My '37 Terraplane has arrived, couple questions please.

Hudsonrules

My Terraplane arrived this morning and it looks very good for an origional car. Decent interior and paint a little thin in a few places. Started right up, would not go anywhere when I put it in gear. The clutch pedal depresses and releases but he linkage does nothing could a piece of linkage fall out or maybe just way out of adjustment. I will have bleed the brakes, hopefully it won't take to much to get this car back on the road. The rear main seal appears to be leaking, are they difficult to replace?. I am sure that I have the wicking fir the seal aomewhere. I know I need a shop manual, owner manual and a sales brochur/ Thanks for any tips, this is the oldest running Hudson that I have had. Arnie M.

mars55

Am I to understand when you put the car in gear and release the clutch the engine revs up but the car does not move?

[Deleted User]

I'm excited for you Arnie, post some pics, we want to see!

Jon B

I haven't a clue as to why the car won't move after you put it in gear and let up on the clutch pedal. The only time that ever happened to me was when the rearend went out! The drive shaft turned but the wheels didn't. Just for grins, have someone get down and look under the car when you release the clutch. The driveshaft isn't turning, is it? (This raises another question: might someone have removed one of the u-joints for some reason? Is the driveshaft connected both at the front and rear?) Just a thought!

ESSX28-1

When had the car last been driven before you got it? If it was long ago is the clutch plate frozen? There are several threads on this forum dealing with unsticking the clutch.

Hudsonrules

About my newly aquired '37 Terraplane. This car supposedly has been driven evry once in awhile since Kelly {the orevious owner} passwd on. This is one of those cars that a person buys sight unseen and takes the sellers word. I am not complaining, but I do not think this car has been moved around much in the past two or three years. The gas smells putrid. The master cylinder was bone dry, I am going to have to get under the car and check things out. Perhaps it will not be major. You spend a lot of money for a car, you want it to work. Is replacing the clutch in similar to a step down? with the exception of it being a floor shift. Thanks again. Arnie M.

mrsbojigger

Pictures, pictures! We want pictures!
Peace,
Chaz

Jon B

Clutch repair should be the same as a StepDown. But somehow I get the feeling that the answer lies in something far simpler. Get someone to go under the car and look up from beneath the trasmission, observing the various linkages and levers when the pedal is depressed. I think the answer is going to be astonishingly simple.

[Deleted User]

Hi Arnie---37s were famous for shearing the bolts off the ring gear. That could possibly be the answer to why the car will not move while in gear, but like what Jon says, it will probably turn out to be something simple. Incidentally, the splasher engines did not have a rear main seal, just a slinger arrangement & cotton wicking packed into the sides of the rear main bearing. After the main bearings have worn considerably, oil will then sneak by the crankshaft at the rear main.---Cliff Minard.

Geoff

We need more information!!!!!! Can you actually get the transmission into gear? If not, it will be the transmission lock linkage. If you can get in to gear, and let the clutch out and the car doesn't move, is the drive shaft turning? If not it is the clutch. If it is, then it is either a broken axle shaft, or the ring gear bolts sheared.

Geoff.