clutch brake adjustment

[06bowtie_guy]

Truck is a 2005 Volvo tri axle dump truck with a 18 speed eaton.

Looking for a how to adjust the clutch brake as it isn't working very well. I have searched the www but seem to only find clutch adjustment how tos no clutch brake how tos.

Also need to check it for wear as the truck is new to the company so unsure how many times it's been adjusted..

Thanks for any info/ links!!

Chris

 

[Iron Horse]

Clutch brake adjustment is really a bi-product of clutch adjustment . If the clutch itself is in good condition and the free travel etc is correct , the clutch brake should work if it is not worn out . When the yoke pulls back on the throwout bearing , which has a flat face on it , it pinches the clutch brake disc between itself and the flat face on the front of the box . The brake disc being splined to the input shaft stops the shaft to allow a gear to be selected . You can buy a hinged brake disc that can be fitted with the box in situ . Once the old one is air chiseled out , the new one is fed around the shaft and locked together with a pin . People over clutching cause most of the wear . If a clutch is used at all whilst driving , it should only be pushed in about half way , just enough to make the pressure plate let go . Pushing all the way to the floor has the clutch brake trying to slow the main shaft at highway speeds .

 

[hollywood]

Here is a link to an Eaton clutch service manual. You should only have to adjust the clutch and freeplay on your clutch. There is a check for clutch brake squeeze after you get everything adjusted using a .010" feeler gauge between the release bearing and the clutch brake, it should clamp and hold the feeler gauge.

You did say Volvo so I am assuming it is a hyrdraulic linkage so the freeplay adjument is done at the pedal, not like adjusting linkage and looking for the 1/16" play between the clutch fork fingers and the throwout bearing, on a hydraulic linkage there is no play there.

What I would advise you to check: on Volvo's with hydraulic linkage a common clutch failure was from lack of lube. The grease fitting to the throwout bearing would get overlooked during a service or if it did get greased the the inspection cover would not get removed to verify grease was coming out of the throwout bearing shaft. It is common for the grease crossover tube to break, come loose or the fitting on the bell housing would come loose and wear out the fitting from vibration and crack the fitting. All of these leading to grease not making it to the throwout bearing shaft.

http://www.roadranger.com/ecm/idcplg?IdcService=GET_FILE&dID=269304

 

[Muffler Bearing]

Wow, volvo runs hydraulic? yikes. First thing I would do is see if there is any clutch brake left with a visual inspection. See if oil is coming out the input shaft on the trans. I know this is avoiding your actual question , but it's the path I would take if a driver mentioned no clutch brake.
tim

 

[Iron Horse]

Wow, volvo runs hydraulic? yikes. First thing I would do is see if there is any clutch brake left with a visual inspection. See if oil is coming out the input shaft on the trans. I know this is avoiding your actual question , but it's the path I would take if a driver mentioned no clutch brake.
tim

They are hydraulic over air and the free play is checked at the slave cylinder . If it didn't have free play after the return spring pulls the push rod back in , the throwout bearing would be spinning all the time and would burn out . The clutch itself should be a self adjusting type .

 

[Muffler Bearing]

Sounds complicated, lots of things to leak, I guess something like that will be necessary with the new electronic shifting standards huh?

 

[hollywood]

They are hydraulic over air and the free play is checked at the slave cylinder . If it didn't have free play after the return spring pulls the push rod back in , the throwout bearing would be spinning all the time and would burn out . The clutch itself should be a self adjusting type .

I have not seen any hydraulic over air. All the trucks we run are just hydraulic and no free play at the throwout, adjustment is made at the pedal so the driver feels what would normally be freeplay.
You also stated what was one of my questions to bowtie"The clutch itself shoud be a self adjusting type" so Is the clutch self adjuting?

 

[Iron Horse]

This is the bit that goes psst psst when you change gears in a Volvo .

Air assist servo .

 

[Iron Horse]

You also stated what was one of my questions to bowtie"The clutch itself shoud be a self adjusting type" so Is the clutch self adjuting?

I'm sorry , i overlooked this question earlier . I was referring to the pressure plate itself when i said it should be a self adjusting type . It depends on what pressure plate the factory used when it was specked with the 18 speed Eaton in lieu of the 14 speed syncro Volvo box . If they used an input shaft on the 18 speed that suited the Volvo clutch pack , then maybe not . But if they used a Spicer pressure plate , then i would think it should be a self adjusting type , i think they are called an "Easy Pedal" . They still need fine adjustment on the push rod to ensure the throwout bearing is not constantly spinning .

 

[hollywood]

This is the bit that goes psst psst when you change gears in a Volvo .

Air assist servo .

Ours looks nothing like that. So the differance is that we are running the 10 speed in our fleet and don't need the air assist, we are also running the solo clutch.

 

[Juggernaut]

96 Volvo Clutch Brake

I usually don't have a problem maintaining my own rig. I will tell ya folks that I'm not a commercial OTR operator. My rig is a registered motor home, a retired work horse. Been driving it for 4 years.
Eaton clutch brake has me puzzled. I haven't adjusted the clutch or clutch brake myself, although it doesn't seem to be a big deal when I go for lube service. I've had it adjusted once in 4 years. It is difficult to get into any gear after a stop. I must 'feather' the accelerator pedal a bit which enables me to slip the trans into gear without grinding.
There is also some sort of metal shaft hanging from the inspection plate which has a nut adjustment on it. I also have the manual but it doesn't show this 'dangle' hanging from the inspection plate.
Any help would be appreciated.
Bob

 

[Juggernaut]

I usually don't have a problem maintaining my own rig. I will tell ya folks that I'm not a commercial OTR operator. My rig is a registered motor home, a retired work horse. Been driving it for 4 years.
Eaton clutch brake has me puzzled. I haven't adjusted the clutch or clutch brake myself, although it doesn't seem to be a big deal when I go for lube service. I've had it adjusted once in 4 years. It is difficult to get into any gear after a stop. I must 'feather' the accelerator pedal a bit which enables me to slip the trans into gear without grinding.
There is also some sort of metal shaft hanging from the inspection plate which has a nut adjustment on it. I also have the manual but it doesn't show this 'dangle' hanging from the inspection plate.
Any help would be appreciated.
Footnote; It's a Super 10

 

[mr T]

Dont khow about volvo but on my cat & cummins i always adjusted clutch to maintain !\2 gap between bearing &clutch brake

 

[mr T]

That was 1|2 inch gap by the way

 

[sgottabeford]

Dangly thing

I usually don't have a problem maintaining my own rig. I will tell ya folks that I'm not a commercial OTR operator. My rig is a registered motor home, a retired work horse. Been driving it for 4 years.
Eaton clutch brake has me puzzled. I haven't adjusted the clutch or clutch brake myself, although it doesn't seem to be a big deal when I go for lube service. I've had it adjusted once in 4 years. It is difficult to get into any gear after a stop. I must 'feather' the accelerator pedal a bit which enables me to slip the trans into gear without grinding.
There is also some sort of metal shaft hanging from the inspection plate which has a nut adjustment on it. I also have the manual but it doesn't show this 'dangle' hanging from the inspection plate.
Any help would be appreciated.
Footnote; It's a Super 10

An old thread but if you checkit again I think youll find the dangly thing coming out of the inspection cover is a grease nipple.

 

[miro]

Volvo with an Eaton transmission could use either an Eaton clutch or a Meritor clutch. If it as Solo Clutch it is self adjusting and if it is not self adjusting then thae adjuster is probably siezed. If it is a Meritor or Eaton Value Clutch then it has a fork holding the a adjusting ring. If it is an easy pedal there is a 5/8"bolt inside for adjusting. See which one you have for adjusting.

 

[Greg]

I have Macks, two with Mack 18's and one with a Fuller 10 speed. You can change the clutch brake as described above. There is a way to adjust the clutch brake on mine. Everything is mechanical. To do the clutch brake there is a lever or arm which fits to a shaft which goes into the bell housing. There is an adjustment with a lock nut on the arm which adjusts the clutch brake. If the clutch brake is set up in this method it is than necessary to adjust the pressure plate as the change in the linkage for the clutch brake adjustment will throw the pressure plate out of adjustment.

 

[miro]

Sorry, but on a pull type clutch you should never use the outside linkage to adjust for wear, only the internal.

 

[Greg]

you are correct miro. Once you adjust the clutch brake as described above than you MUST go back and use the internal adjustment for the pressure plate.

 

[RobVG]

Did a web search on if I could adjust the clutch brake on a road ranger. Took me right to HEF. Shoulda started here in the first place.

Good info.