Finally some success!!!!!!

My son and I finally got back to the steering clutch project on the HD5G that we started about 8 months ago. When we gave up on it, I had started to split the left side brake drum with the torch, because it was so rusted that the clutch pack wouldn't slide into the brake drum far enough (actually wouldn't even budge) to remove the whole assembly. After I had cut what I could get at, the thing somehow locked up so I couldn't turn it to continue cutting. Tried about everything. When pulling the whole machine, that track would slide (on concrete), but that clutch would not turn over. Just for the sake of trying something today, I went and cut crossways on the brake drum at each end of my previous cut, and took out that piece of the drum. Low and behold, the thing turned over then. We continued to cut the rest of the way around, about one fourth of the way around at a time, and having to do the crosscut at the end of each cut, and take each piece out at a time, we got er out. I have all the new parts to put er back together already, except for throw out bearings, which I originally wasn't going to replace, but then decided it would be stupid to go so far, and leave one stone un-turned. So, if all goes well, we may start re-assembly in the near future. I think it darn near calls for a celebration! Darrel

Darrel: Reassemble it with grease hoses to the throwout bearings which can be greased externally, rather than the hoses coming from the transmission. A standard grease gun hose works just fine. Adapters for going through the cover plates can be bought from McMaster Carr. Yours may already be done.

Well, put in a few more hours on it today. Learned something new. Found out that the backing plate that the first friction disc goes against is not a one piece part with the gear that drives the seperator plates. Its bolted to the gear with some counter sunk allen head bolts. Figured that out when we found em to come apart because all of the allen head bolts were rusted off. And them rusted off bolts aren't just turning right out easily, either. Little bit, quite a little bit, of drilling and tapping going on. After making this discovery on the left clutch pack, I proceeded to take the two pieces apart on the right one as well, as it makes buffing up the backing plate a whole lot easier. I still may end up replacing this backing plate on the left side, because it is rusted to the point that I don't think it is going to clean up to my satisfaction. Getting most of the other parts cleaned up and ready to go back together. Alot of the parts we had cleaned up with electrolysis back when we first started this project. They turned out pretty good. Putting in all new bi-metalic friction discs, seperator plates, and springs. Its been kind of a good father/son project.
    Ages Cat; Planning on doing that. I think you clued me in on that a while ago. Thanks
    John; I don't think I can even buy black label up here. I've never seen it. And if that plan did transpire, the work would have to get done before the black label came out. I've learned over the years that as beer consumption goes up, the quality of workmanship goes down! Darrel

SHAMELESS, you going to come up here and play with it, too? Got some corrals that need cleaning out. Try not to take out the fences, though. Darrel