New Hudson owner

51Hudson
51Hudson Senior Contributor
edited February 2011 in HUDSON
Hi,
Like the title says, I am a new Hudson owner. I just bought a 51 Hudson Super six for a really good price. It needs some work like a complete brake job and a few other minor things. It sat outside for the past eight years uncovered but it is in good condition. The last time it was started was about two years ago, but I got her running the very next day. I will have a few questions for all of you. One of the questions is does anyone know how to get a clutch unstuck without having to take everything apart. The previous owner told me that anytime you parked the car you had to put a piece of wood between the clutch pedal and the bottom of the dash to prevent it from sticking. Well for the past eight years it didn't have that piece of wood holding it down and know it is stuck. I can actually push the clutch pedal down but it doesn't disengage anything. Does anyone know of anything to break this thing loose? Thanks.

Comments

  • hudsonsplasher1
    hudsonsplasher1 Senior Contributor
    51Hudson wrote:
    Hi,
    Like the title says, I am a new Hudson owner. I just bought a 51 Hudson Super six for a really good price. It needs some work like a complete brake job and a few other minor things. It sat outside for the past eight years uncovered but it is in good condition. The last time it was started was about two years ago, but I got her running the very next day. I will have a few questions for all of you. One of the questions is does anyone know how to get a clutch unstuck without having to take everything apart. The previous owner told me that anytime you parked the car you had to put a piece of wood between the clutch pedal and the bottom of the dash to prevent it from sticking. Well for the past eight years it didn't have that piece of wood holding it down and know it is stuck. I can actually push the clutch pedal down but it doesn't disengage anything. Does anyone know of anything to break this thing loose? Thanks.
    Welcome to the forum. I would suggest joining the Hudson Essex Terraplane club. (HET) also. Great magazine with want adds. Tech articles etc. I got a Terraplane clutch unstuck by jacking up the rear wheels. Starting the engine with it in gear, and pushing the clutch in and out several times. If that doesn't work, you can fill the clutch with kerosene, let it set a day or two, and try it again. It will need a good flushing out anyway. Hopefully others will chime in soon with more advice. I know it worked for me. Good luck. Post some pictures when you get a chance. We love pictures.
    Gene.
  • schillaz
    schillaz Expert Adviser
    edited February 2011
    Drain your clutch fluid if you have any in there, add 6oz of MEK and 6oz of Laquer thinner. Let sit for several days, turn the engine over by hand once a day, prop the pedal down to relieve the pressure from the clutch plate. Remember it took along time to stick and it will take some patience to unstick it.

    If that doesnt unstick it, i hear you can put the car in 3rd gear set the parking brake and bump the starter. At this point you could wreck the cork on your clutch so just an fyi.

    hope that helps, im in the process of trying to unstick a 49

    congrats on your new purchase.

    Post some pix when you can
  • Uncle Josh
    Uncle Josh Senior Contributor
    edited February 2011
    In case you don't have MEC, get a can of CARBOCHLOR at your True Value hardware store.

    When you get it loose, and get some proper oil in it (DEXRON will work) you won't have to put a stick in it every time. Maybe for long-term storage like winter.

    Brake Wheel cylinder Coni-Seal WC13600 40-54 Hudson LR-11x1.75 15/16 in
    Brake Wheel cylinder Coni-Seal WC13601 40-54 Hudson RR-11x1.75 15/16 in
    Brake Wheel cylinder Coni-Seal WC13220 48-54 Hudson LF-11x2.25 1 1/8 in
    Brake Wheel cylinder Coni-Seal WC13221 48-54 Hudson RF-11x2.25 1 1/8 in
    Brake Master Cylinder Napa-United 48-54 3081
    Brake Shoes NAPA RS-18 Big Stepdown Front 2 1/4 x 11
    Brake Shoes NAPA RS-55 Stepdown Rear 1 3/4 x 11

    You might have to adjust the anchor pins for the shoes, or have yours relined.
    Anchor pin is pretty easy. Loosen the large nut at the top behind the backing plate and adjust up or down until it fits the shoes.
  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    Welcome to Hudson World, and to the Forum. I too would suggest you join the H-E-T Club if you intend to hold onto this car for any amount of time. It's a great resource for information and parts, and you'll tap into the network of fellow Hudson owners. The magazine alone is worth the price of admission.

    You'll probably unstick the clutch "without surgery", just follow the advice on making up a solvent concoction and putting it in the clutch. Then turn the engine over once in awhile to spread the solvent around 360 degrees of the clutch.

    One thing, if the car has sat outside for some time: before you do anything else, carefully check the condition of the perimeter frame from the rear wheels, back. This is the first place to rust (besides the floorboards, which aren't hard to repair). Unlike the floorboards, the frame itself is a bit more difficult, and much more expensive, to repair. You don't want to start sinking money into this car only to find out (when you've got it mostly restored) that the whole underpinning is going! If the frame is in good shape (and it's not inevitable that it will be bad) you will want to scrape off the rust, eventually, and put some sort of paint or rust-resistor on it to prevent future rusting. This section is the Achilles Heel of the Hudson body and I've seen unwary buyers finally unload their cars in frustration, after investing a lot of money in them, only to find that they had expensive frame rot.
  • 51Hudson
    51Hudson Senior Contributor
    edited February 2011
    Thanks everyone for your warm welcomes. As to the clutch, what does MEC stand for and where can I find it? Once I drain and clean it, I can just fill it up with DEXRON?(Isn't that tranny fluid for GM"S) I checked over the frame and everything is good except the part of the frame that's right behind the front passenger wheel well closest to the side of the car. And the only other spot is the rear passenger frame right where the leaf spring connects into the frame. Its not bad there but will get it reinforced before it gets worse. Thanks again for all your help.

    I can't seem to figure out how to post pics.
  • Browniepetersen
    Browniepetersen Senior Contributor
    edited February 2011
    I expect that it is one of the forms of carbon based cleaners. I am familiar with MEK or Methel Ethel Keytone. It is a harsh metal cleaner that was used in machine shops and as an agent to reduce poly paint additatives in automotive paint. It was removed from commercial use about ten years ago but can be purchased in small amounts at Home Depot and other such places. There are a number of these carbon based cleaners that are available. Just ask the guy at your home improvement hardware store.
  • TwinH
    TwinH Senior Contributor
    Dunno on MEC but guessing its MEK Methyl Ethyl Ketone?
  • schillaz
    schillaz Expert Adviser
    TwinH wrote:
    Dunno on MEC but guessing its MEK Methyl Ethyl Ketone?

    my bad, sorry for the confusion, MEK is what it is. Menards or any hardware store will have it.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Welcome as a owner of your first Hudson. If you put a block of wood to hold the clutch pedal down only push it down until you feel a slight release of the clutch plate from the fly wheel. If you push it down to far it will weaken or destroy your throw out bearing. I have done this. In the old days you used 1/2 carbin tech and 1/2 clutch oil to flush the clutch. I have used straight carb. cleaner, filling it fron the top until it ran out. It did soak it loose after several weeks.Be carefull when you try and brake it loose, I have seen it pull the corks completely out of the clutch plate if you rush it. Good luck and dont be afraid of asking question on your new project. There are alot of us old guys out here that have seen about everything with these old beasts.
  • Ol racer
    Ol racer Senior Contributor
    edited February 2011
    FYI

    Congratulations on your Purchase. Ask a lot of questions because someone on here will have already experienced it and provide an answer or at least help avoid doing something the hard way.I have found this Forum to be very helpful over the yrs as well as joining the HET Club and receiving their Bi Monthly Magazine...
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Hi---Factory recommended chemicals for this job have long since been removed from the market. Use kerosene & leave it in for several days working the clutch in & out a good number of times each day. Once you have succeeded in breaking it loose, refill with 6& 1/2 ozs. of Hudsonite ( Doug. Wildrick sells a remanufactured substitute for this) or Dexron is O.K. too. If you fill up the clutch chamber as mentioned earlier, the clutch will slip, so only use about 6&1/2 ozs. P.S.---Do join the H.E.T. club. It will make your life a lot easier in the future.
    Hudsonly,
    Cliff Minard
  • hudsontech
    hudsontech Senior Contributor
    51Hudson wrote:
    Thanks everyone for your warm welcomes. As to the clutch, what does MEC stand for and where can I find it? Once I drain and clean it, I can just fill it up with DEXRON?(Isn't that tranny fluid for GM"S) I checked over the frame and everything is good except the part of the frame that's right behind the front passenger wheel well closest to the side of the car. And the only other spot is the rear passenger frame right where the leaf spring connects into the frame. Its not bad there but will get it reinforced before it gets worse. Thanks again for all your help.

    I can't seem to figure out how to post pics.

    Posting pics is relatively easy and painless. When you go to make a post note down by the left corner of the post page a box called Add File. Click on that and select a picture from wherever you have it stored on your hard drive. .jpg works best.

    And let me add my welcome to you - by all means join the Hudson-Essex-Terraplane Club. I've been a member for - NO NO NO, I keep telling you guys I was NOT present when the first Hudson rolled off the assembly line!!!!!! - 42 years and the ride has been fantastic. I've been a member of several car clubs over the years and still being with HET shouts volumes. Great cars, great people all the way.


    http://hetclub.org/burr/lithomepage.htm - In addition the club has a great library maintained by John Ohalloran. The on-line library contains a complete set of 1951 (along with 1949 thru 1954) Service Magazines. These were the house organ and are full of good information.

    Lots of luck with your new acquisition - just remember the most important part of a Hudson resto is patience, patience and more patience. Sometimes a good salty vocabulary helps.

    If you're in a hurry, I'd get the car in running order - if the body is reasonably decent, save a paint job and other work until you've enjoyed the car for a while.

    Y'all take care now, hear.

    Hudsonly,
    Alex Burr
    Memphis, TN
  • 51Hudson
    51Hudson Senior Contributor


    [attachment:2]C:\fakepath\DSCN0125.JPG[/attachment]
    Thanks everyone again for all your help. Next time I am at the store I will see if I can get some DEK. OK I have found another problem that hopefully you guys can figure out. I ordered most of the brake parts threw Napa and I got them home. I was matching the front shoes up and they didn't match. They looked like they went to a 10 inch drum. So I went back today and he looked in his book and he said he doesn't have any shoes listed that are for a 11 inch drum and are 2 5/16. He only shows an 11 inch that is 1 3/4. Does anyone know whats going on? I got the right back shoes. They were 11 inch by 1 3/4. Also I found out that they don't make new rear wheel cyclinders. I had to buy rebuild kits and hopefully my guy can rebuild them.

    I found how to put pics in, but when I post my reply, it just shows up as a bunch of letters and numbers.
  • RL Chilton
    RL Chilton Administrator, Member
    edited February 2011
    The shoes for the front are tough. As Uncle Josh pointed out, you may have to grind away the area around the anchor pin on the shoe itself. Ford made some shoes that are very close to Hudson, but Ford didn't utilize the floating anchor pin in order to center up the shoes. So, the 'C' section that goes around the anchor pin on the shoe has to be enlarged in order to work properly.

    Personally, I'd rather have a good set of shoes that are made for Hudson for my Hudson product. Best to either re-line your shoes, and make sure they are riveted on and not bonded! You can always send your existing set to Paul Schuster in PA (in the Roster) and he will send you a good set and then have your set re-lined for the next customer. I think Dave Kostansek in OH is doing this as well. That way they are guaranteed to fit and work properly. It's always good not to cut corners in the braking department, IMO.

    Another aside is the rear brake drums, which utilize a tapered bore. Most modern day drum/disc turning machines will not accept the tapered bore and requires you to find an older shop which can mount the drum and turn it true, remove scoring, etc., if need be. Good idea to turn the drums at least a couple thousandths after the car has been setting for a long while and you put in new shoes. Shoes will wear and operate more evenly.
  • ski4life65
    ski4life65 Expert Adviser
    There is a set of front brake shoes on Ebay right now which look correct (#18), at a decent price. He has a bunch of them available
    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Brake-Shoes-Front-1948-54-Hudson-Wasp-Commodore-Hornet-/220734269316?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Make:Hudson&hash=item3364c9a784
  • 51Hudson
    51Hudson Senior Contributor
    ski4life65 wrote:
    There is a set of front brake shoes on Ebay right now which look correct (#18), at a decent price. He has a bunch of them available
    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Brake-Shoes-Front-1948-54-Hudson-Wasp-Commodore-Hornet-/220734269316?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Make:Hudson&hash=item3364c9a784

    Thanks for the link. Under the listing of cars they fit, it doesn't say the super six but they look right and have the right measurements. I also went to the hardware store today and picked up a gallon of MEK. As soon as I get the front brakes done, I will jack the back up so I can start it in gear so the cleaner will move around. If I use Dexron, which one should I use? Dexron 1, 11, or 111? Also does anyone have any good pics of the brakes with the drums off? I bought the car with the brakes already taken apart, so I don't know exactly how they go back together. I have a service manual, but it doesn't show any good pics. Thanks for all your help.
  • 51Hudson
    51Hudson Senior Contributor
    [attachment:2]C:\fakepath\DSCN0125.JPG[/attachment]

    [attachment:1]C:\fakepath\DSCN0120.JPG[/attachment]
  • 51Hudson
    51Hudson Senior Contributor
    Well I got those brake shoes Friday afternoon. They were the right size and I got the front brakes on. I drained the clutch out the other day and there was only an 1/2 oz of fluid in there:ohmy: . I filled it will up with the cleaner and it was leaking out the rear seal of the clutch. But today I was working on the rear brakes and I decided to start it up to see if I could get the clutch unstuck. Well good news, it is now unstuck. I will drain the cleaner and put the proper fluid in it. Thanks for all of your help.
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