stuck clutch

It doesn't matter what kind of car, a standard shift clutch will stick if left sitting for a long period of time.

The Hudson seems to be more prone, than other vehicles, to this problem.

The clutch and pressure plate is a sealed unit with a half pint or so of light oil in it which keeps the clutch cork material soaked and pliable. This is what makes the Hudson clutch system so smooth.

When the car is left sitting and the clutch isn't rotated or disengaged the oil pools in the lower part of the housing and the corks dry out and the oil residue tends to stick the clutch, flywheel and pressure plate together. The constant pressure on the clutch corks by the pressure plate squeezes out the oil and over time it wont let go.

There is less than a coffee cup of oil in there when it's at required level. All the oil does is splash/sling around and keep the corks wet and pliable.

Jack up the car and put at least the rear wheels, preferably all four off the ground on jack stands.

Use a piece of wood to depress the clutch to the floor. Rotate the engine to where the drain in the clutch housing is at the bottom. Drain out the old oil replace the plug and then rotate the engine until the fill plug is visible in the timing opening above the starter.

Remove the fill plug and pour in about a pint of Acetone and replace the plug. A tin can with a 3'long 1/4 copper tube soldered to the bottom works really good.

Start rotating the engine every few days. This is where patience comes in. LOl.

What you're trying to do is let all the corks get soaked up with the acetone. This will also cut and soften any oil which has become hardened and sticky.

Every couple of days work the clutch pedal while you're cranking the engine, and have the transmission in third gear.

Remember; Car on jack stands with rear wheels off ground, preferably all four wheels off ground.

Eventually it will become unstuck. Drain acetone and fill with Hudson clutch oil or high temp (Ford) ATF fluid if you can't find clutch oil.

Leave the car in the air for two or three days while you repeat the crank engine, depress clutch procedure. This will force a lot of the Acetone/old oil out of the corks.

Drain and fill again.

What you want to do is when it comes unstuck is to get all of the old oil/Acetone residue out of the housing before you fill with fresh oil and begin using the car.

Try not to "jerk" the car and drive train while the corks are hard and dry. You can literally claw the corks out of a dried clutch with your fingernails if you wanted to.

Don't get in a hurry, sit back and have a few beverages while you enjoy the Hudson life.

Enjoy resurrecting the dead.

WH

dterry-2011 wrote:

She came loose this morning. I can actually sit in the truck and go through the gears she is still on the jack stands. I drain the old oil out overnight first. Put one pint of acetone in her the pumped the clutch 100 times with the engine running 3 times a day for 3 days. This morning I started the engine with her in third gear and let her run like that for 10 minutes. Then I climbed in and pushed down the clutch I felt it come loose. I pumped the clutch, out of gear 100 more times and then shifted her through the gears, probably the time in at least 30 years she went through the gears, dad bought this 23 years ago and it just sat in his barn in Michigan. I am going to drain the aceton this afternoon and depending on how dirty it looks might just put the other pint of acetone back in her and pump the clutch another 100 times or so with the truck running in neutral for a couple more days before I put the oil in her. Please let me clarify one thing you were off with, it took WAY more than a few beverages. So exciting this morning, thanks for everything as usual. I will still keep you posted. Cheers.[/quo


I've been there before, it's a great feeling when the clutch finally lets go. Thanks for sharing.
Gene Birdsall.

Jon B wrote:

What you have to be careful about, is the "shock treatment" that some folks advocate. Like, jacking the rear tires off the ground, somehow getting the engine going (the car will be in gear of course) and than jamming on the brakes while depressing the clutch (this suddenly "stops" the pressure plate while the engine and cork discs want to keep turning -- this inducing them to separate from one another. A friend tried something like that and managed to break something in the differential!

And if you think that's extreme, you should hear the "solutions" to stuck clutch problems on the tractor boards- most involve running the tractor into a sturdy tree, in some manner or other. :ohmy: With stuck dry clutches, you can usually take the starter off, and work through the hole to pry clutch disk loose with a proper tool, through the gaps in the pressure plate.

Glad you got 'er going. I have a pic of Press Kale's '34 PU as my wallpaper on the computer- just about the cutest thing I've ever seen. I say I'm done buying old cars, but if one of those came up, I'd be on it like a duck on a Junebug.

As far as the tires, the antique tire outfits (Cokers, and others) will have bias ply in the proper sizes. Wasn't there a guy on here, whose avatar was a blue and black Hudson pickup, who dealt in tires? Rick something, I think. Haven't seen him lately. . . or you can convert to modern tires just about anywhere, if you want to go that route.