champ truck clutch linkage

[bubbastude]

I took my champ truck out for a cruise last week only to return home on the back of a flat bed! I left from a stop light and when to shift from first to second and the clutch pedal fell right to the floor! after getting some help getting it out of traffic i crawled underneath to see what was going on. what i found was that the rod than goes into the transmission had come out and away from where it was supposed to be.
why did this happen?
could something have broken? i see no broken parts but i fear that something could be missing.
does that rod just slide into the housing?
Any pointers would be greatly appreciated as i have limited knowledge of this sort of thing.
I am hoping to be able get it on the road again soon
Thanks in advance, chris


1956 Commander parts car
1958 President
1960 Champ truck
1964 Daytona HT

[JeffDeWitt]

Pretty much the same thing happened to me. The splines on the clutch shaft get worn over the decades and the lever will turn on the shaft. It my case it didn't come apart, it just came lose and spun, but not apart. A little bit of welding fixed it for good.

In my case I was about 40 miles from home when it happened, but I still managed to drive the truck home, although one light was a bit more red then I would have liked :0 (There was no way the truck would have pulled out from a dead stop on that hill with the starter motor!)

Jeff DeWitt

http://carolinastudes.net

[StudeRich]

Hmmm. it sounds like you're not trained in the rare skill of driving your Champ with no clutch.

You need to be certified in the Champ school of no clutch driving! You put it in second, start the engine in gear, clutch engaged and just take off leaving it in second slowing before red lights and hoping to not have to stop, if you do, you must shut the engine off and restart the process when the light changes.

I have also started in low and timed the second shift correctly and it just went into gear with no clutch, no problem.
On my former '63 with the dreaded suspended pedals, the pedal broke off of the cross shaft and just fell on the floorboard!


StudeRich at Studebakers Northwest -Ferndale,WA

[Guest]

I had a pin shear off once. If both pieces fall out, the problem might be hard to spot.
That can be a gunky part of the truck to find the gazinta's. (what gazinta which piece)

[Clem64]

Rich:

Are you refering to that green 63' Champ that I am working on in my garage as we speak[?][:0].

Dean Croft
Roseburg,OR

CLEM DESEE

[StudeRich]

quote:Originally posted by Clem64

Rich:
Are you refering to that green 63' Champ that I am working on in my garage as we speak[?][:0].
Dean Croft
Roseburg,OR

Yep, you got it, that's the one! Two owners ago it was mine a long time ago in about 1973. It should now still have the complete new NOS linkage I installed from the pedal all the way to the Clutch Housing. Needless to say I am not a big fan of that design! I have now converted to the "OTHER SIDE" [}]: the exclusive group of Stude. Truck Farmers known as the "C" Cab Owners Club led by our fearless leader Mark Hayden! [)]


StudeRich at Studebakers Northwest -Ferndale,WA

[Mark57]

quote:Originally posted by StudeRich

Yep, you got it, that's the one! Two owners ago it was mine a long time ago in about 1973. It should now still have the complete new NOS linkage I installed from the pedal all the way to the Clutch Housing. Needless to say I am not a big fan of that design! I have now converted to the "OTHER SIDE" [}]: the exclusive group of Stude. Truck Farmers known as the "C" Cab Owners Club led by our fearless leader Mark Hayden! [)]


StudeRich at Studebakers Northwest -Ferndale,WA

OK... what are you getting me into now Rich??? [8)][?][:0]

<h5>Mark
'57 Transtar Deluxe
Vancouver Island

The NW Overdrive Tour in Parksville, BC
May 23 & 24, 2009; check it out at -
http://sdcvi.shawwebspace.ca/</h5>

[Guest]

Hey Chris- I think what you are referring to has happened to me. The clutch shaft that goes across from the frame fits into a little rubber lined pocket that is part of a holder that is bolted to the transmission. That holder that bolts to the transmission is mickey-mouse- not one of Studebakers better ideas. I had to fabricate something that was much sturdier and bolted to the frame. I can send you a photo if you like- Leon

[buddymander]

Hey Leon--Did you ever get your sway bar bracket adjusted so you don't have it contacting your brake drum anymore?

[bubbastude]

any and all photo would be great!!! thanks for the responses!

1956 Commander parts car
1958 President
1960 Champ truck
1964 Daytona HT

[Guest]

Buddy Mander- No, I did not. A series of life disasters has left the '64 sitting in place all winter. But that bitc.., er, I mean ex-wife, is gone now, so I can get back to concentrating on the imporatnt things in life. That swaybar will probably get moved to my '62 Hawk, and I anticipate it will work better there.

[bubbastude]

well i went out and messed with it tonight figured out how to put the linkage back in. all was well until i started the truck, i pushed the clutch in to pull it out of the garage and there it went the pedal fell right to the floor again. so i turned it off got back underneith the truck and i grabbed the transmisssio to help me under. and there it went the transmission moved!!!!!! not just a little but a lot! So I now have figured out i have a bad transmisiion mount, any thoughts on where to get one?


1956 Commander parts car
1958 President
1960 Champ truck
1964 Daytona HT

[JeffDeWitt]

Ahh! I've had that one happen to me too!

Jeff DeWitt

http://carolinastudes.net

[StudeRich]

quote:Originally posted by bubbastude

/Cut/ so i turned it off got back underneith the truck and i grabbed the transmisssio to help me under. and there it went the transmission moved!!!!!! not just a little but a lot! So I now have figured out i have a bad transmisiion mount, any thoughts on where to get one?

Chris, you probably need all four lower Mounts and four upper Mounts, Front and Rear, if it is a V-8. I have them in fresh new stock.


StudeRich at Studebakers Northwest -Ferndale,WA

[Guest]

Same exact thing happend to me i was out driveing for a while, get my truck just in the garage push the cluch to get out of first as soon as i was in neutral i heard a bolt snap and my foot was at the floor. like said the bolt that the clutch wears on will shear after years and years of use. Its not a hard fix but i felt lucky that day not to be still driving.

Ryan