That Funny Clutch Noise

[Brian_Heil]

Knew last Fall the clutch gave out in my 1923 while giving neighbor kids rides around the neighborhood.  The Buick was kind enough to have me only a few houses away when the clutch started to sound like a train wreck. 
 

Hugh L. helped with lining rivets and Terry W had some lining material.  Thank you both again. Built up a new clutch pack over the Winter.  Ready to go.  
 

Pulled the axle, trans and clutch today ( I have a tour a week from Wednesday. Ha. Why rush things?)

 

And here’s what I found.  Just as I thought, missing drive ears and very little left and ready to let go, drive ears, in many locations.  
 

I put these parts in 25 years ago after I first got the car.  They were all well used pieces then and the best I had and I had just built my house and was budget conscious. I’m surprised they went ~35,000 miles. 

Time to clean things up and reassemble. 

Edited May 24, 2022 by Brian_Heil (see edit history)

[Brian_Heil]

The donor discs that got cleaned up and re-lined.  Edit Thanks to Larry Di!

Edited May 24, 2022 by Brian_Heil (see edit history)

[Brian_Heil]

The new pack ready to go. 

[Mark Shaw]

Nicely done Brian....!😎

[Mark Kikta]

Wow,

Great last-minute project on your part there Brian!

[Brian_Heil]

Rebuilt clutch in. 
 

Transmission in.  It fought me the whole way. 
 

Pedals and battery box in. 
 

Axle / torque tube and tires tomorrow. Brake rods. 
 

Back it out and clean up 25 years of grease, dirt, chunks of lining and disc ears that were all in the bell housing. 
 

Been cool the last two days.  Great weather for working in the garage. 
 

How I did this 25 years ago standing with a foot on each door sill and a loop of chain bolted to the trans to wiggle it in, I’ll never know.  Borrowed the neighbors nice cherry picker this time and the booger still fought me. Then after it knew I had, had enough, it just popped in. 

[dibarlaw]

Yes, Brian after the new clutch I put in 2012 on my 1937 the trans and rear axle was a real fight to reinstall. 

 

 Much younger man than I am now took it out in 1987. When I did the clutch in my 1925 in 2014 that younger man still did not show up to help do the job.

 

  

The plates were in good condition just the lining was coming off. One disk had about 1/3 completely gone. Not a trace in the bottom cover. I found it all later in the starter gear cavity.

Terry provided new disks at the time for me also.

 

Edited May 23, 2022 by dibarlaw (see edit history)

[Brian_Heil]

How has the disc material performed seeing how I have the same stuff?

[dibarlaw]

Brian:

I will check today as the clutch now seems to be dragging at a stop. Same issue I had before replacement of not being able to go into gear after startup in neutral. I attempted adjustment and it does not seem to help. I have had the redone clutch in for almost 8 years and only several thousand miles use. The car sat for a year and a half while getting the engine rebuilt.

[Brian_Heil]

OK. Check thru the inspection window that your throw out bearing is not in contact with the pressure plate.  I’m setting that as I type. 
 

For all the trouble the transmission gave me, the torque tube and axle went right in.  Big floor jack under the differential and a 1 inch wide strap around the front of the torque tube hooked to the cherry picker through the floor.  Worked like a charm. 
 

Leafs attached. Front torque tube attached. 
 

Rods hooked up and only thing left is tires and clean up.  Leaving the floor off for clutch adjustments and to make sure throw out bearing is not in contact with pressure plate. 
 

Brakes look like they could use an adjustment too. 

[Brian_Heil]

10 mile test drive.
 

Shifts like butter. Very happy.  
 

Time for an oil change and lube.  Then detail for the two tours coming up. 
 

Tallyho!

[Brian_Heil]

A big thank you also to Larry Di (the Other Larry) who supplied those donor discs pictured above.  I had some but he had some really nice ones. 
 

Betterer is gooder. 

Edited May 24, 2022 by Brian_Heil (see edit history)

[dibarlaw]

Thanks Brian:

 Hope to visit with you on tour at Grantsville MD.

Here is what the clutch pack looked like after 8 years.

The outermost friction disk is a bit greasy from leakage of input shaft to transmission. But all the disks are still in good shape. I cleaned up the pressure plate as the throw-out bearing on these does send grease out. I did use some graphite lube with a flux brush to touch up the guide bars where the driving plate metal tabs are to ride.  Also, the clutch release rod nut plate was loose and letting the clutch adjustment change. That is to keep the 1/32" gap between the release plate and throw out bearing face.

 What was on my car on the right. Deformed larger and thinner plate. Was on my car when I bought it.

On the left a smaller and heavier steel plate that actually fit in the rectangular slot provided. This was on the transmission of the engine I got from Oregon.

 After adjustment things are better but still not disengaging freely at a stop.

 

[Mark Shaw]

On 5/25/2022 at 7:50 AM, dibarlaw said:

This was on the transmission of the engine I got from Oregon.

It's good to see at least one small part from that pile found it's way into your Buick.

Edited May 29, 2022 by Mark Shaw (see edit history)

[dibarlaw]

Mark:

I believe so far that little plate, the steering wheel, a floor pedal plate surround, the much nicer emergency brake handle and of course the wheels, rims and spare tire carrier ring. I still have to replace that ring on my car as a previous owner cut the one on the car down to fit the 21" rim. Also, some of the other items went to those in need.