QuestionQUESTION: Hi, I have a 1974 (I think) 574 International utility tractor with front loader, four cylinder, high low tranny with the shift levers on the left of the drivers seat. Last fall I used it to remove gravel and dirt for a driveway project and all seemed fine. While moving snow this winter, I noticed the clutch seemed to be slipping, but I wasn't sure. Now I have begun to move the gravel/dirt mixture from the old driveway to a different area on the back of my farm and there is definitely a problem. When I try to scoop the dirt/gravel up the tractor starts to dig and then it just stops moving. I can baby it to get the bucket full in first gear and then I can put it into second and then third going down a slight grade to the back of my place. Once I dump the bucket, I have to put it back in first/reverse to get away from the pile (slight up hill backing up) and then leave it in first to get back on the fairly flat field and then can put it into second and then third and make it almost up the slight grade to where the original pile of material is. I watched the tach on the tractor while driving it up the slight grade and it holds just below the throttle setting until the grade change and then the tach goes up just to or just above the setting and the tractor stops moving forward, I then downshift to second and or first to get it back on level ground. I checked to see if the clutch was oily and it looked dry. I adjusted the clutch per the manual I have and I thought it helped for a little while, but I think as the clutch cools down, it works a little better for a bit and then when it gets heated up from use it slips worse again. That is what it seems like anyway to me. Does this sound like a worn out clutch situation or is there something else it could be? Do you have any idea of current pricing for clutch replacement costs at a dealer? Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to give me!
ANSWER: Hello,
If your 574 has a torque amplifier, it could be slipping and not the clutch. If you have a lever on the left side of the dash with a rabbit and a turtle, does it slip in both positions? If so, then it's probably the clutch because both speeds of the torque amplifier don't fail at the same time. If it only slips in one speed of the torque amplifier, then the problem is in the torque amplifier. If yours does not have a torque amplifier, then there is nothing else it could be but the clutch. A clutch on a loader tractor has alot shorter life than one without a loader. I have no idea of cost for replacing the clutch. It depends on where you get the parts, and the labor rate of the repair shop, so it can vary quite a lot. Also, there's reman parts versus new parts. The labor rate at our dealership just inceased from $70 per hour to $80 per hour, but every place is different. There's also the cost of getting the flywheel resurfaced, and for new bearings. Our shop always replaces the engine and transmission seals even if they're not leaking, because we've already got the tractor apart so it doesn't cost much more and it's a more thorough job. Check around and get some estimates.
Good luck,
Arnie
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks for the quick reply, I don't think I have the torque amplifier, I have the rabbit and turtle sticker, but it is next to the throttle lever on the right side of the console. The tractor has right at 2700 hours, I know it would have to be a guess from you, but does 2700 sound like good life for a clutch on a tractor with loader or short life? Sounds like your shop is doing it right, I was thinking that if the tractor had to be split those seals should be replaced. Any guess at how many hours would be charged for this job with the loader? Thanks again!
Answer Hello,
It's pretty hard to guess at how long it would take. It would depend on what type of loader is on it, and how it's mounted. Some loaders have to be removed, some don't. An easier job might take about 10 hours. If there are any difficulties or if any other problems are found, maybe 12 or more. Every job turns out different, even on identical tractors. Sometimes we find that the splines are worn on the shaft that drives the live hydraulics and pto, so then we replace the shaft and bearing, besides the clutch job. Sometimes we have bolts twist off in the flywheel when we remove the old clutch. Some have to be pressure washed before we can work on them, some are already clean. There are so many variables that can affect the time it takes to do the job. They are a relatively simple tractor to split, but all the time for everything adds up fast. If you have no lever on the left side of the console that looks kind of like the throttle lever on the right side, then you have no torque amplifier.
Arnie
