hudson clutch plates and parts

Unknown

Im looking for clutch plates for my 49 hudson 262 and three on the tree super six . The tranny isnt working and ive done some reading in the threads posted here and i see its the corks are stuck or dryed out . Is it better to just change the clutch plates and corks or just the corks and where can i get them . This is my first hudson and dont know much about them Thanks

Jon B

Here are two mixtures for the solvent concoction that should gradually work those clutch corks loose:



(R.K. Dittrich: 4/26/2000)

Drain out the oil in the clutch put in 1/2 pint of #1 Kerosene run Engine about a minute or two. Drain out the sludge and let it drain overnight. If it was real sludge up repeat process then put in 1 can Hudsonite or same amount of Dextron#2 not #3 the kerosene I learned from my father who got it from a Hudson mechanic. Worked in our Hudson's from 1947 through 51 cars then dad bought a 55 with dry clutch.



(Traditional): make solution 4 parts tri-chloral-ethane and one part acetone, available at drug stores. To flush-drain clutch, refill with flushing solution, start engine, with transmission in neutral, depress and release clutch about 100 times at various engine speeds, drain and refill with clutch fluid mixture.



Ron Fellows is repairing and selling cHudson lutches and clutch parts nowadays. He advertises in the Club newsletter, or go here: http://www.geocities.com/hudsonclutchman/

[Deleted User]

Robert, You don't show where you are located, but if you are in the Indiana area, I would check with Doug Wildrick ( AKA DR. DOUG ) at his shop. Doug is one of the most knowledgeable people around about the Hudson Wet Clutch. If you need a new clutch, Doug will have it and put it in and you know it will be right. I don't have his number at hand but I'm sure someone will chime in that has it.
Bob

hdsn49

Doug Wilkwick (AKA Dr. Doug)

Wildrick Auto Restoration

1459 E. 425 N.

Shelbyville, IN 46176

(317)398-4163 Shop

(317847-1720 Cell



Or



Ron Fellows

P.O. Box 453

Canutillo,TX 79835

(915-877-9025)



Both are very knowledgable about wet clutches and sell parts needed.

Unknown

Thanks for the advise and info on where to get the parts . Does the cleaning of the clutch corks / plates work most of the time ? I have been told this happens to the hudsons when they sit for a long time , The corks dry out and weld or stick to the plates . Would you say it works most of the time and will it be as good as new after i do this ? Or will i run into futher problums and im better off just changing the parts ? Thanks

Jon B

It works most of the time. It's very common (the sticking), and many people hold their clutch pedal down with a wooden stick over the winter to avoid this. But I don't! You will have to drain the old oil out, put in the solvent, then turn the clutch from time to time, over a several-day period, so the solvent will soak in well.



Then drain the solvent and insert new Hudsonite.

Unknown

Jon B wrote:

It works most of the time. It's very common (the sticking), and many people hold their clutch pedal down with a wooden stick over the winter to avoid this. But I don't! You will have to drain the old oil out, put in the solvent, then turn the clutch from time to time, over a several-day period, so the solvent will soak in well.



Then drain the solvent and insert new Hudsonite.

Thanks everyone ill try it .

Unknown

How do you go about draining the fuild out of the old clutch and refiling the car is being delivered in a few days and its my first hudson thanks

Clutchguy

Robert,you should wait til the car gets there,look at it,read the shop manual,and then ask these questions. It will then make so much more sense when talking about this. You can also mail me at hetdrdoug96@comcast.net. drop the het. Hope to help you,DrD

Unknown

Clutch guy wrote:

Robert,you should wait til the car gets there,look at it,read the shop manual,and then ask these questions. It will then make so much more sense when talking about this. You can also mail me at hetdrdoug96@comcast.net. drop the het. Hope to help you,DrD

I dont have a shop manual and come on i just want to no where the drain plug and how to refil it, ill be driving it i dont want to look at it lol thanks

mars55

Here is the refill info from the manual.







The socket size is 11/16th, use 6 to 8 inch extension on the 3/8 ratchet. Hint, stuff a shop rag under the hole as plug always falls out of socket when reaching the last thread. You can pick it off the rag easier than getting under and removing the dust cover

Unknown

Robert Gilbert wrote:

I dont have a shop manual and come on i just want to no where the drain plug and how to refil it, ill be driving it i dont want to look at it lol thanks

ouch....



I don't know about anyone else, but I personally think Hudson clutches are a thing of beauty. Just thinking how it was made and how well it performs, I think you miss a lot by not taking time out to educate yourself about it. And, all the questions would be quickly answered by a quick read of the manuals...



If you need, there is a link to Doug Wildrick's website in my signature post, as well as a few other supplemental sites, that will be of good use for your future hudson adventures.



Also, I would suggest trying to secure a shop manual since it is a valuable source of info.



Best!

Hudsonkid



*edit*



reading this thread more thoroughly, I hate to say it, but if it is stuck, you will be looking at it up close for some time, because soaking will only do so much, before that thing is not gonna be good regardless.

edhamlin

Robert Gilbert wrote:

I dont have a shop manual and come on i just want to no where the drain plug and how to refil it, ill be driving it i dont want to look at it lol thanks

I've found if you want to drive it, you'd better get the shop manual. These are simple cars but they are quite different from the cars that are around now, and they were made in an era when people did a lot of their own maintenance. Most "modrin" mechanics won't know what to do with them - there ain't no computer to ask what's wrong!



They are definitely not "maintenance-free." For example: your "modern" car has a 100,000 mile permanent lube on most of the major chassis points; the Hudson needs to have about 25-30 lube points done every 5,000 miles (more frequently if you're not driving it regularly).



You can order a reprint of the shop manual from the HET club online, and you can find originals and reprints, as well as Motors manuals, on eBay for a reasonable price. Good luck with your car! Hudsons are AWESOME.

edhamlin

By the way, I found that filling that clutch is somewhat challenging. I bought a large syringe from the local PetCo (it's a 2 oz capacity, for giving medicine to large dogs) and outfitted it with a foot of tubing. Three shots (6 oz) and the clutch is full.



... and mind what they said about the nut on the plate -- it seems to try to fall into the crack. A shop rag stuffed into the gap will prevent a lot of sorrow...

Unknown

Dear Robert; As a person who has recieved almost all of the info on my car from this club and forum and had the same problem as you I thought I'd try to help. I was told to use a mixture of 4 oz. of methel ethel keytone and 4 oz. of laquer thinner to free the plate, put a pole on your clutch pedal and leave it there to relieve the pressure on the plate, turn the engine over 3 or 4 times a day. After 2 days drain the mixture and refill it again if it did not already break free and repeat the spinning. My plate freed up shortly after this and it had sat for 54 years!. The drain plug may be on the back of the pressure plate and could be unscrewed by grinding a small 3/8 extension down making the square just a little bit smaller to fit. (My Hudson is a 28 so this may not apply). Of cource drain it at 6:00 and fill at 1:00 position. A small 1 pint sized funnel with 3/8 clear vinyl tubing works best for filling as you can see when the fluid has finished going through. Make sure you have the tubing ALL the way in the fill hole. There's no way to know how much life will be left on your clutch disc until you free it up and drive it. If you can get into third gear, that's when you'll know. If at a low speed you accelerate in 3rd gear and do not move faster but hear your engine rev up then it's slipping and will have very little life left. I got twelve miles on mine before it wouldn't get out of it's own way.It seems the cork clutches are very forgiving,as, though the corks seemed all gone there was no scoring on either the flywheel or the pressure plate. So don't over do it if it's slipping and if there is no scoring on the p plate and f wheel you might probably only need to emerycloth their surfaces providing there are no (chatter) marks.You'll need to mail your old plate to the recorkers as a core and they'll send you a rebuilt for around $160. Good luck and have fun driving your HUDSON! Sincerely Phil Walsh

Unknown

Thanks everyone for the info i think i have it . I have a few older cars a 1940 chevy and a model t rod and now the hudson and will be able to figure this out easy with this info thanks .

wano1949

People have been known to jack a car up in the rear and leave the transmission in 3rd gear, start the car and then drop it on the ground to unstick the clutch. This sometimes works with a rusted dry clutch.

Doing it with a wet clutch as in a Hudson will tear the corks off and leave you with replacing a lot of things. 

Don't go that route..... A little patience and a mix as described above or a mix of Acetone & trans fluid will free it up in a few days of tinkering.

Old Fogey UK

I've read conflicting advice on the type of automatic transmission fluid to use in Hudson clutches.
Please could someone confirm if it's Dexron II or Dexron III that's the correct one to use ?

54coupe

Old Fogey UK said:

I've read conflicting advice on the type of automatic transmission fluid to use in Hudson clutches.
Please could someone confirm if it's Dexron II or Dexron III that's the correct one to use ?

That is correct

Old Fogey UK

54coupe said:

Old Fogey UK said:

I've read conflicting advice on the type of automatic transmission fluid to use in Hudson clutches.
Please could someone confirm if it's Dexron II or Dexron III that's the correct one to use ?

That is correct

Thanks, but which do you mean ? Dexron II or Dexron III ?

Are they any different in a Hudson clutch ? ?

tallentr

As far as getting a clutch unstuck I have been able to get a couple unstuck with no damage to the unit. I warm up the engine first then push or pull the car out into the driveway. Shut engine off and put into first gear push in clutch and start engine. Sometimes the clutch comes loose then. If not go ahead and drive off with pretty good acceleration then quickly let off ,accelerate again and quickly let off. This all being done with clutch still depressed ,has never failed for me. If perhaps this does damage clutch well it would have been removed for service anyway. This in no way means not to try the clean and soak procedure specified in the Hudson factory procedures.

5433HET

Only 3rd gear worked for my seized '32. The clutch turned out to be shot anyway. 

5433HET

54coupe

Old Fogey UK said:

54coupe said:

Old Fogey UK said:

I've read conflicting advice on the type of automatic transmission fluid to use in Hudson clutches.
Please could someone confirm if it's Dexron II or Dexron III that's the correct one to use ?

That is correct

Thanks, but which do you mean ? Dexron II or Dexron III ?

Are they any different in a Hudson clutch ? ?

I use DEXRON II.

Geoff

Than you are doing it wrong.   GM spec Dexron 3 is the correct one to use in any Hudson clutch. 

54coupe

I bow to the expert with way more knowlege then I.

Old Fogey UK

Geoff said:

Than you are doing it wrong.   GM spec Dexron 3 is the correct one to use in any Hudson clutch. 

Thanks Geoff. It's a relief to know I've been using the right one after all.

Geoff

Sorry, I didn't mean to be blunt.   Dexron 2 is thicker and can cause the clutch to drag when disengaged. 

Jon B

(Don't look now, but the fellow who started this conversation, departed 12 years ago....)

Old Fogey UK

Jon B said:

(Don't look now, but the fellow who started this conversation, departed 12 years ago....)

Some subjects are just perennial