clutch replacement: how long / how hard

It really isn't as hard as it looks in the manuals. I am going by memory here so if the details aren't perfect, don't jump on me.

You will need to lift the steering with a cherry picker to clear the housing before splitting. You will also need to disconnect a few items such as throttle linkage to clear the steering.
The info about supporting the front and rear are pretty important; I found out the hard way that you really need two people to easily split the tractor and make sure it is supported well (the rear housing slipped off the jackstand and hit the pavement-luckily no damage). While you are in there, be prepared to blow/spray out a lot of disc shavings from the housing. Not only should you do the pilot and throwout bearings as well as clutch and pressure plate and clutch input shaft seal, but also think about replacing the brake/clutch pedal shaft bushings and clutch fork if worn. It's all right there and accesible.

I also found it a little tricky to get the pressure plate fingers pushed out (the little wood blocks they recommend don't always work well) and the flywheel and clutch components are darn heavy in the akward position you will probably be in. There again, a little easier with a second set of hands. It should roll back together smoothly. Watch torquing the bellhousing bolts as I stripped out one of mine (the old threads can be pretty worn). If I remember anything else, I'll post it up.

The last thing you want to do when putting a "split" tractor back together is to pull it together with bolts or threaded rods.

If the clutch splines are lined up properly, the two halves will simply roll back together with very little force, and if the splines are NOT lined up, force will only wreck the clutch disc!

The setup day was the hardest. I went out to a
flat shady spot in the yard. Dug two post holes
6 feet apart and 18 inches deep. Put up two 10 foot
posts an braced them both real good from 3 sides.
Put a cross member on top of the posts to hang a
come-along from.
The next day I drove the tractor between the posts
and started working on it. Went real easy.
Wished I had took pictures.

If I can do it, anybody can.

Pooh Bear

Hang the front end by the steering shaft.

Put a rolling jack under the clutch housing.

Look at the picture.

This is a 600 series but the 8N can be done the same way.

Zane

Do this on a hard surface, and I use a good hydraulic floor jack on the engine side to push/pull the front half away from the blocked up back half. I got two 6" 7/16" - 14 bolts and cut the big hex head off. This way I can screw these into the engine half and use them as guides as I am pushing the two parts back together. DO NOT use a screw to force them back together, tighten all bolts once they are mated completely and not until then. You can spin the PTO shaft to get the input shaft splines to mate up with the clutch - of course, it will need to be engaged.

Be careful with the clutch pressure plate to flywheel bolts. They are a special bolt and replacements are about $6 EACH. Most apply too much torque to these bolts and snap them, they really don't need as much as you would think. The I&T manual does not state a torque value, it just says tighten them evenly.

I suggest you replace your pilot and maybe your throw out bearings as well if it needs it, and replace the input shaft housing oil seal while you have it split.

Project should take 4 hours or less, no special tools are required, and it is a fairly straight forward job.

Good luck,
Dan

They are good bolts, and can be torqued to 18 ft./lbs..