Small home made clutch spring compressor

[NealW]

The good news is that we have both Model T's in good running order and currently need no work. The bad news is that you can only polish brass so often, so I was looking for a Model T related project. Last year when I rebuilt the engine on our 1911 touring car restoration, I used a home made clutch spring compressor made from some modified wheel hub plates and all thread, like shown in the MTFCA transmission book and occasionally posted on the forum as an example of how to compress the clutch spring. It worked fine, but is pretty big and probably wouldn't work if someone tried to swap out the spring with the motor still in the car.

A while back Toon from Holland posted a picture of a nice, compact clutch spring compressor that he had made. He provided me with some dimensions that I modified slightly to make it easier for me to make, since I have limited metal working machinery. Yesterday I made the compressor using 1/4" aluminum plate that I got from everyone's favorite scrap place and salvage store in Wichita, the Yard Store. I used my angle grinder with a cutoff wheel to cut it out, and a 2" hole saw intended for wood to SLOWLY cut the holes in the aluminum. I did use a belt sander and files to pretty them up by smoothing the edges and to radius the corners as shown in the pictures below. I then tapped the plate with the cutout that fits over the clutch collar so that I could just thread the bolts in instead of having the risk of dropping a nut into the engine. If the compressor was only ever intended for use when the engine is torn down, then nuts would also work.

Anyway, I've now got a nice, compact compressor for my Model T specific tool box that hopefully I'll never need to use!

I've also posted a drawing showing the dimensions to make the compressor plates. You can put radii on the corners to suit your taste. The two 5/16 UNC bolts are 3.5" long.

Neal

[Joe Bell]

Where there is a will there is a way!

[RGould1910]

Very well done. I appreciate your attention to detail and fit and finish.

[Art M]

The filing and grinding finishing looks like an NC job. Very nice work.

Art Mirtes

[Craig Leach]

Hi Neal,
Do I understand correctly that this will work in the car with the hogshead on and the rear & drive shaft removed to replace a broken clutch
spring?
Craig.

[NealW]

Do I understand correctly that this will work in the car with the hogshead on and the rear & drive shaft removed to replace a broken clutch
spring?

It should be small enough to use with the hogshead off and the driveshaft and ballcap pulled back. The notched end fits where the clutch "horse shoe" goes, so the hogshead has to be off. That is still a lot less work than pulling the engine and tearing down the engine!