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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Clutch jerk

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Posted By Discussion Topic: Clutch jerk -- page: 1 2 3     4ford 06-10-2012 @ 6:52 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 88 Joined: Oct 2010 Hello guys I have a 1941 ford coupe with the original motor and trans. When I got it the brakes were froze up and not sure how long it was sitting. Fixed all of the things got it running and have been going in and out of the garage for a year or so but when I start out in first gear and let the clutch it wants to hop. It all most feels like wheel hop on a car that needs traction bars every thing looks ok at the rear end. Could it be oil on the clutch?? Any help would be good Mike. 42wagon 06-11-2012 @ 3:30 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 586 Joined: Oct 2009 Mike Not sure what you mean when you say the car "wants to hop". However it sounds to me that you are experiencing the problem we all have to a lesser or greater extent known as clutch chatter. Ford was never able to solve the problem even when providing anti-chatter rods. Some people have gone to the extreme of starting in second gear to avoid the problem. The problem seems to be caused by the fact that the engine and transmission are mounted on flexible mounts that allow them to move back and forth when starting. Try tightening up the bolts in the motor and transmission mounts and see if the problem is lessened. Ted 4ford 06-11-2012 @ 5:02 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 88 Joined: Oct 2010 Thanks Ted. What I am referring to is wheel hop. It seems to or feels like the rear wheels are hopping but there not I will try 2nd gear and see if it makes a differance Mike TomO 06-11-2012 @ 7:14 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7280 Joined: Oct 2009 Reducing clutch chatter is an exercise in perseverance. First, I would set the idle as Ford specified to 450-500rpm. Next, do not race the engine when trying to engage the clutch, raise you left foot slowly until you feel the clutch start to engage and then increase pressure on the accelerator as you release pressure on the clutch pedal. If you still have clutch chatter, change the rubber cushions on the motor mounts. Look for the hardest rubber one that you can find. When I did mine in 2004, Bob Drake made the best cushions. Tighten all bolts from the transmission to the engine and bolts that hold the rear spring in place. Supereal will probably give you a few more suggestions to reduce chatter. Tom supereal 06-11-2012 @ 9:50 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 I think you covered it, Tom. Clutch chatter will always be with us, I'm sure. I've tried most of the "cures" without much effect. The chatter is amplified by the clutch linkage as the torque tube pushes the engine and transmission forward. This same configuration was used by Ford from the Model T thru '48. As Tom said, motor mounts are suspect, and when adjusting them, tighten the center bolts until the rubber visably swells. Be sure the metal cup that holds the underside of the mount is in place, as well, as it is sometimes omitted during replacement. When asbestos was banned, the problem seemed to get worse, as the "organic" clutch plate lining tends to glaze and make uneven clutch engagement worse. 4ford 06-14-2012 @ 8:02 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 88 Joined: Oct 2010 Thanks for your input on the clutch. Tryed some of the things and it better.. Now there's one more think that I noticed when I took it out for a short ride gritting up to speed in 3erd gear sounds like the motor wants to back fire and spit. I changed the vac bolt all the way out and turned it in 1.5 turns. Helped a little, what else would I look for? I was reading about synchronizing points move to advance spark? Any Idias. Thanks. Mike 4ford 06-14-2012 @ 8:29 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 88 Joined: Oct 2010 This is a 12volt system . What about the condenser is there a 12volt change for that? Don't know if it was changed out the coil was changed to 12 but don't know about about the condenser? supereal 06-15-2012 @ 12:02 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 The carb main jets are fixed, so adjusting the idle screws shouldn't affect third gear operation. The standard condenser is adequate with a coil wound for 12 volts. I'd substitute a new or known good condensr to eliminate that as a cause. Bucking and backfiring can be from several causes. Bad spark plugs, old plug wires, or crossfiring due to cracked or a carbon pathed distributor cap could account for it, particularly in wet or humid weather. We are also seeing this problem due to weak repro distributor point springs that cause the contacts to bounce. If you have had the distributor worked on, it needs to be run on a machine to see that the firing pattern is consistant. Finally, check to be sure that you don't have a vacuum leak. Look for a cracked windshield wiper hose, a common leak. This message was edited by supereal on 6-15-12 @ 12:04 PM 4ford 06-16-2012 @ 6:39 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 88 Joined: Oct 2010 Thanks super, I looked at all you said I did find a leak at the fuel pump base fixed that and it made a good deference it still has on reving and driving a miss maybe I am just to critical about this do you think that non oxy gas makes a big deference ? Mike. TomO 06-16-2012 @ 8:58 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7280 Joined: Oct 2009 Your engine should run smooth at all speeds. The flathead V-8s were some of the smoothest engines made. If you have a miss, the first place to look is at your spark plugs. Here is a reference on how to diagnose problems by looking at the plugs. http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/engine/plugs.html The next thing that you should do is check your spark. Hold a plug wire near a head nut when the car is idling. You should see a spark that is at least 1/2" long. It should be blue in color and make a sharp cracking noise. If it doesn't check your point dwell and coil output. Tom

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