Clutch / Torque Converter: Hydraulic Throw out Bearing

[ncalder]

I have read a few threads on this subject but haven't seen much reporting on which parts work and if its a good idea. I have an E7 truck with a 259 and a T86 with OD. It has new clutch which seems difficult to completely disengage when the oils hot (even with a very low idle). The pedal is hard to push - there is no freeplay and no slop in the joints to speak of. The geometry seems about right in that it starts before 90 deg and ends after. I think this trouble and the hard pedal could be done for good if I put in another brake master cylinder alongside and hooked up a hydraulic throw out bearing. It seems like I'm not the first to have this problem.

[Warren Webb]

If there isn't any more adjustment available & no play in the linkage then the chances are good that the 2 "fingers" that press against the throwout bearing have slipped.

If you come up with a hydraulic setup let me know.

The following only applies to trucks where the pedals go through the floor (6E & earlier) The other thing that Studebaker trucks have (and I for the life of me can't see why it was done that way) is the clutch pedal arm itself. It is shorter than the arm on cars & provides less leverage. On my 61 Champ I replaced the arm with one from a Lark. The part it pivots on is the same so it's an easy swap. You then also need to make a new floor plate for the higher hole for the replacement arm.

[PackardV8]

As with most operating systems Studebaker, if it doesn't drive out correctly, it's not the design; there's something wrong. When the parts are new and properly adjusted, the E7 clutch is easy to push and disengages fully. That's not happening so there's wear, loose or incorrect parts - no other possibilities.

Having said that, I just put a hydraulic throwout bearing in my C-cab custom with Packard V8. Voice of experience here, it's much more difficult and much more expensive to get that built from scratch and operating correctly than to find the problem with the OEM mechanical system.

Your truck, your time and money, your decision.

jack vines

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Studebaker Truck Talk.[network54.com]
A very good souce of information on all things Studebaker truck.

[JoeHall]

Sounds like it has a heavy duty PP, if so, I'd replace it, or take it to a clutch shop and have it set up to standard, 259 specs. That would make a world of difference in pedal pressure.

[ncalder]

Thanks for all the helpful ideas. Warren do you think a Lark clutch pedal arm might fit an E7 truck - that could be a much easier solution. The throwout fingers were not slipping or broken when I checked them a few months ago - Nick

[Warren Webb]

I've done that clutch arm swap on my 61 Champ & plan to do it on my 62 Champ soon. It only applies when the pedals come up through the floor- not the later suspended pedals, which have their own problems as far as linkage goes, at least so I've heard from posts here. A thread a week or so here had a similar problem which turned out to be the clutch disc itself was installed backwards. My 61 has the H.D. clutch & when I had it rebuilt I asked to have one spring per pack left out on the pressure plate. Now my left leg is the same size as my right.