# 5610 clutch question



## t600 (Jan 31, 2011)

Hello, I have a question dealing with my Ford 5610 II special. It is manual 8 speeds forward, 2 reverse, hi and lo. I inherited the tractor and right when I picked it up from my grandpa's house the next time I used it the clutch stuck on it. It had sat at least a year not being used and I got on this forum and was told to drive the tractor in whatever gear it was in to the top of a hill and while going down the hill keep going through the gears until you get into a high gear and keep hitting and letting off the throttle while the clutch is pushed in. Luckily when the clutch froze the heavy bush hog was already on the tractor and I did what was told and the first try the clutch broke loose and other than the clutch being touchy it has been fine the past couple years. Yesterday I got on it and its been parked with a trailer behind it in between 2 trees where I had to park it to load...it had been sitting there a couple weeks. Welp, I got on and fired it up and when I went to put it into low range the tractor was already in first gear and it took off with the clutch still pushed in. My dad had double knee replacement 3 months ago and was sitting on the side of the trailer to catch a ride back to the house. When the tractor jumped i looked back to make sure dad didnt fall off and in the mean time I'm heading into a tree. I yanked the regular gear selector back into what should be neutral but the tractor is still moving.....not until I yanked the hi-low selector into neutral did it stop. I ended up about taking the tree down and not only is the clutch froze again but the tractor is stuck in either 1st or 5th gear depending on what range it is in but the gear selector still moves around like it's in neutral but wont come out of that gear so I can change it into another. I can't do the hill trick anymore, im almost positive 5th gear would'nt give me enough speed to break it loose. Can anyone give me an idea what I can do and what does the gear sticking situation mean? has something broke that connects the parts? I don't use the tractor hardly at all but why does the clutch stick? Thanks for any help!


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## Fedup (Feb 25, 2014)

Once a clutch develops the tendency to stick, it's hard to cure without splitting the tractor. With some tractors there is access from the bottom, one side or the other that gives you some wiggle room. Not on that one. My suggestion(once you get it unstuck again) is to fabricate something to keep the pedal down while the tractor is not in use. Some people use a block of wood, some type of wedge, almost anything that keeps the clutch released. This reduces the opportunity for the plate to stick to either the flywheel or the pressure plate while sitting unused for any period of time.
As for the shifter, you can remove the shift cover and line the rails up in neutral, then install the cover with the shift levers back where they belong. Probably not a big problem.


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

Ditto what *Fedup* said above.

Quote/Question: "I don't use the tractor hardly at all but why does the clutch stick?"

The reason that your clutch sticks is because you don't use it enough. If you would exercise the tractor on a weekly basis, you wouldn't have this problem. High speed exercise helps throw oil all over inside the rear end and transmission reservoirs. Prevents rust internally. Make sure the drain hole in the clutch housing is open, to drain any water or oil out....away from the clutch. Follow *Fedup's* advice and block the clutch pedal down when not using it.

When you pull the transmission cover, put both shift levers in neutral, disconnect the safety switch wires, unbolt the cover, and lift the cover slowly if possible in case there are some spring loaded detents being held down by the cover. Put them aside so they don't fall into the tranny. Disconnect the safety switch wires from the switch and lay the cover aside. Eyeball the shift rails to spot the fork out of position. Use a big screwdriver to move the fork to neutral position. Button her up. Simple procedure.

When the clutch is stuck, you can operate the tractor by starting in gear and killing the engine when you want to stop. You can back it into storage or load it onto a trailer no problem. Of course, you go VERY SLOW to give yourself plenty of time to think. And plenty of room to stop.

To break the clutch loose, get it going in a higher gear (try 3rd gear/high range) down a road with good traction. Hold the clutch down, and stomp on the brakes hard.


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## t600 (Jan 31, 2011)

Hey guys, thanks for the responses. I haven't been back to try anything with the tractor, I did get an old belt and wrapped it around the foot step and around the clutch to hold it down. I will start using it from now on when i'm done using the tractor. Sixbales it is very true that I don't use the tractor much, grandpa always had fields to mow or bale or one of 10 thousands things to do around the farm and I don't have anything that I have to use a tractor for. It's a decent sized tractor and the hardest thing I do with it is pull a 4 x 8 trailer to the pond with fishing poles in it. I'm hoping soon to find something to actually work it, I know diesels like being worked. When I asked about why the clutch is sticking I was thinking along the lines of moisture in the fluid or does that fluid need to be changed? I never remember grandpa changing it. It also sat in a shed and was out of the elements when he had it but I had to bring it to my house and it's been in the weather ever since, I was just curious if water is getting in somehow since it all started when I brought it home and it's been in the rain. Also when I remove the cover am I looking for something that has come loose? or broke? is it obvious what is wrong when I look in? I know for a fact I will be running the tractor more in the future, I know the 10-15 minute runs i'm doing isn't helping things. Thanks guys for all your help!!


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## Fedup (Feb 25, 2014)

What you're looking for is the three shift fork rails directly under the main shift lever. Each has a square gate into which the shift lever fits in order to operate. One of the three is no longer in line with the others because the transmission is now in first gear. You don't have to completely remove the cover or the neutral switch wires. Just remove all the bolts, then lift the left side of the cover just far enough to peek under and see the three rails. Once the cover is slightly lifted the detent springs will release and the rails can be easily slid back and forth with a fingertip or screwdriver. Simply line up the square gates and place the lower end of the shifter back into the slot formed by the gates. They will only line up in neutral because of the interlocks between them. Carefully set the cover back down and install a couple bolts and snug them down enough to hold the cover in place. Then try both shift levers to see if they feel like they are back in the right places, and the neutral switch is working properly. If so, then put the rest of the bolts back in. It might take a few tries to get both levers and the neutral switch stem in the proper places, so I only install two or three bolts until I'm sure I've got it right.


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

QUOTE: " I yanked the regular gear selector back into what should be neutral but the tractor is still moving....."

In your haste to get it out of gear, you caused a malfunction where the shifter went to neutral position and the fork went back in gear. It will be obvious to you when you get the transmission cover off. Nothing broken. Easy fix. It happens...especially as the shift mechanism gets worn. When you shift gears, be methodical with no haste, and you won't have this problem again. 

I very rarely leave my 'baby' (Ford 3610) outside. NEVER more than one night. Cover your's with a tarp till you get a shed built for it. But I do exercise my 'baby' frequently. And when she works, she works hard. If there's no work for her, I take her for a mile run to stir up the oils.

As a tractor owner, here's a rule to live by from the CAR DOCTOR radio show (AM700) in Tomball TX: 

*"Hug your kids, kiss your wife, and put your "baby" in the garage (or shed)"*


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## t600 (Jan 31, 2011)

Thanks so much for the help sixbales, I inherited the tractor because I loved tractors and spent my childhood helping grandpa in the fields, first he had a Ford 3210 and then needed something bigger so he bought the 5610. The 5610 under his care proved to be bulletproof and the only thing he ever had go wrong was the power steering cylinder had to be rebuilt...his business partner had a John Deere about the same size that was bought at the same time and grandpa loved to rag him because his JD stayed in the shop. Anyways, i'm 35 now and grandpa has been gone several years and I am an I.T. guy not a mechanic so your help is hugely appreciated. I do have enough faith in myself to figure out the gear situation and I know how to unstick the clutch once I get it back into neutral. I figured the stuck in gear would be a big deal, I did yank it hard but only because I was going into a tree and had no clutch...hahaha. Thanks again!


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## t600 (Jan 31, 2011)

I finally got around to doing the work. I got the cover off and found the fork that wasn't aligned. I aligned everything back up and put everything back with just a few bolts to keep her together. I did unplug the safety switch to slide the cover out of the way and hooked it back up too. Anyways the gears all feel normal once again when I sat on it. My new problem is that I must have done something with the safety switch because now the starter wont engage. A storm came up and I didn't have the time to check everything out. I was just curious if something is going on with the safety switch on the high-low gear shift or if I don't have the high-low gear in the right spot. I hope when I get back to open it up I see what the problem is but am looking for suggestions to check.


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## BigT (Sep 15, 2014)

Plug the two safety switch wires together on the engine side as a temporary measure (bypass the safety switch). Put shift levers in neutral and check if it will start.


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## t600 (Jan 31, 2011)

Thanks BigT! Oddly enough even though the safety switch has never given us a single problem, it was the culprit. I was told the parts wear in the position they are in and sometimes moving them or whatever they will no longer work. I tested for continuity and you ended up having to turn it a certain way for it to open. I did have an "oh crap" moment however. I slid the safety switch off the shaft to try and fix and put an old t-shirt under it on both sides of the tranny when I slid it off. Somewhere when I went to take it apart, the dowel from the safety switch came out, and I have never seen it again. I was 99% positive it didn't fall in the transmission from the way I wrapped it and took it off but I still took a magnet and fished in the tranny to be sure. In the end i bypassed the switch until I can get parts from a dealership to fix the safety switch. It's working perfect!! Many thanks to all in the forum that helped me get it back up and running. One last question, the tranny didn't have but a couple inches, in most parts, of oil in it.....is this normal? Thanks again guys!!


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