That serial number is 7u24540, -couldn't figure out how to make the edit work....

According to the Cat parts book, effective with s/n 16998, they went to the two piece transmission cover so I'd take the floorboards out and go ahead and pull the part of the tranny cover that is over the clutch. That way you could get a better view and access. Also, if needed the entire clutch could be taken out without having to pull the engine and tranny apart.

I've been thinking about the clutch brake being in engagement and smoking when you start the critter. You stated that it's relatively rust free inside the housing. .but something is still forcing the clutch back. If the pilot bearing had been over greased, I'd think excess grease would have wound up in the clutch itself. You could remove the little cover on the front r/h side of the clutch housing, rotate the engine and remove the zerk from the flywheel. That would release any excess grease when you try to pull the clutch into engagement. I really can't see that as the problem, but ya never know til ya try.

The only other thing besides stuck or excessively worn linkage I can think of is the possibility of the clutch disk having shed some teeth and fallen between the clutch disk and flywheel.

As ol' Grump says with that serial # you have the 2 piece cover. You should definately go ahead and pull the clutch cover and then you can see what is going on in there. I have heard of these stuck clutch problems on this board before. I am not sure what can get stuck. I am experiencing the same thing on a 5J D2. It works enough to run, but it is stiff. Maybe you can get to the bottom of this and educate the rest of us.

Tom

OK, I didn't know there was a removable cover over the clutch and sure didn't think it could be replaced without splitting the machine. I'll see if I can take up the floorplates and look at things from another angle. I really didn't know I even had that option. I'll let you know what I learn....

The first suggestion I would make is to get a detailed drawing of the dry clutch system and know how it works. First the clutch plate ie. that plate is of composition material and free floats on it's outter teeth on the internal teeth of the flywheel and is not clampted to any flywheel at all. When you engage the clutch a plate in front of and in back of this fibre clutch disc clamps to the disc it being turned by the flywheel . This pair of plates are freely splined to the input of the transmission and are activated by an overcenter system that is fully visible thru the small top plate. In salvaging the 4 machines that I have it took me three hours to get the fibre clutch disc out of the flywheel and it was bolted to the engine out of the machine so if it had been free it would have fallen out. When you back off the back plate that whole dogging assembly should move by hand 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Lets hope the disc itself is free to move for and aft in the teeth of the flywheel. In the machine that I took apart this disc was completely of composition material and not what I would think of a fibre steel fibre sandwich. What your problem may be is that leaving the machine disengaged will leave the inner plate fully forward and the disc stuck in the flywheel. To get this free you will have to undo the transmission clamping collar thus freeing the whole mess. Ive done it thru the top cover and its not fun. Best of luck Jim

To correct a mistake---- the front plate is actually part of the shaft and as such is firmly tied to the transmission input shaft- only the back plate moves forward to engage. Thus to be able to move the disc in the flywheel aft you must remove the connection collar. Lets hope the problem is in the linkages. Jim