Over our decades helping customers with their PTOs we have learned a great deal and like to share that knowledge through our tech tips. This particular Tech Tip is more of an assembly of recommendations and instructions that may be helpful as you remove your PTO to evaluate what is needed and then after ordering what you need, getting is back together and keeping it going.
Common Installation Issues
There are two issues that we hear about fairly often. The first is trouble with installing split friction discs; while each segment looks like the other, there is a proper orientation to ensure that, when installed in your clutch pack and engaged, the teeth will be able to slide into the drive ring without breaking anything. The easiest way to ensure this is to nest the segments together in the drive ring before putting them in the clutch pack, this way you can make sure they fit together properly by getting the right section up or down in the right place and then you just carry that alignment over when installing them into the clutch pack.
The second issue usually happens when a PTO clutch pack has gotten extremely hot before something gives out. When this happens and you get ready to remove the clutch pack from the shaft, it can feel like it is welded on. In these cases, don’t try to pry or hammer away at the backplate of the clutch pack as you will damage it and instead or replacing a few components you may end up having to replace the whole clutch pack. The most effective means we have seen used are either all-thread rod and a t-bar puller to create force in the proper areas so you don’t damage the back plate or the less sophisticated approach (and potentially more dangerous) of lifting the PTO from the output shaft and allowing it to be dropped on the pilot bearing end of the shaft onto something that protects the shaft from damage, but can allows the shock to free the clutch pack, while we don’t condone this we understand it is done. Give us a call and we can talk you through finding the best way to safely remove a stuck clutch pack from the shaft.
Other Simple, But Often Overlooked Tips
1) Don’t over grease.
More grease is not better. In fact, it is bad for the clutch. This is a very common mistake. With too much grease, the friction discs material can absorb it and the disc can become deformed causing difficulty with engaging and disengaging which can lead to excess friction, heat and eventual clutch failure. For more information on grease and grease intervals see Tech Tip #48: Maintaining Your Twin Disc, Rockford, NACD, or WPT Power PTO Clutch.
2)
Don’t Modify Your Friction Discs
Sometimes people will modify a friction disc instead of taking the time to get the right one. Maybe they ordered the wrong friction disc (some Rockford / NACD clutch packs use a friction disc with a larger interior diameter) or thought they would save time by using a saw to cut a solid disc into a “split disc”. Whatever the reason, don’t do it. Either purchase a manufactured split friction disc to use for quick disc changes or get the right sized disc since by making your own modifications you almost ensure the disc will break down and cause further issues and failures with your clutch pack and/or PTO. We have all the friction discs you need here.
3) Replace Your Grease Hose Now; Not your Clutch Pack Tomorrow
When you rebuild your power takeoff clutch, install a new hose. A new hose is not much money and you should do it before it lets go on you in the middle of a job. We have narrowed the hoses down to the most common sizes and they come with the correct ends already installed. To order you don’t even need to determine the model of the Twin Disc®, NACD®, Rockford™ or WPT Power® clutch, we offer two sizes for 10″ and 11.5″ Clutch Packs or 11″, 14″ & 18″ Clutch Packs. If you have any questions about which to chose, give us a call at 866-821-2454.
4) Remember your nuts and washers.
If you destroy the nut and/or washer that holds the clutch pack on the shaft, don’t worry. We stock main shaft nuts and washers. You don’t even have to call us with dimensions. Just call us with the model of your Twin Disc, NACD, Rockford or WPT Power PTO clutch and we can ship the right nut and washer out to you.
5) Don’t lose the inspection plate.
The inspection plate is a thin piece of aluminum that often gets lost as you rebuild a clutch. If you can’t find one, call us for one. We’ll give you one free of charge with your order! You don’t want to leave a gaping hole in your housing.
We hope that this Foley Engines Tech Tip has been helpful. We believe that Tech Support Matters™ and publish this ongoing series of tech tips for the industrial engine community. We welcome your feedback. To support people like you Foley maintains a huge inventory of engines, parts and PTOs. To contact Foley Engines directly you can email us at Info@FoleyEngines.com. For replacement engines or parts for your Deutz, Perkins or Ford Industrial engine you can also call us directly at 800.233.6539 or 508.753.2979.
