Cone Clutch Advise Sought

Took my 1917 Maxwell out for a ride and

I don’t really understand this cone clutch, does anyone here? When I first took the car out I had almost no clutch, it wouldn’t grab until the very top of pedal, I mean the last inch or so. I didn’t horse it but I think I may have been able to make it slip if I had tried. The pedal adjustment seemed just to be able to adjust the pedal to the floorboards. Not knowing what previous owner had done I marked each nut and counted the number of turns to remove it. Each one was 21 turns so I backed off 5 figuring it would make the clutch grab sooner. When I started it I heard a terrible racket and the inspection cover removal revealed I’d bent the studs over like bent nails, guess I went the wrong way? Since it is now apart my first suspicion about the clutch needing relining has proven false.

Howard Dennis

I have worked on a 1917 Studebaker with a cone clutch. The only "adjustment" was pedal to floor clearance which cosisted of a clevis pin and a choice of three holes in the clutch linkage, none of them ideal. The best choice was high like yours.

Terry

Howard,

On my trucks, The tighter you set the spring tension, the less it slips. The linkage should cover the pedal travel. I did have one of my clutches refaced by an old timer in Wichita. I'm not sure where he got the material, since it runs in oil.

Gary

That looks like a Kevlar material clutch. Am I correct?

I have heard that Kevlar on a cone clutch is "grabby" so when I had my truck clutch redone, I had it relined in leather. As Mark Shaw has said, "If it lasted 100 years in original leather, what makes you think you will wear it out in your lifetime" That is why I went leather. I do put some neatsfoot oil on it once in a while but it works great.

Just my experience and advice from others that have driven old cars longer than I.

The lining for my clutches appears to be like brake lining material. But it runs in oil on the Maxwells.

I have worked on a 1917 Studebaker with a cone clutch. The only "adjustment" was pedal to floor clearance which cosisted of a clevis pin and a choice of three holes in the clutch linkage, none of them ideal. The best choice was high like yours.

Terry

I have helped a friend of mine with the cone clutch on his 1913 Studebaker and like Terry said none of the adjustments are really ideal. We also set it high and kept it loaded with neets foot oil. I am not familiar with your Maxwell so I am really not much help.

Thanks Fellows, I now know loosening the nuts is NOT the way to go so I'll try bottoming them out and then backing off till I get the best function I can live with. At least I know everything was rebuilt. This work was completed in the mid to late 1960's so I doubt it is Kevlar but I could be wrong.

Howard Dennis

Hi, You have a problem with a 'grabby' cone clutch and I've read elsewhere that other people have this problem as well. Until recently our family used and still has Leyland trucks,in particular a 1923 model 30 hp 3 ton used as a crane on our farm and fitted with a cone clutch;and clutch brake.The only info I can add that my father stipulated was important was that with cone clutches the end float on the crankshaft has to be kept to a minimum. As you 'feather' the clutch in, the crankshaft pulls back and grabs the clutch cone, causing the shudder if there is excessive end float. The lining was soft asbestos and if there was oil on it he would put talcum powder in. Fred.