Hudson Clutch Parts

Unknown
Unknown
edited November -1 in HUDSON
Hey group, I came across this website through an auction on ebay sometime back. I contacted Ron Fellows and purchased a pressure plate and clutch disc. He seems very knowledgeable pertaining to hudson clutches and his service was impecable.



Here is the address: http://geocities.com/hudsonclutchman/



Happy wrenching,



hornets_nest

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    There's another option as well.



    Dr. Doug Wildrick

    (317) 862-4171



    Doug's might cost a bit more, but it seems that his stuff has been around problem free for quite some time. Wanna talk about knowledgeable... The good doctor wrote the book on hudson clutches.



    Personally, I like Doug's clutch fluid more so than anyone else's. Don't know why, or what he puts in the stuff, but my clutch is smoother with it.



    Nice to have options.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    hudsonkid,



    If I were your clutch and saw your stomper comin' at the pedal, I'd behave too. :D Have you or hudsondad ever tried ATF? If so, what did you think?
  • Huddy42
    Huddy42 Senior Contributor
    Have used ATF for 25 years, BUT, you must use Dexron2 or 3, I did use a Ford brand ATF at one stage and had trouble with slipping clutch, I found that the Ford ATF boils at a lower temp. thus causing slipping when hot.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Many years ago, I heard that Ford ATF had less lubricating qualities than did GM's Dextron. At any rate, using the corerct type of ATF seems to make sense as it should keep the corks clean, just like the kerosene did in the original Hudsonite.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    the reason for the Ford ATF having less lubricating qualities is that it had

    a friction modifier added in. Well at least the older type F did. It helps the clutches in the automatics grip better during shifts.

    We always use the Type F in our racing automatics and B&M use to always recomend this or their TrickShift fluid. I mistakenly used the Dextron ATF in one of my sister's older mustangs and the C-4 slipped so bad that glazed the clutches and I had to replace them. They would not recover after I replaced the fluid with Type F.

    On all of the GM's I use to own I always ran the Type F in them to help clean the shifts up after they had 70,000 miles on them. Right now I am running the TrickShift in the 350 turbo behind my Hornet engine but the first 4 months I used the Type F with similar results.

    PaceRacer50
  • 7XPacemaker
    7XPacemaker Senior Contributor
    I don't think that the hobby needed two clutch rebuilders. Doug has the most experience and far more knowledge about the Hudson clutch. I will definately pay more for the experience and knowledge.
  • hudsonguy
    hudsonguy Senior Contributor
    I agree that you won't find a better clutch guy than Doug Wildrick. Absolute top quality parts and service.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    7XPacemaker wrote:
    I don't think that the hobby needed two clutch rebuilders. Doug has the most experience and far more knowledge about the Hudson clutch. I will definately pay more for the experience and knowledge.



    I'm going to agree 100% on the Dr. Doug kudos here, and bring up one more point.



    There may be other folks rebuilding the clutches and pressure plates, but Doug is the only person I know of doing a quality job on the throwout bearing. Very important piece to a Hudson, the throwout bearing and seal.



    On the alternative fluids for the clutch. I've been using different types of ATF in the Wasp as it is kinda my "test bed" vehicle.



    Type F, kinda grabby. It will give you the feeling its chattering, due to the "grabby" friction formulation. Once it warms up, its better - but still an all or nothing coupling. If you work your clutch alot as in heavy traffic, it has the same "chattery" feeling as Huddy42 stated.



    Dextron II & III, smoother engagement but not perfect. It makes my clutch release right at the top. Doesn't matter how I have it adjusted, its in the last 1/2" of travel before it grabs. Other than that, it seems to work okay. It does make adjustment finicky, and I'd say on a worn clutch disc it will slip sooner and more frequent



    Dr Dougs formulation - just right.



    Kinda like goldilocks and the three Hudsons, huh?



    Mark
  • MikeWA
    MikeWA Senior Contributor
    So, how about the clutch fluid sold by the Club store? Now that I just bought 2 bottles of it. . . 'Course, at $3.50 a pop, I could probably throw it away without it being a life-changing event. My clutch is "chattery" now, but haven't replaced the fluid yet.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Mike (WA) wrote:
    So, how about the clutch fluid sold by the Club store? Now that I just bought 2 bottles of it. . . 'Course, at $3.50 a pop, I could probably throw it away without it being a life-changing event. My clutch is "chattery" now, but haven't replaced the fluid yet.



    I've used the store clutch fluid, with no sucess.



    I don't know what Doug puts in his stuff, he might even pi$$ in it, but the stuff works great. Personally, I don't care what he puts in it.
  • hudsonguy
    hudsonguy Senior Contributor
    hudsonkid wrote:
    I've used the store clutch fluid, with no sucess.



    I don't know what Doug puts in his stuff, he might even pi$$ in it, but the stuff works great. Personally, I don't care what he puts in it.



    HK,



    What do you mean by 'no success'?
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    hudsonguy wrote:
    HK,



    What do you mean by 'no success'?



    lotta chatter, doesn't grip as well.



    I drain, flush, and put in stuff from the club store drive it for a while, and have poor clutch performance. Then I can drain, flush, and refill with doug's white bottle special, and it runs like a champ.



    Go figure...
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Give Ron Fellows a break. Everybody is always peeeing and moaning about finding good parts suppliers. Here is a fellow who is a HET member trying to serve us, I have never met him, but someone makes a good comment about him then all you hear is how good Doug Wildrick is. Its good we all have personal preferences,. Doug is good also but give the man a break .
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Ron Fellows and Doug Wildrick are both great guys to work with. I needed a recork in our '29 Town Sedan around Thanksgiving, and I had some trouble getting in touch with Doug because of his moving his shop. So, I contacted Ron Fellows, and he was very informative, however I believe he was going out of town for the holidays and couldn't work me in on the time frame I needed. I don't hold that against him, because the '29 is a one-year-only clutch disc, and I know he has stepdown stuff already rebuilt and ready-to-ship. I managed to get in touch with Wildrick by finding his cell phone number on a website, and he recorked the clutch in 1 week for $170. This is a 12 1/2" clutch disc for those of you who are unfamiliar. I don't have anything against using either one of these guys, and I would have used Ron had he been in town, because he answered the phone first. I am satisfied with both of their knowledge and customer service, and I can only attest to Wildrick's work which is good.



    On the fluid issue, the Town Sedan has Type F in it, and the Standard Sedan has Dexron III/Mercon. Town Sedan has a brand new clutch, and with Type F, grabs rather close to the floorboard. Standard Sedan has an older clutch but still good thick corks, and grabs closer to the top of travel, but not all the way out by any means. The free-play adjustment on both is almost exactly the same. I believe probably 50% of the difference in travel is due to the mechanical condition of each, and the other 50% is due to the difference in fluid. I am going to change the Town Sedan to Dexron, and will advise what happens.



    I have often wondered what Marvel Mystery Oil would do in a Hudson clutch, as it consists mainly of light lubricating oil and kerosene.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    both guys do a great job on the clutches, I have used both. copetlition is great for all members as price is important to most of us BILL ALBRIGHT
  • PAULARGETYPE
    PAULARGETYPE Senior Contributor
    Well I For One Will Only Use Dr. Doug's Stuff He Went Out Of His Way When No One Was Doing Hudson Cork Clutchs The Guy In Fl. Was Giving It Up Doug Bought The Clutch Busness From Him He Thenfound That Most Clutch Cores Were Not The Orignal Borg/warner Discs Hudson Installed They Were After Market Plates That Were Thinner ( The Steel Plate Itself) Doug Only Recorks The Best He's A Bit More But I'm Only Doing The Job 1 Time $30 Or $40 More Will Not Brake The Bank I Want The Best!!! Doug Also Does Rebuilds On Presure Plates That Are Like New When He's Done With All The Things We Need For Our Cars I Don't Feel We Need 2 Clutch Guys Thats Just My Thoughts I Don't Know Ron Fellows And Can't Say Any Thing Good Or Bad About Him Or His Products
  • 7XPacemaker
    7XPacemaker Senior Contributor
    tombia wrote:
    Give Ron Fellows a break. Everybody is always peeeing and moaning about finding good parts suppliers. Here is a fellow who is a HET member trying to serve us, I have never met him, but someone makes a good comment about him then all you hear is how good Doug Wildrick is. Its good we all have personal preferences,. Doug is good also but give the man a break .



    There is MUCH more to this story than I am willing to divulge publicly. If you want to know the facts, send me a PM and I will tell you why I choose Doug's clutches.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    7XPacemaker wrote:
    There is MUCH more to this story than I am willing to divulge publicly. If you want to know the facts, send me a PM and I will tell you why I choose Doug's clutches.



    What he said.



    I heard it's quite a story...



    I had to edit my post several times so I wasn't coming across "harsh" hey, you guys know me, I don't want to offend anyone on the board. :D



    7Xpacemaker, PM coming your way.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    I did not know my name was going to be so literal...lol.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    hornets_nest wrote:
    I did not know my name was going to be so literal...lol.
    Hornets nest welcome to the forum. I wasn't sure you would post again after the way this thread turned out. Thank you for the link it was one i didn't have in my parts folder. There is a wealth of knowlage here and they will share with anyone that needs it.
    Les
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    hornets_nest wrote:
    I did not know my name was going to be so literal...lol.



    Stu is that you?
  • MikeWA
    MikeWA Senior Contributor
    If thats Stu, now of Livingston and formerly from Pray, greetings- and watch the Street Rods board- Ray from Las Vegas' postings on the progress of his '52 Hornet coupe is the one that sat in your back yard, some years back- I finally decided I wasn't ever going to do it justice, and sold it to him- he's going to have it standing tall in short order! Save a Hudson! :)
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