1949 Com WET CLUTCH PROBLEM
I am new to hudsons this is my first hudson prurchased from Lubbock Texas and is currently being shipped to Australia. First of all I tried to locate a good vehicle here but with no luck, hence importing.
The car is a 1949 Commodore six
My question is the owner who recently passed had changed the clutch from a dry type to wet type clutch for what ever reason part availabilty etc.....
The car has been sitting for a year or two or three and i have been told the car is stuck in first.
Is there a routine I should follow to try and get it out of gear..
The car is due here on Nov 10th and I am looking to gather some advice before it arrives.
Danny
The car is a 1949 Commodore six
My question is the owner who recently passed had changed the clutch from a dry type to wet type clutch for what ever reason part availabilty etc.....
The car has been sitting for a year or two or three and i have been told the car is stuck in first.
Is there a routine I should follow to try and get it out of gear..
The car is due here on Nov 10th and I am looking to gather some advice before it arrives.
Danny
0
Comments
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Danny, this is a common problem with any Hudson wet clutch that has sat for months or years. You simply need to drain the clutch oil and pour in a solvent (then replace the plug in the flywheel). Let it sit for a day or so, rotate the clutch a bit, then let it sit for a day or so, etc. The solvent will help loosen the corks and you should eventually get them to separate from the pressure plate.
See Ken Cates' excellent how-to StepDown section on clutches: http://members.aol.com/stepdown53/STEPDOWNRESTORATIONAIDS.html#Clutch0 -
Danny:
It would be a bit odd for the owner to have changed from a dry to wet type clutch. Hudson's up until 1955 all came with wet clutches except for the Jet. I am guessing this had a wet plate clutch all along and someone has their wires crossed and unfortunately the previous owner is unavailable to give you the back ground. Dry plate conversions are relatively rare in Hudsons manual transmissions.0 -
Thanks for all the info. The car was sold to me from the estate by the son and hence thats where the information of the change of the dry type clutch to the wet type. I guess I will know more when the car arrives.
I checked again with the previous owner and the details are as follows the clutch was changed from WET TO a generic DRY one not DRY TO WET as first thought.
So any information on procedures I should follow first to unstick it would be appreciated.
All that said thanks again for the info
Danny0 -
Well, if it is dry clutch, then this not a common problem. The problem, if the clutch really is stuck, was probably cause by condensation rusting the clutch dish to the flyweel and pressure plate. To get loose you might try rocking the car back and forth with the clutch pushed in or with the clutch pushed in try turning the engine with a wrench.0
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I have encountered many stuck dry clutches. For the reason stated bove.. Humidity causes a small amount of rust to build up and stick the disc to the Flywheel and/or pressure plate. You may be able to prop the clutch pedal in the down position with a board cut to fit between the steering wheel and the clutch pedal. Often this will work within 24 hours or so. Also starting the car in second gear and jamming the brakes on with the clutch pedal depressed may work. Make sure nothing is in front of you! This problem has been discussed here on the forum in the past. You might do a forum search. My Model A Ford will do it if not driven for several weeks. It doesn't take much friction to cause one to stick. You should be able to correct the problem without any dissassembly. Just be patient... All of the above assumes the clutch was installed correctly and worked prior to this incident...
Good Luck and have fun, Dave W.0 -
DRLOCK Have you made contact with the Aus. HET club yet? There are probable some people more local who can help you in addition to this forum.
All the above posts are on the money though, Hudson's had WET clutches almost the entire history of the company. If it's been modified to dry type I hope it was done correctly.0 -
If it is a dry plate stuck to the flywheel, then all you need to do is remove the bottom cover, and insert a blade (like an old kitchen knife) in between the plate and flywheel, and lever it apart. There are gaps around the clutch pressure plate assembly where you can see a dry plate. this happened on my Jet when it had been in storage for a couple of years whilst I rebuilt it, and it took hardly any effort to break it apart.
Geoff.0 -
DLROCK wrote:I am new to hudsons this is my first hudson prurchased from Lubbock Texas and is currently being shipped to Australia. First of all I tried to locate a good vehicle here but with no luck, hence importing.
The car is a 1949 Commodore six
My question is the owner who recently passed had changed the clutch from a dry type to wet type clutch for what ever reason part availabilty etc.....
The car has been sitting for a year or two or three and i have been told the car is stuck in first.
Is there a routine I should follow to try and get it out of gear..
The car is due here on Nov 10th and I am looking to gather some advice before it arrives.
Danny
Danny
I believe, the Hudson you may have purchased was offered on eBay some months ago. That car was stuck in 1st gear and was for sale by the son of a recently deceased owner. 1949 Hudsons equipped with the factory transmissions which are single lever transmissions. The lever is to shift the transmission into 3rd or 4th gear. The 1st - Reverse on this transmission is shifted via a cable attached to the lower end of the shift column. The attach point can be viewed from inside the bonnet and requires a strong light and focused eye to see the connection mechanisms. If this cable is out of adjustment or damaged, U and all others will not get it out of gear. therefore U cannot shift into any other gear either. You need to get a copy of the adjustment procedure and do a through inspection upon receipt of your new Huddy. Hope it is just an adjustment ... shift cables are as scarce as the proverbial Hens Tooth.
Good Luck from Texas0 -
Hi Ken ,
Youre right on the money the hudson is the one that you mentioned however I purchased the car from a link on this site that was posted by you from memory (thanks) .I am unaware of it being offerd on ebay. I might add the son and trustee of the estate have been excellent to deal with and keep incontact on a regular basis. Thanks for the info with regards to the cable I will check it over and the entire vehicle upon arrival.
Thanks
Danny0 -
Jon B wrote:Danny, this is a common problem with any Hudson wet clutch that has sat for months or years. You simply need to drain the clutch oil and pour in a solvent (then replace the plug in the flywheel). Let it sit for a day or so, rotate the clutch a bit, then let it sit for a day or so, etc. The solvent will help loosen the corks and you should eventually get them to separate from the pressure plate.
See Ken Cates' excellent how-to StepDown section on clutches: http://members.aol.com/stepdown53/STEPDOWNRESTORATIONAIDS.html#Clutch
Well, I finally got my '50 Commodore 6 running, and runs quiet and well. (wire in distributor was broken) Tried to get it in gear (grinding) , and it stuck tight and hard in 3rd gear. Now that its stuck in gear, I can't turn the flywheel to get to the clutch drain plug! This car sat for 5 years, and the clutch was exellent when parked. The only reason it sat is the wiring is shot. I'm rewiring it now! Now, how can I turn the flywheel to get to the drain plug?
Jon's cure is probally all it needs!0 -
If you managed to get it in gear, then hasn't the clutch become un-stuck? Possibly the problem is in the linkage, not the clutch. I am a 'pre-war guy' so don't know much about the single-lever column shifts but there is something about the adjustment that can cause difficulty in moving the lever.0
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Nevada Hudson wrote:Well, I finally got my '50 Commodore 6 running, and runs quiet and well. (wire in distributor was broken) Tried to get it in gear (grinding) , and it stuck tight and hard in 3rd gear. Now that its stuck in gear, I can't turn the flywheel to get to the clutch drain plug! This car sat for 5 years, and the clutch was exellent when parked. The only reason it sat is the wiring is shot. I'm rewiring it now! Now, how can I turn the flywheel to get to the drain plug?
Jon's cure is probally all it needs!
I'm not sure if this is the correct answer, but it's what I would do if I were in your situation. I'd disconnect the driveshaft, and keep bumping the starter until the flywheel was in the correct position.
Anyone else have any ideas?0 -
Well that's a good idea, but to save disconnecting the driveshaft couldn't he simply jack up the rear wheels?0
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drop the plugs out to release compression and push the car til it lines up would be my bet0
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