Clutch fingers hitting friction plate springs

[70sWagoneers]

So Ive rebuilt and re-installed the engine into my 1937 Buick Special 248ci. It runs! But when the clutch throwout bearing pushes the clutch finger levers in they hit the friction plate springs. So just for now I have the clutch pedal adjusted just enough to disengage the clutch without pushing the levers into the springs. I remember the peculiar sound it makes from before I rebuilt the engine so it had the same problem then. So when I rebuilt the clutch I readjusted all the fingers until they were even, but I didn't know what height they were supposed to be set at. I measured off the top of the pressure plate, bringing the two low ones up and the high one down till they were even. But now I see that they all should have been brought up too! Does anyone have any idea what the distance from the top of the pressure plate to the fingers should be?? The only reference I could find was to a "special tool", but I couldn't find that. So now Ill have to adjust the fingers up while installed in the car. I guess the best I can do is to turn the locking nuts on the fingers equal amounts of turns and hope all is even. And as a second concern, does anyone know if there is a washer or shim under the ball stud that the throwout fork pivots on? I didn't take enough pictures of when I dissassembled so I just put one thick washer under the ball stud.

Thanks

James C. 

[jenz38]

Put it all together,open the upper Bellhousing Hole from inside od the Car an adjust the finger from here so they will have all 3 a Gap of ca. 0.1" between it and the Throwout-Bearing in released Position  (Pedal also full back with its rubber gasket in the Hole in your floor).

 

A Washer under the ballstud i wuold only add ,if its nessessary .

With this job your clutch should work properly ..

Feel free an adjust like this your pedal pressure point  like you like it and feel anatomic the best for your size.

( i like it ,to feel the pressure point with the heel on the floor).

 

I done it like this, before i switched over to a jeep cherokee pressure plate,because of the rattleling when the clutch comes in.

Another tip..Let your dust pan ,under the Bell, all times off ...

in my case the Oil fog in it ,from the rear (pre '39) engine "sealing" ,will not lubricate the friction plate at higher revs ..

 

M2C

Edited September 13, 2017 by jenz38 (see edit history)

[70sWagoneers]

Thanks jenz. I will set my clutch pedal up per the manual's instruction and then raise the clutch fingers until I get about 0.1" air gap between fingers and throwout bearing. I am also getting a lot of oil on the flywheel and am worried it will contaminate my clutch. I am not sure where it is coming from. I sealed the rear main bearing pretty well I thought, but there is also a pretty steep hill that I back down to my parking spot so perhaps oil is just coming right out the rear main bearing! Seems there is oil coming from everywhere! Very frustrating. Oh well

 

Thanks

James C

[jenz38]

They start with a real rear sealing (Rope) in '39 ...

befor this ,there where no seal, only a spiral on the Crankshaft for outcoming oil running back into the oilpan.

On an engine with higher inner pressure (worn out or brand new Pistonrings, too .) ,this spiral system will not work correctly and dont let run the oil ,against the pressure , back into the pan.

And No James, its not possible to upgrade the pre '39 engines with a real sealing.

I had the same problem with my original 38 engine an swirched over to a Engine of rhe 40's.

Best gaskets offer a rubber 2 piece seal from '36-'53  ,but thats wrong,correct is from '39-'53 straight eights.

I send a mail to BG for this mistake...if i remember right, they have changed the year-range in theyr (newer)offer.

 

 

[Guest]

On 9/13/2017 at 10:48 PM, 70sWagoneers said:

Thanks jenz. I will set my clutch pedal up per the manual's instruction and then raise the clutch fingers until I get about 0.1" air gap between fingers and throwout bearing. I am also getting a lot of oil on the flywheel and am worried it will contaminate my clutch. I am not sure where it is coming from. I sealed the rear main bearing pretty well I thought, but there is also a pretty steep hill that I back down to my parking spot so perhaps oil is just coming right out the rear main bearing! Seems there is oil coming from everywhere! Very frustrating. Oh well

 

Thanks

James C

A

Edited December 11, 2017 by Guest (see edit history)