Lesson learned the hard way

[Deleted User]
[Deleted User]
edited November -1 in HUDSON
Well, I took my flywheel to a local machine shop for resurfacing. I discussed how it might be done with the person who seemed to be the technical lead. He suggested that if the whole wheel was resurfaced it would get into the starter ring a little but would probably be OK. I asked if we could just resurface the area where the clutch made contact. He said sure and we agreed on that. I assumed it would only be polished a little. I did not think it needed a deep cut. When I got it back, it had a cut about the thickness of a finger nail or a little better. That probably was OK, I think the plate could still provide enough pressure with that depression in the flywheel. However, the cut was not on a plane with the rest of the wheel, on one side it was the thickness of a fingernail, on the other it was virtually smooth. I should have had this done at a shop that had done this type wheel before. Do you think the plate will have enough flex in it to handle the lopsided cut?

Comments

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    If we are talking about a wet cork clutch, Not a chance! I had a machine shop damage a clutch in the same way and the disc burned in the area of reduced contact. For a cork clutch to work correctly without chatter or slipage the flywheel must have no runout and a mirror finish. You will need to locate another flywheel and have it "ground and polished" to the correct finish.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1952-Hudson-Hornet-308-Flywheel_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ34202QQitemZ4641257434QQrdZ1



    -David
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Sounds like your machinist never indicated the surface before he machined or ground it. Possibly it was warped if it was chattering. In any case, sounds like they made it worse. There is a new one on ebay and will probably go reasonable.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    alexa wrote:
    Well, I took my flywheel to a local machine shop for resurfacing. I discussed how it might be done with the person who seemed to be the technical lead. He suggested that if the whole wheel was resurfaced it would get into the starter ring a little but would probably be OK. I asked if we could just resurface the area where the clutch made contact. He said sure and we agreed on that. I assumed it would only be polished a little. I did not think it needed a deep cut. When I got it back, it had a cut about the thickness of a finger nail or a little better. That probably was OK, I think the plate could still provide enough pressure with that depression in the flywheel. However, the cut was not on a plane with the rest of the wheel, on one side it was the thickness of a fingernail, on the other it was virtually smooth. I should have had this done at a shop that had done this type wheel before. Do you think the plate will have enough flex in it to handle the lopsided cut?
    Alex/

    See your email...
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Alex: One of the things I've also learned the hard way is to NEVER, EVER deal with anyone outside of your club. In the antique outboard hobby, I've had some pretty nasty stuff happen to me because I took my kickers to some hack outside the club simply because he was relatively close. If you have to go two, three hundred miles to meet up with a club member who knows what the hell he's doing, IT IS WORTH IT EVEN AT TODAY'S GAS PRICES. Why a club member? One word: ACCOUNTABILITY. First, you have the satisfaction of knowing that the person actually gives a crap about your hobby because he's part of it, too; secondly, he also knows that if he does a crap job on your equipment, the entire club will probably know about it by the end of the day, so his club clientele business will go right in the toilet. In many cases, that's all that some guys work on is club members' stuff, so you KNOW they will be held accountable by the very nature of their business.

    I talked to a local tranny shop owner who said that he could rebuild the Borg-Warner tranny/overdrive on our '54 Kaiser, but it became clear to me that he had never worked on this kind of transmission before and I even had to repeat myself several times before he realized that I had a three-speed manual with overdrive! Uh-huh. FAT CHANCE, BUDDY!! I called up a K-F club member in Janesville, Wisconsin, over a hundred miles away, and found that he had restored and rebuilt several Kaisers, including '54's, and was very familiar with the transmission. Good enough for me; so good, in fact, that I am having him overhaul it from engine to rear end. I threw it on a friend's trailer and hauled her down there. The peace of mind is worth every penny. Stay with your fellow clubbies.
  • Uncle Josh
    Uncle Josh Senior Contributor
    Nothing should ever be done for the first time!
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