# MF 1552 problems



## Hank49

I have a 1552 with power shuttle. I bought the maintenance book for this tractor and it says that it has a drain plug that needs to be taken out yearly to drain oil/water from the bell housing area, which would lead me to believe the clutch is a dry clutch, but I have also heard that the power shuttle has a wet clutch. Can someone please help me with this issue. 

The clutch seems to be slipping in the rabbit 4th and will not take off.

Thanks for any help


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## Fedup

I don't know your tractor model at all, so I base most of my opinions on assumption. About the drain plug - my thoughts are find it, remove it, and don't put it back. I suspect this is a dry housing, and dry housings should be open to drain whatever collects in there, period. Not opened up once a year.
As for the clutch, here's where it gets interesting. The parts book for this model shows multiple transmission options/versions, depending on cab or platform, serial number range, synchro shuttle, power shuttle, or hydrostatic. Funny part is there is only one dry clutch package listed for tractors "other than hydrostatic". One would expect this package would be with the synchro shuttle only, but that's not how it's listed. I would think a power shuttle would have a dry disc torque limiter type assembly bolted to the flywheel, with the transmission input shaft splined into it "live drive", with no provision to release/disengage it. That does not appear to be the case here. If this does exist, the breakdown must be hidden in the parts book somewhere among the transmission components and not listed in the index. The power shuttle itself is indeed a wet clutch, located within the transmission. 
The "slippage" problem you mentioned in higher gears could be related to either the wet or the dry clutch, but if it were one defective wet clutch pack, I suspect it would be limited to the one direction, so it could well operate properly in reverse and slip in forward. Lack of fluid pressure to the shuttle, or an issue with the dry disc, however would fail in both. 
I'm curious as to what the clutch pedal is connected to and what does it operate? If it is simple linkage connecting to a cross shaft/throwout bearing fork like most tractors with a conventional dry clutch, then perhaps what the parts book shows, is what you have. If so, then a worn clutch being your culprit would be my first thought.


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## RC Wells

You have an excellent tractor that has a well earned reputation for being nearly indestructible.

Your Massey Ferguson has two clutch systems, a dry disc system that must be periodically drained of any condensation, and the hydraulic shuttle clutch located behind the main clutch.

The most common reason for clutch slipping is a failure in the shuttle clutch. This is a common issue with operators that do not follow the operator's manual instructions to only use the shuttle in the low transmission ranges, and to bring the machine to a complete stop before switching directions. While the shuttle clutch system is stronger than the main clutch, it is not strong enough in any brand of shuttle tractor to handle forward and reverse operations in high range operation or switching directions on the move. 

It is a less than easy job to repair the shuttle clutch, so I recommend you call your AGCO equipment dealer and chat with the service manager.


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## Hank49

Ok so update I pulled the plug and about half quart of what appears to be motor oil ran out. So could this be my main problem? With this much oil either it's a wet clutch or I have a bad rear main seal? As for shifting we did read owners manual completely before operating and for the most part we have tried to remember to not use the "clutch"we read the manual since we were moving to a more modern tractor from out old 175 and 135 days lol! I know most people aren't going to read the book but we were afraid of messing something up. I appreciate all the help.


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## RC Wells

I would not expect that much oil from the engine rear main, but without detailed inspection it will be difficult to determine. The Iseki engine rarely leaks excessively at the rear main, but it is a seal design that uses Teflon and always has a bit of wetness to lubricate the seal similar to how the Cummins B and C engines are designed. During the annual drain process I would expect around a teaspoon of accumulated oils to drain.

At this juncture you are going to need to split the tractor to identify and correct the problem.

When it is apart, pay particular attention to the power shift clutch hydraulic system seals. Excessive oil in the clutch housing is nearly always from that source.


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## Hank49

Ok thanks I will dig in this evening when I get off thanks for the help


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## Hank49

I just noticed that you said that was a lot of oil... Remember I never knew to take the plug out because I didn't buy the mechanic manual till about two weeks ago. I sure wish the dealer would have told me about it. But remember they are the same dealer where I went to buy the new clutch and they said the pressure plate was $900. Last year when I mentioned that it felt like it was slipping a bit on a long grade they said nothing about checking the drain only that clutch was bad. Thanks for all your help I plan to make it easier to access the plug and try to clean clutch of any oil thinking maybe I could spray some brake clean up in on it to see if I can get some of the oil off. As soon as I drained it it made it 70% better already at least I can get in the garage now. Still interested in where the leak is and how bad it is I'm going to run it some today and put on clean floor to see how much leaks out.


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## RC Wells

Back in the day, the clutch housings all had a small hole with a cotter pin rattling around to keep them open so excess oil would drain. I guess modern engineering opted for a different solution.

It was really helpful for long term maintenance when we saw oil on the shop floor so we could check for any leaks. I guess that is now a novel concept!


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## Hank49

*MF 1552 Clutch Replacement*

Does anyone have the part number for the rear seal and power shift clutch hydraulic system seals? Or where I can buy them online? Thanks


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## RC Wells

Massey has an on-line parts catalog, just start at Masseyferguson.com and follow the links. Any Caterpillar agricultural dealer also carries the parts for AGCO tractors, as does any Massey Ferguson or any other AGCO branded tractor (Challenger, AGCO Allis, Gleaner, etc.).

The 1552 was a current model through 2014, and may still be. So parts are easy to obtain. Just not always via the internet with current model equipment.


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