Starter clutch and any tricks to rotating engine without starting pony
I've got a 12A-08263 Traxcavator track loader with a D315 with a supposedly seized engine. I want to turn the engine over by hand to see if it actually is seized and/or where the slop is. The 12A has a front Hyd. pump and limited access to parts I normally use to rotate engines. I have considered using the pony by engaging the clutch and turn over the pony by hand. Which leads me to the second question ... how do you unlatch the pinion clutch without the diesel engine kicking it out? Pony in sad shape the oil has been gas washed by bad starting practices. Pony may start but it is not long for this world.
Suggestions anyone??
Thanks for looking.

You can open up a small cover on the clutch housing over the pinion and bump one of the latches to disengage the pinion from the flywheel ring gear.

Of course what is a simple procedure on a regular tractor is frequently difficult on a track loader. The cover is put there to allow pinion spring tension/unlatching rpm to be adjusted without removing the pinion assembly every time.

The pinion clutch is disengaged by simply moving the lever to the rear from the full forward engaged position. But I’m thinking you really mean how do you disengage the pinion gear, not the clutch.

"ccjersey" wrote:

You can open up a small cover on the clutch housing over the pinion and bump one of the latches to disengage the pinion from the flywheel ring gear.

Of course what is a simple procedure on a regular tractor is frequently difficult on a track loader. The cover is put there to allow pinion spring tension/unlatching rpm to be adjusted without removing the pinion assembly every time.

The pinion clutch is disengaged by simply moving the lever to the rear from the full forward engaged position. But I’m thinking you really mean how do you disengage the pinion gear, not the clutch.

Yes sorry. I have one a 12A-3563 The spring Tensioner was way out of adjustment Allowing the clutches to slip and the latches were locked and I could not figure out how to unlatch Without loosing a finger. But it needed to be removed anyway. After removing I found the latch work well, the clutches may need replaced but everything else looks ok till I go a little deeper into the clutch.

So the little two bolted plate pulls off and it MIGHT be possible to trip the latches.
Thanks
I looked in the wet clutch access on 3563 And I could not see enough to trip the latches and keep my all of my fingers.

Thank you so much.
Any suggestions on turning it over by hand 🖐. Another option will be pull the yoke on the hyd. pumpAnd use the front of the crank.

You could angaged the master cluch and desangaged the transmission and with a long wrench maybe you could turning the motor by the coupling if he is't freese and the pinion could going out

Thanks 😊 everyone for your help. I got to go kick my Kitty some more while I still have the upper hand. Like my kids someday it will be able to take me in a fair fight.


Dag-nab-it my Decompression lever is MIA at the moment. Have to find which Way To turn on the decomposition shaft. Poooo buckets.


Righty runny and lefty starty

Maybe my experience will be of help. The most recent D6 I got acted like the pinion was engaged, however the half moon key had stripped and someone welded from freeze plug hole. After many hours with a die grinder and all the right used parts I was able to reassemble without tearing the whole tractor apart. Not sure about difficulty level on a loader. Good luck

"monserandsons" wrote:

Maybe my experience will be of help. The most recent D6 I got acted like the pinion was engaged, however the half moon key had stripped and someone welded from freeze plug hole. After many hours with a die grinder and all the right used parts I was able to reassemble without tearing the whole tractor apart. Not sure about difficulty level on a loader. Good luck

Thanks ... Mine wasn't that bad but I did have to pull the governor and old diesel poured out on my arm and I got a nasty comical burn. Hint: pull bottom bolt on governor first ... not sure if diesel is supposed to be inside the governor on the D315.
The series D315 Cat engine has flyweights in the governor making it fatter where the earlier D3400 and the D4400 has a thinner governor allowing access to remove the pinion clutch without removing the governor; also the D318, is a longer block because it is a six cylinder and has more room to pull pinion clutch easier.

An old-timer mechanic friend stopped by and he made sure to say he hated to work on the old 955 Traxcavator as he pointed to the bucket control arms and the large unboltable iron A frame over the engine. He laughed like hell and asked "Why Traxcavators" ??? he added he has a D4 crank out of a D315 that had the oil pressure flicker one cold morning and he too went back into get his coffee and ... bad main. (What is it with coffee and the D315 engine?) He added one more thing about these old things "you HAVE to use 10W in the winter or they wont run!"

No diesel in governor and you need to removed just the back cover and back cover from the cluch housing and removed the 2 screws from inspection cover rear the cluch housing from the big motor but you need to lift the starting engine 2 to 3 inchs for clear the bottom gear and dont forget to draining coolant from motor and the pinion have to be angaged and lubrifi the oring on cluch housing to the joint it will help for pulling the cluch housing

"gemdozer" wrote:

No diesel in governor and you need to removed just the back cover and back cover from the cluch housing and removed the 2 screws from inspection cover rear the cluch housing from the big motor but you need to lift the starting engine 2 to 3 inchs for clear the bottom gear and dont forget to draining coolant from motor and the pinion have to be angaged and lubrifi the oring on cluch housing to the joint it will help for pulling the cluch housing

Thanks Hector,
Diesel in the governor I thought was odd so it most likely needs a new seal.
I tried that three or four times and could not for the life of me get the starting clutch past the governor. I needed another 1/2 inch to clear the governor, maybe I wasn't holding the wrench correctly.