Clutch / Torque Converter: Excessive Freeplay

[51stude]

I'm currently working on a 1953 studebaker champion with a 3 speed T96 with overdrive. I was adjusting the clutch linkage to allow for proper freeplay when i realized that something wasn't right. For some reason, with the turnbuckles wound all the way in, there was still an excessive amount of freeplay (approximately 4" at the pedal if not more).The car had been sitting a while and suffered from what is apparently a common problem of the clutch disk attaching itself to the flywheel. We removed the transmission and dealt with the frozen clutch disk. While apart i checked the throw out bearing along with the two arms that activate it and everything looked great. According to the manuals, i have the proper linkage for the wheelbase. My question is; would the clutch disk being frozen to the flywheel cause the excessive freeplay? or is there possibly something else involved? I want to avoid re-installing the transmission only to find that the problem is not taken care of. Any help would be great.

Thank you

[rkapteyn]

The clutch shaft inside the bell housing has two fingers that engage the throwout bearing.
The fingers slip on the shaft and cause this problem!
I stock these clutch shafts.
Robert Kapteyn
studebaker@mac.com

put studebaker in the subject line otherwise it goes to trash.
I am old and slow!

[ed ellis]

It's a common problem with Studebakers and one which the factory could have easily addressed by simply welding the "fingers" to the shaft as opposed to brazing. Whenever I had a clutch/pressure plate project I always made it a practice of spot welding them in place before I reinstalled the clutch linkage.

Resist the temptation to try to reposition the fingers on the shaft. Even if you get lucky and get them in the right spot they will slip again usually iimmediately. Simply put ---the juice aint worth the sqeezing.

[nvonada]

You also might want to make sure all that pedal travel is being sent to the clutch. On my car the outer end of the pedal shaft had worn out the shaft and "bushing" (a hole in the frame) so pushing the pedal just moved the shaft sideways rather than turning it. The holes in both the clutch coupler and shafts were worn in my car as well. New coupler and pins helped. 53 might be different than my 41 but I am pretty sure it is similar.

[Mike Van Veghten]

By "freeplay" you mean at the top of the pedal swing ?

That's supposed to be there. The throwout bearing needs to be "off" of the clutch fingers during normal driving. It's just a little excessive..."do not worry" about it. It's fine.
DO not...adjust it.change it to where there is no freeplay.

Most "all" cars are this way, espicially the early non-cable activated clutches.

Again, as long as you get full disengagement when the pedal is depressed, that's all you need. The freeplay isn't a problem.
You don't want more thAn about .030" gap between the disc and clutch with the pedal on the floor.

Mike

[RadioRoy]

Look at the rotating coupling where the linkage goes into the bell housing. There are two pins at 90 degree angles from each other that couple the linkage to the rotating shaft in the bell housing. Either of the pins can be broken, or the coupling itself can be cracked.

Be sure to grease the zerk fitting on the bell housing that never gets greased.

[RadioRoy]

Check out the picture in reply #25 in this thread.

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?76836-Losing-clutch-adjustment-64-Commander

[Doug Bowen]

Thanks RadioRoy...I was just in the process of responding with your above message. (I was too busy responding to the WRONG POST!!!)
D