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TOM-WA-
TOM-WA- Senior Contributor
edited November -1 in HUDSON
1954 WASP with 3 speed od tranny... I can shift the car thru all gears with the motor NOT running, but when I start the engine in Neutral and try to shift it WILL not go into gear at all.



If I put the car in gear with the motor OFF then start it the car moves with the power of the starter motor alone...I have full clutch pedal and have filled the Hudsonite....



It is if the clutch will NOT disengage..



The car was running fine and all of a sudden going up an incline it stalled out and acted as if I had run out of gas...I tried to start the car and the engine would catch for a minute then stall again.. It was shortly after this while still on the hill that I noticed that the clutch pedal was all the way to the floor...



Eventually the clutch pedal came back out on it's own but since then I can't get the car in Gear with the motor running





Any assistance would be welcome

Comments

  • davegnh
    davegnh Expert Adviser
    Tom, I think you are correct, the clutch is not disengaging. Try depressing the clutch pedal and hitting the starter, maybe the clutch will release. IF not, use a prop or stick of some kind and hold the clutch pedal down, the clutch may release after a short while, if not add some solution that will help free the clutch--There is a formula on Ken Cates site, I think--It calls for some stuff that isn't available readily, I have used brush cleaner in the past, it is acetone, and have had success-- Hopefully you will get some other suggestions on this.
  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    Tom I gather that when you try and engage gears, they just grate, and won;t go in?? If so, it is definitely the clutch plate stuck to the flywheel. As suggested you can try putting the car in gear, holding the pedal down, and pressing the starter. This may be enough to break it loose, but even if it does, the fact that it has stuck already indicates that it needs a good flush-out. As far as freeing up, if this doesn't work, then as suggested, drain the clutch, and put half a pint of lacquer thinners in, prop the clutch down, and regularly turn the flywheel so that the the thinners can dissolve the varnish and gunk from the corks. Once free, flush out again with degreasers like Brakleen or lacquer thinners, and then refill with either correct clutch fluid or auto transmission fluid. Good luck,

    Geoff.
  • rambos_ride
    rambos_ride Senior Contributor
    Hello TOM-WA

    I see the weather has gotten nice enough want to take the old girl out!

    How was your winter? :D
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Lli Never Heard Of A Clutch Sticking While Driving, Sounddsd Like A Major Problem With Clutch Assy And Or T O Bearling Bill Albright
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Agree with Bill on this. Pin holding fork to shaft comes to mind.
  • Clutchguy
    Clutchguy Senior Contributor
    Bill A,and Billy K. have seen this before.This is what it sounds like to me also.Obviously we can't see it,but it is easy to check for this.Take the inspection cover off the flywheel,have one person inside operating the clutch,while the other person looks at the throw-out bearing yoke inside the bell-housing.The outside shaft will move/rotate,while the inside yoke will not depress the throw-out bearing.If the pin on the outside bell crank has shearered,it is a rather difficult to get a new one to fit without using a reamer to repair the hole,and there usually isn't enough space to get a reamer into the old hole,and dis-assembly will be required.This is a tapered pin.Make sure the car has been secured and can't/won't roll!!!!Please post your findings as I am curious as to what happened.Good luck
  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    If it was the pin sheared the clutch pedal would not be actuating anything, and would have no "feel" to it. I had this happen on my '39 CC8 many years ago, the pedal just felt dead, and was obviously not actuating the shaft. The return spring held it against the floor boards.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    I offer the following because it changes the clutch throw out bearing control.

    Two years ago I elected to completely replace the pieces of the clutch power train that might be worn. This included a replacement plate, resurfaced and renewed pressure plate, new throw out bearing, new tapered pins, new cross shaft bushings. All of the afoementioned parts were purchased from the Doug the clutch guy. While disassembing the cluch linkage we discoved heavy wear on the clutch cross shaft linkage at the frame mount and minor damage at the shaft point that interfaces the bell housing. The frame mount was also worn and was now egg shaped instead of round. The shaft wear would have normally required welding to fill the grove... but we hit on an idea.. ream out the frame mount and install a brass bushing so that the shaft rode on the bushing instead of the steel mounting. A bushing was procured whose ID was the same as the OD of the cross shaft. We made the bushing wide enough that the groved portion of the shaft was inside the bushing and did not effect the geometry of the shaft. The other end of the shaft was cleaned with crocus cloth and a new rubber bushing as well as shaft paddle rubbers were installed. The clutch clevis was slightly worn so an less worn original part was substituted. The parts were assembled and the clutch linkage adjusted per the manual.



    Point... the cross shaft was rocking around in it's mount before these repairs. It caused the former clutch adjustment to vary and at times create clutch engagement problems. Your car will have wear ... how much and if it is a part of you problem can only be determined by looking at your car.



    Good Luck
  • TOM-WA-
    TOM-WA- Senior Contributor
    UPDATE ON POSSIBLE CLUTCH TROUBLE:



    Ken U-Tx 05/12/07 21:27:21 *

    Have the guys look at the clutch pedal linkage on the crossmember to bellhousing, i think you have alot of wear on it, and its moving in and out away from and towards the bellhousing, so that sometimes it slips off the pads, then back on

    Ken U-Tx 05/12/07 21:31:37 *

    If you look closely, at the bracket on cross memebr, where shaft passes thru the braket, there is a spring holding a felt washer against the vertical part of bracket, and this was supoosed to be oiled every so often...but of course it never got oiled, thus the bracket wears the shaft down, in many cases more then halfway thru the shaft!

    TOM-WA- 05/12/07 21:38:53 *

    OK.. but if you can just tell me the name of the parts that I need to get to replace what I now have what would they be? Clutch Linkage Cushion and??

    Ken U-Tx 05/12/07 21:40:00 *

    Need the entire linkage that goes from clutch pedal clevis rod, to Bellhousing

    Ken U-Tx 05/12/07 21:41:37 *

    Have Harmon find a clutch linkage from pedal to bell housing, might want to tell him that your car is a Wasp, because the linkage for short wheelbase is probably different from long wheelbase

    Ken U-Tx 05/12/07 21:43:24 *

    remember that the crossmember on a Wasp is set back 5" from say a Hornet, so the threaded adjusting rod and it's Clevises are probably shorter,,,,I think the bracket itself is same, but not sure.

    NEW! bill a cal 05/12/07 21:51:36 *

    CORRECT ALL BOLTS TO THE FRAM AND ASK jIM FOR A NEW RUBBER BUSHING FOR IN SIDE OF TRANS
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