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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / 1939 ford clutch problem, need some thoughts

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Posted By Discussion Topic: 1939 ford clutch problem, need some thoughts -- page: 1 2     greginski 01-05-2011 @ 12:05 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 30 Joined: May 2010 i have always had a problem with not being able to depress the clutch pedal all the way,little grinding but bearable, even though i had the adjustment fully extended. i just put in some new rubber matting and now the grinding is worse. i am thinking the 1/4" of matting has made it harder/impossible to full depress the pedal. so i am thinking....if i put a coupling bolt between the 2 rods, about 1/2-3/4" additional throw, do you think this will cure the problem or is something else bottoming out. thanks for opinions supereal 01-05-2011 @ 12:32 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 That's odd. With at least 1 inch free play at the pedal, you should have plenty of travel to fully disengage the clutch. It is possible that you have the wrong clutch release arm due to a transmission swap at some time. If not, check the pin securing the arm to the release shaft to see if the hole has become elongated. It is also possible that the release fork that presses the release forward against the pressure plate fingers has become loose. You can see it when you remove the inspection plate at the top of the clutch housing. The clutch adjusting rod is the same for 32-48, 4 inches, so I'd bet on the arm since you say you have always had the problem. kubes40 01-05-2011 @ 3:09 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 3395 Joined: Oct 2009 A couple of things to seriously consider: 1) Any wear in the clutch release shaft and / or bushings in the transmission case as well as the hole in the linkage (that the pin goes through) all add up to a point that often times will cause the problem you describe. Yes, even though we are talking perhaps .015" here and another .020" over there, it is multiplied exponentially at the pedal travel. 2) Rebuilt clutch plates often have worn 'fingers'. That is, the three points that come into contact with your release bearing. These days even so called 'quailty rebuilders' often overlook this detail. There is a specification (distance) between the clutch face and each end of the three 'fingers'. If they (fingers) are worn (very common) and the height is shallow, the problem you describe will show it's ugly face. This message was edited by kubes40 on 1-5-11 @ 3:12 PM deluxe40 01-05-2011 @ 3:44 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 413 Joined: Oct 2009 Does your car have dual pipes? If so, the driver's side exhaust pipe sometimes needs a "dimple" to allow the clutch pedal to be depressed completely. greginski 01-05-2011 @ 5:18 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 30 Joined: May 2010 well thanks everyone for the thoughts. car does not have dual pipes, so that is not an issue. i really think the clutch, pressure plate and throw out bearing were replaced about 15 years ago, but no more than 500 miles, and all the shaft fork, etc were ok or the expert guy would have replaced them. so i am hoping for the $2.19 coupling nut solution, hoping that somewhere along the line it got the wrong/shorter lever rod/s put in...will let everyone know when it get a few degrees warmer. here is a pix with granddaughter sitting, not driving, in it. Johns46coupe 01-05-2011 @ 8:43 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 68 Joined: Apr 2010 I would get under the car and have someone depress the clutch pedal slowly to see how far it has to go until you see the clutch release shaft start to move. I would think it is as kubes describes. I had a similar problem that turned out to be worn linkage, bushings, etc. Replaced all the linkage and it was fine. John TomO 01-06-2011 @ 8:38 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7250 Joined: Oct 2009 I agree with Mike that the problem is probably wear in the linkage or the release fingers. You said in your first post that you have always had a problem with grinding and then in your second post, you say that you have confidence in the expert that replaced the clutch. IMHO if he had replaced all of the worn parts when he replaced the clutch, it would have worked correctly all of these years and still work after replacing the floor mat. Look for play in the cross shaft bushings when someone presses on the clutch pedal. Any movement other than rotational could be causing your problem. Also look for play in the clutch pedal bushings and in the release arm hole. Any of these can cause your problem. Tom supereal 01-06-2011 @ 10:30 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 It is very rare to have a problem with the fingers of a pressure plate. I've seen pressure plate springs that have broken or are out of place, but that usually shows up as a sudden failure. As this problem is described as happening since the car was obtained, it is more likely that wear isn't a factor. I agree with Mike that any wear in the linkage is amplified, as I mentioned in my earlier post. There is a considerable difference in the length of the release arm on the shaft between different years, and an arm that is too long prevents full release of the clutch by restricting travel of the release fork. greginski 01-06-2011 @ 11:29 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 30 Joined: May 2010 Problem solved!!!!!! The problem wasn't this or that but the most basic simple thing i could have done, adjust the rod!! For whatever reason, i assumed that the rod was fully extended, not. It had another 5/8" of adjustment available. Pushed that out, tightened the lock nut, done. Shifts as smooth as silk. Next time i'll start at the beginning instead of trying to reinvent the wheel. thanks everyone for their replies. Now if someone could only tell me what to do about vapor lock on 90degree days. supereal 01-06-2011 @ 2:34 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 Good to hear you solved your problem. The problem with "vapor lock" is, more often than not, caused by an old ignition coil. The old coils falter when they get hot, as the combination of the old dilectric separating the windings and the increased resistance due to the heat, shows up as bucking or missing, and eventually shutdown. If your coil has not been rebuilt, contact Skip Haney. His e-mail is skip@fordsrus.com, or you can send your coil, with a check for $83 to Skip Haney, 12168 Azure Ct., Punta Gorda FL 33955. We have a box of old coils that we have bought at swap meets for use as cores. We usually try them out just to see if they work. Most start OK, then fade and die when they warm up. "Vapor lock" was a term attached to Fords almost since they began. Unless you have a weak fuel pump, or a partially clogged fuel line, it is a safe bet it is time to send your coil to Skip.

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