High speed clutch - slips before engaging

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum (old): High speed clutch - slips before engaging
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John H (26tourer) on Sunday, June 15, 2003 - 08:53 pm:

Low speed works fine but when the car has picked up speed and I let the pedal all the way up, it seems that the high speed clutch takes a few seconds to properly engage. You can feel it slipping then it suddenly locks. It can't be the adjusting bolt on the side of the transmission as the handbrake lever is all the way forward.
This happens about half the times I go into second gear, other times the clutch locks up soon as I release the pedal like it should.
Should I try tightening the 3 clutch adjusting screws half a turn?

John H


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Michael Perigo (Mperigo) on Sunday, June 15, 2003 - 09:09 pm:

John,

Yes, try tightening the 3 adjusting screws - one half turn each. As one who can speak from recent experience, you might run some thread through the cotter pins before you pull them out. I didn't, but God knew what he was doing. I had to take of the hogshead; I found two magnet clamps gone and one loose. The heads of the screws had been sheared off by the magneto coils. Also, the coil to magnet gap was over .060 and the magnets were weak. However, the car ran fine - it had a set of Coilman coils - probably could have run without the mag:)

The answer I started to give was "yes."

Mike


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Huson (Modelt12) on Sunday, June 15, 2003 - 09:42 pm:

Mike:

Its best to have someone help you with this job. One to crank and one to tighten the screws so you don't tighten one twice. When I do this job by myself I always paint two of them different colors so I don't tighten one of them twice. When your srews are tightened your main spring should be somewhere near two inches. If you have to tighten your screws enough so you don't slip and the spring is less than two inches then your main spring is no good. Someone in your town will have a spring checker or you can make your own. The next time you have your motor out check for 90 lbs (100 lbs if you are using a Watts or Turbo 400).


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Michael Perigo (Mperigo) on Monday, June 16, 2003 - 01:22 am:

Dave,

I'm all apart now! A buddy and I are getting ready to rebuid the transmission. It seems pretty loose - a lot of play in the bushings. I've order the MTFCA booklet and printed out Fred Houston's article.

My friend is a retired mechanic and machinist from the coal mine. He has also restored a couple of Model "A's".

I getting a rebuilt field coil ring from Wally S and the coilman is re-charging my magnets.

Should I replace the clutch disks while I'm in there?

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Mike


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Huson (Modelt12) on Monday, June 16, 2003 - 03:02 am:

Mike:

I prefer the Watts Clutch. I use them in all the Tranis I rebuild. That way you eliminate all the large disks that strike the inside lugs of the brake drum. The brake drum is very soft cast iron and prone to cutting by the large disks. Dont forget to check the tension on your clutch spring. it should be 90 lbs on regular disks and 100 on watts and turbo 400 disks. If you can not find a machine shop or mechanic in your area that has a spring checker let me know and I will tell you how to make one for yourself. I find them once in awhile at the larger swap meets like Chickasha. This is also a good time to put O rings in your hogs head.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Huson (Modelt12) on Monday, June 16, 2003 - 03:13 am:

Mike:

One more thought. I never have found a set of triple gear bushings that were any good. I have had to replace every one. However the original manual says that you do not have to replace your drum bushings if there is no more than .005 clearance. The reproduction bushing are so soft that if I can avoid it I do not replace them. Usually if you find a drum that has little or no wear the bushing is still good. By the way I find it very helpfull to use a mirror to center the hole in the clutch drum with the hole in the main shaft.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John H (26tourer) on Thursday, June 26, 2003 - 01:40 am:

Tightening the screws half a turn improved things a little; tightening another half turn did not improve on that. What I did find was 1/8" crankshaft end play...interesting times ahead!

John H


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