Progress is starting on my HD5G

Darrel, make sure you loosen the brake bands first and shake that stuff around. It needs to be loose to slide up in the slot where you can reach them with a bolt. I use a piece of all thread most times. Use a drop cord light in the housing and maybe a flashlight to look in the pipe plug holes. (trust me it's in there) 

As AC Mel says loosen the brake bands, then if you can't get the pipe plugs out, using visegrips and with a bent punch or something similar push the pin in the opposite direction and it will with a lot of wriggling come out. I have replaced the 4" Linings on my 6G(25013) many times , once you have got them out, cut the lower brake band near the loops that go thru the bottom pin and join as in Cat brake bands. by doing this you can get the wide brake bands to fit with out pulling the clutches out or maybe removing the cross hydraulic pipes.

jorstad brothers wrote: darrel when your done i have a old hd7 that needs clutches. never seam to get around to doing it. and you will be all practiced up.

Do you need a 7 for parts? I've got one that an epic failure a few years ago, and could now be a parts machine. Would have lots of under carriage parts, tracks, not sureif the engine would still be good or not. Darrel

If you have trouble lining up the threaded pin in the brake bands, try depressing the brake pedal just a little and it should allow whatever threaded stock you are using to slide right in the final drive housing in alignment with the brake pin.

Well, son and I are making some headway. Just getting an hour or two in on it every now and then. We are just a couple bolts away from lifting the steering clutch assemblies out. The gear (ratcheting) wrench was a great invention for this project! Some of the bolts were rusty, and I fear, very close to having the head round off instead of turn out. But so far, they've all came out. Been using my deutz 5215 with creeper gear to move the machine to turn the clutches to access the bolts. Before this goes back together, every bolt hole is going to get a thread chaser ran in and out of it, they will be sprayed out with brake cleaner and air pressure, and all new bolts will be used with a liberal coating of anti-seize. Before I started this project, I had it in my mind that it was going to be kept "low budget", and was going to re-use the fiber discs, buff the steel plates, and slap er back together, but then I get to looking at the "general gear" web site and see all the stuff that is available new, and In get a very strong desire to go with new "semi-metallic" discs, put in new steel plates, new brake bands, and other goodies, so that it is done right. But then when I add up the cost, and I talk myself into a circle, and start thinking the cheap-skate route again. Guess that once I get the clutch assemblies out and torn apart, I'll know more. Later, Darrel

Also, I have to add, that I am in the need for the left hand side steering clutch cover for this unit. If anyone has an extra one laying around that they would like to sell, either post here or PM me, Thanks, Darrel

Mel,what are you thinking in regards to using oil bath components in a dry situation? Are you thinking that they'd be fine in the dry situation, or are you thinking fill the cavities with oil and have wet disc clutches? And if you have a cover, I'd be interested in buying it. I need the little cover that goes on the main cover over the brake band adjusting bolt also. Thanks, Darrel

The same frictions and steels are on the HD7G. The wet clutches have stronger springs and different throwout bearing mechanism. Do not put oil in the clutch compartment of a machine that had dry clutches.

Good to know that, Lee. Thanks. Well, we ran into another snag. When trying to pull the steering clutch assemblies, they come up a ways, and then bind up tight. I would say that they are above the position where they would be at when bolted in place, but not by too much. About flush with the top of the main housing is where they won't go any farther. We are exerting a fair amount of pressure on them with the cherry picker. I have been wriggling them, and prying them side-to-side the whole while that Wyatt is slowly jacking with the cherry picker. There seems to be sufficient gap on each side of them. It is more like they are getting wedged in rather than hitting a dead stop. Not sure what the next step may be. Any ideas? Thanks, Darrel

Working on the right clutch pack, and it is putting up one heck of a fight. I have it to where the top of the brake drum is an inch or two above the main housing, so by all rights, it should have clear sailing. but it seems to be wedged in tight at that point. That throw out bearing is rusted up enough that it ain't goin nowhere very fast, but I really think that there should be enough clearance on both sides without it having to move. And the clutch plates seem to be contained within the width of the brake drum.......so I don't really know what I am hanging up on. I've rocked that thing from side to side and front to back with bars, all the while having significant up pressure on it countless times. That is how I got it to where it is now, but seems to have reached its limit. What next? Darrel

Darrel, Is this the cover you're talking about? The little cover or the big cover? Either, or there both available.
The other thing I was looking for was some backup on the disc plates. I was sure that we had used the oil bath discs in a dry clutch application some years ago. Peter and George both provided that info that they works ok. (and yes DON'T try to put oil in the dry steering clutch compartment. ) So when you guys get done wrestling with that thing and get it apart, see what you need we might have it. We have some steering clutch plates and discs from several HD11Bs that would work.

Darrel, it's times like this that you wish you could get your hands on the engineer who designed the #&^@ thing! 

This thing is going to drive me to drinking. Was working on it for a couple hours this morning when I should be doing other stuff. I think that putting a stick of dynamite under that clutch pack would probably be my best option. I had clearance enough to get a piece of 16 guage metal down in on each side of the clutch pack, so I did, and even greased very liberally, the sides of the metal against the clutch packs. Thought maybe it would slide up out of there then. No luck. I don't have the little cylinders for my porta power, like dozer shows, but I have used a very large bar to try and pry the clutch pack farther into the drum, but it won't budge. I think it is bottomed out already. I can't get the throw out bearing to move any at all. I guess I am a little confused as to why it wedges in there after it gets part way out, because isn't everything parallel? And the way things look, the left side is going to be worse than the right side that I am working on now. I may have to invest in the little cylinders, because on the left side, I can definitly see that the clutch packs need to go into the drum farther. And with the little cylinders on the porta power, do you just push against the inside wall of the clutch compartment? Where to go from here? Thanks, Darrel

Note the amount of clearance. This was not enough. I was able to get the top of the drum above the cavity opening and it was still stuck. When I pushed with my hydraulic cylinders I tilted the clutchpack in the drum. Parts of the clutchpack moved into the drum more than others. I rotated the assembly finding a spot where I was able to lift the drum the most. Then I got brutal.

My engine crane was unable to lift the assembly further so I used a hydraulic cylinder with the crane. It came out a little at a time. I was unable to find any shiny metal to indicate exactly where it was hanging up. This was my most difficult steering clutch repair. Hope this helps.

hey Darrel I have a hd-5 just wondering what the rod is for going into the trans on the rite side sitting on seat!! that thing is loose seems to be in the tranny! is that for a pto or whats it for . thxs carson jones