Stuck Clutch

Unknown

I have a stuck clutch in a '50 Pacemaker. Looking for words of wisdom.

davegnh

Richard, I had a stuck clutch in my 53 Super Wasp. I used a misture of automatic trans fluid and brush cleaner/acetone and added about a pint to the clutch. Then I turned the motor about a 1/4 turn and worked the clutch, then let it sit a day and another 1/4 turn and after a few days it freed up, since then I have replaced the Hudsonite and if I am going to let it sit I wedge a board in there to keep it from resticking--

Unknown

my tried and true method, is fill clutch to top with solvent turn over engine many times and let set overnight. pull car out to where you have a 50 yard clearance iln front. have a friend jack up rear of car. start car in low gear hold in clutch rev to about 1800 rpm and have friend drop jack, . 9 times out of ten clutch will break loose, the other times, car will stall repeat process, a hot hornet will just spin the wheels and take off be prepared to kill eng by turning off key. it always works. bill albright

Unknown

WOW! That may work for you Bill, but it makes my hair stand on end just reading it.



Here is my techinique. Start the car in gear. Hold the clutch pedal down. Drive up a hill.



Have a good day

Steve

Unknown

YOU MUST HAVE SOME STEEP HILLS WHERE YOU LIVE. i HAVE DRIVEN UP AGAINST AN OAK TREE, BUT THE WHEELS JUST SPIN lLOL, HOW DO YOU GET IT GOING UP A HILL, IF YOU CANT GET IT IN GEAR. MY METHOD WORKS, SAVES REMOVING TRANS, AND PULLING ALL THE CORKS OUT OF CLUTCH TO REMOVE IT

Unknown

Oh my god... I love that... thank you Bill!



I guess this isn't the way to remedy a "light" clutch sticking condition, is it?



Are hudson clutches this tempermental? ( I have blown the corks out of one so far...)

SuperDave

Naw they are darned near bullet proof.. well almost. Most problems I have encountered are improperly rebuilt pressure plates (uneven fingers)and discs that are way too thick.If my clutch was stuck and I wasn't in a hurry, I would just prop the clutch down with a board under the steering wheel. Probably over night it would unstick it'self. Sometimes you can unstick one by starting the car in gear but make sure there isn't a tree or someting to run into! Kinda dangerous, but it usually works. A stuck Hudson clutch usually means it needs flushing and fresh Hudsonite .Unless you just replaced it with a rebuilt and the disc is too thick.Then you have to try using two gaskets. I had several like that from Jack Clifford back when.

Have Fun, Dave W. Fl

Unknown

I used a loading dock once...tire spun pretty good and then the clutch unstuck. Flush well and use new Hudsonite afterwords. I also used it for a chattering clutch too. It works but probably isn't the preferred method for the 'restored' cars. This was when Hudsons were just 20 year old used cars.

Unknown

I know what the service bullitins say for flushing the clutch, but what actually works the best? I got one that ever so slightly chatters, and on occassions, sticks very slight, very infrequently, when you try to start the car, and would like to flush and refill with Hudsonite, what do people use? It seems there is a grand variety of mixes out there. I got one NOS disc, that I prefer not to use, and likely, when my neon is gone, I am going to go all out with Dr Doug...



It seems to me that outside of the ultra low rear gears, and the lack of OD troubleshooting know how when i was 16, that the hudson clutch is the weakest link in my drivetrain. It always worries me, that sooner (more so than later) I will be putting another clutch in. (that's why I want an automatic, besides the issue of driving stick, gets old)

Park_W

Back in the early fifties my mother pulled a 33 foot mobile classroom daily with our '37 Terraplane, and I engaged in "stoplight drag races" at every opportunity several nights a week. My '38 H8 sedan was used the same way except for drag strip abuse rather than trailer pulling (84 mph and 17 sec's for the quarter). Never had a bit of clutch trouble. Sure, if you have a torquey Hornet up front in a heavy stepdown and pop the clutch instead of engaging it properly, you might blow a clutch disk. But even under those circumstances, my experience with stepdowns from "the old days" showed the rear axle shafts would break first.

Unknown

Park W is right, I never had any clutch trouble other than a couple that chattered every once in a while. I did the 'stoplight drags' a lot too...broke two axle shafts though.