel instead of the clutch disc đź‘Ť
 
Turned down a socket and got it done. Had to take it basically to a knife edge at the hex corners.
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It was still tight, but it worked.
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I used one leg of the lift as a crane, and it was pretty easy to get out.
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Heres a better pic of the sheared teeth at the interface point. There should be no gap between the teeth and the center portion.
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Also, im pretty sure the PO put a couple pumps of grease everyday for the last 20 years.
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Here you can see the massive amount of grease still on the bellhousing. Plus the pan of grease I scraped out, plus the fist sized wad in the trashcan. It was legitimately over 2 full tubes of grease.
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Nice. Was the grease intended for the pivot point on the handle? So this is a direct drive off a 4BT or similar with a hand operated clutch?
 
WARRIORWELDING said:
Nice. Was the grease intended for the pivot point on the handle? So this is a direct drive off a 4BT or similar with a hand operated clutch?
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Yeah, I think it calls for like a pump of grease every 50hrs or something. Just enough to Lube the pivot points. Yes, direct drive off a 6BT to 6 v-belts with hand operated lever for clutch. Force spec on the lever is 90-120 pounds, so you don't have to worry about accidently engaging it, haha.
 
Jody Treadway said:
I like how you justify the need for the lathe so you could turn down a socket to fit. A lesser dooder would have air hammered them loose, then developed arthritis 1/8 turn at a time with a stubby wrench.
Yes, I'm way jealous of your shop and tool selection.
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It's all for sale if there's anything that interests you. ;)
 
braxton357 said:
How are you engaging clutch when you use it? Idle engine and slip it?
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Basically. Usually I bump the throttle up just off of idle and then engage. Sometimes I put some pressure on the lever to get the wheel moving, then drop to idle and engage. Probably the best thing you could do for the clutch is cut the motor on, warm it up a minute, cut it off, engage the clutch, then crank it.

What actually killed this clutch was (probably years of use and abuse and grease and water and living behind a shaky 210hp 6BT and eating 16-17" diameter logs and) I left it idling with the disc engaged while I drove across the field to dump the truckload of chips, and an 8" diameter chunk of oak log end vibrated into the cut path. It was cut about 1/3 of the way through when I looked in and discovered the disc wasn't spinning. I'm guessing because of the lower RPM at idle, the disc didn't have enough rotational inertia to blast on through it, so it probably slammed to a stop and sheared the teeth. I pretty much always leave it running if I'm gonna be close by, because I don't want to cut it off and back on for no reason, and if you leave the motor running but disengage the clutch, branches and chunks will vibrate into the cut path anyway and stall the disc and cause you to slip or smoke the clutch when you go to reengage it.
 
Clutch discs came in. Went with a split disc so I wouldn't have to disassemble everything.
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Suckers just barely squeezed in, but as long as it's in, it don't matter how tight it is ;)
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While checking fit on the new discs, I realized the drive ring had a bunch of baked on crap and the discs weren't gonna slide in.
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Tried a few things with it on the motor to no avail, so pulled it off, pressure washed it, and it's currently sitting in a purple power bath overnight. Junk is stubborn. I'll probably end up having to finish cleaning the contact faces with a file.

Also, my youngest "helped" down at the shop while I was doing this.
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Which obviously just means put on all the safety glasses and then leave them in the floor.
 
jeepinmatt said:
Clutch discs came in. Went with a split disc so I wouldn't have to disassemble everything.
View attachment 371844

Suckers just barely squeezed in, but as long as it's in, it don't matter how tight it is ;)
View attachment 371846

View attachment 371845

While checking fit on the new discs, I realized the drive ring had a bunch of baked on crap and the discs weren't gonna slide in.
View attachment 371848

Tried a few things with it on the motor to no avail, so pulled it off, pressure washed it, and it's currently sitting in a purple power bath overnight. Junk is stubborn. I'll probably end up having to finish cleaning the contact faces with a file.

Also, my youngest "helped" down at the shop while I was doing this.
View attachment 371847
Which obviously just means put on all the safety glasses and then leave them in the floor.
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Wire wheel on hand held grinder for the teeth?
 
WARRIORWELDING said:
Wire wheel on hand held grinder for the teeth?
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It may come down to that. A regular handheld wire brush was just skating over the surface though. A really coarse file did a good job, but 72 teeth is about 60 more than I have patience for :laughing:
 
jeepinmatt said:
It may come down to that. A regular handheld wire brush was just skating over the surface though. A really coarse file did a good job, but 72 teeth is about 60 more than I have patience for :laughing:
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Harbor freight air file?
 
braxton357 said:
Bring it by, can put it in blast cabinet. Looks more like bad oxidation than clutch material?
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Nah, it's baked on grease and clutch dust. It chips off. I may end up blasting it, but would rather not.
 
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