Clutch problems

[62Daytona]

I have just completed a engine rebuild on my 1960 Lark 8 wagon 259/3-speed w/OD. I had the flywheel surfaced and I had the clutch disk relined and I replaced the throw out bearing. I folowed the shopmanuals instructions on all of the repairs. After I installed the engine I pushed the cluch pedal and it went all the way to the floor with no resistance! All of the linkage is connected. I tried adjusting the pedal free play and it had no effect. I have been working on the clutch problem for 3 weeks and It still does not work! I am at my wits end here. Does anyone know what I am doing wrong?

Mike.

[Transtar60]

Did you check out the "ears" on the clutch operating shaft that the operating rod from the pedal attaches to?

These were originally fine splined and can slip thus letting the pedal go to the floor with out resistance but appear good to go visually.

Remove the operating shaft and put it in a vise and see if the ears do turn. Mark them before removing so you can get a tack weld to keep it in place before putting it back in.

Also check all the tapered pins etc to make sure they havent sheared off.

[62Daytona]

When I discovered that the clutch was not working I pulled the motor out and inspected the clutch linkage. I held the throw out bearing in place with my hands and told my dad to push the clutch pedal down. When he did it did not slip any where that I could tell and it pushed the bearing forward like it is supposed to even with pressure against it. When I was tightening the pressure plate to flywheel bolts I noticed the 3 fingers move in towards the clutch disk (the clutch disk is installed properly). They moved in about 1/2 inch. Could this be the problem?

[Roscomacaw]

Those fingers are supposed to move like that. It's because as you tighten the pressure plate, the face of it presses upon the clutch plate and thereby compresses the springs. There'd be a problem if the fingers DIDN'T move when you tightened it up!
Go back underneath, have someone step on the clutch and make damned sure that that collar with the two pins thru it isn't just rotating without actualy moving the shaft that operates the throw-out bearing. As Transtar says, those pins can be sheared and still look good at a glance.

Miscreant at large.

[62Daytona]

I have not had a chance to check the collar with the pins in it yet. I have been helping my dad work on one of his F**d trucks. I will try to get a good look at the collar Sunday. I had looked at it in the past but I did not try to remove the pins. The clutch had never given me any problems untill I removed the engine. I will keep you all posted on what I find.

Mike.

[62Daytona]

Well I reinstalled the engine today after I checked all of the linkage and the collar with the pins. I found nothing wrong anywhere. It still does not work!!! If I can not get it fixed then I am going to cut my loses and sell the damn thing. I don't want to sell it but I don't know of anybody that works on Studebakers that can help me. Do you guys know of any body that can take a look at the car and tell me what I am doing wrong or somone who could help me work on the car?

[Sonny]

Something like this can really piss a guy off Mike, I know, because I've BTDT, but I wouldn't sell it partner. Ok, where are you located? It doesn't sound like you're in a local Stude chapter, so about the only thing one of us can do is see who's closest to you and get them to come over to help you out.

Sonny

http://RacingStudebakers.com

[Mike]

Is it possible that the clutch disc, with the fiber linings on it, is installed with the wrong side toward the fly wheel? The center sticks out further on one side. If it's installed backwards, it is held against the fly wheel all the time and won't release.
Mike

[62Daytona]

I am located in Los Banos, California. It is 8 miles off of I-5 (interstate 5). I am in the local chapter of the SDC but I am the youngest member that actually works on Studebakers. I am 19 and most of the men in club are in their late 60s and early 70s and they no longer work on their cars. Also I installed the clutch disk just like the shop manual says to.

[Roscomacaw]

Usually the disk has it stated on one side "Flywheel side" Not always though. Certainly that would be a problem. Also, regarding you holding the throw-out bearing while your dad worked the clutch - I doubt that would give you indication whether or not those "fingers" that push the T-O bearing have slipped. They're swedged to that shaft they're attached to and even if they DID slip at one point, they wouldn't slip back to where they belong when you let up on the pedal. They'd just be set at where they slipped to when the swedging let loose but will STILL feel pretty tight. And while they'd still function when your dad pushed the pedal, I doubt whatever pressure you could apply with your two hands would reveal that they'd slipped.
There's no great mystery here. It boils down to one of two things. You've either got a part in the mix that's incorrect or some one part's defective and you just can't see it.[8D]
These are pretty simple cars. Pretty darned basic compared to today's stuff. But that simplicity doesn't make up for having something broken or mis-engineered by the mechanic at hand.
If you give up, you've lost. If you hang tough and figure it out, you're on your way to being the next generation Stude expert. Learning the HARD way is the lesson that sticks with you best!

Miscreant at large.

[Sonny]

quote:Originally posted by 62Daytona

I am located in Los Banos, California. It is 8 miles off of I-5 (interstate 5).

Who do we have around Los Banos Bob? I don't have a damn SDC roster, mebbe Gary can jump in here for us......

Sonny

http://RacingStudebakers.com

[studegary]

Sonny - I would be willing to do it if I thought that it would be beneficial. I don't see any point in going through the listing of more than 1000 SDC members in the state of California to find members in his location since he already belongs to the local SDC Chapter and has local contacts.

[Sonny]

quote:Originally posted by studegary

Sonny - I would be willing to do it if I thought that it would be beneficial. I don't see any point in going through the listing of more than 1000 SDC members in the state of California to find members in his location since he already belongs to the local SDC Chapter and has local contacts.

Oh, I was thinking that they may have been listed by geographical area too. What would be nice is a spreadsheet type list on the computer. If it's just a printed roster, it would be a real butt-kicker to find someone. Hopefully someone in his local club can help him find someone.

Sonny

http://RacingStudebakers.com

[62Daytona]

The only guy in my local chapter that possibly could help me has not worked on a Studebaker in 25+ years. He lives well over 100 miles from me and the one time he did come over he just critized every thing I did on my engine rebuild even tho I folowed all of the shop manuals instructions on the repairs. The only other guy that I know of that Works on Studes lives even farther from me than the first guy. I called him and explained the clutch problem. He told me that it would not be worth his trouble to even look at the car. So I have not had much luck at all on this car.

[GTtim]

Mike,
Sorry to hear that you are having so much trouble. I'm no expert on this issue myself, my car has an automatic. I have, however, heard several times in the discussion forums of people having this same problem. Most of the time the bedeviling problem seems to be in the external shaft. It seems to me that somewhere on one of the shafts something has slipped, leaving the fingers too far from the release bearing to do their job. Stick with it, you'll figure it out. Experience is the mother of all knowledge, but she's an awful mean teacher sometimes.
Tim K.