VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 Re-lining leather clutch

Can anyone tell me if this topic has been covered already? I'm not finding it in "search."

I'm going to have to re-do new leather on the cone clutch of my '16 490 sometime this summer. I don't need to start a whole new topic on this if it has already been covered. Thanks.

I'm not inclined to use Kevlar or similar - I want to do it in good old fashioned leather, like it was built. Have heard more bad than good about the modern replacement materials.

Hi ChevyGuru,

Here's some threads about leather cone clutches. Most of them deal with early 20's cars, but some of the info might be of help.

https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php...her/Search/true/Re_Cone_Clutch#Post51522

https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php...Nifty_repair_for_cone_clutches#Post51954

https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php...ther/Search/true/Re_1922_parts#Post98573

https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php/topics/110500/1

https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php...Search/true/Re_FB_cone_clutch#Post139376

https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php...eather/Search/true/Re_Success#Post156298


Happy Motoring,

Dan

Wise decision to eliminate any material other than leather. The last lining I purchased was from one of the members on a National 4-cylinder tour.

I feel you could do it yourself if you had the leather cut and connected.

Thanks for all those links! Why in the world I could not find them myself with the "search" function I don't know. I have scanned through them, lots of good reading there. This, plus the Repair Manual, should get me started pretty good once I get to it.

Yes, Ray, this will definitely be me doing the work. I want to understand the system myself. I will be pulling the transmission so I can get in there and do a lot of cleaning and inspecting, see what other things I can find to tinker on.

I am just twisted enough to consider this type of project "fun."

Just in case you havent read the manual yet, you will also be pulling the rear end. I did a little reading about changing leather. I think the leather on my clutch may have stretched a little bit from sticking and releasing. I may be doing the same thing.

Another Newbie question on my '23 Superior Sedan on the issue of the leather clutch lining. What is the best way to access the clutch leather to treat with Neatsfoot oil or to adjust the springs. I assume it is from underneath the car with someone pushing in the clutch pedal to release the cone but I havn't crawled under the car to try that yet. I am assuming that the leather treatment and spring adjustment is possible with the clutch in the car? The clutch is currently quite grabby and I'm hoping it is just because the car sat in a museum for 6 years without being operated.

OK, so now I've crawled underneath the car and with some assistance have watched the miracles of the cone clutch in operation. My question still stands as to how best to treat the leather clutch material. When the clutch is released about a 1/4" of the material shows outside of the flywheel and so there is no good way to treat the leather that way. One forum post from several years ago talked about accessing the clutch lining from an opening in the top and bottom of the flywheel and using an oil can to apply the neatsfoot oil. Problem is that from on top of the car with the floorboards removed, the opening is not immediately apparent. Neither was it from the bottom end.

So how do you experienced old hands do this apparently simple process?

Dansker,

I have applied some neatsfoot oil to the leather clutch lining while a helper has stepped on the clutch pedal and the cone clutch is out that 1/4", I pour some neatsfoot oil in a cup and using a small cheap paint brush, I dip the paint brush in the neatsfoot oil and apply it to the clutch leather between the leather and the flywheel. I apply it over the leather at the 10 to 2 o'clock position and then rotation the cone clutch about 1/3 a turn and do the same till you have gone all the way around. You can turn the clutch via a wrench on the crankshaft bolt (should be 1/2" nut) with the trans. in neutral. You should be able to do this with the floor boards removed, though I am not too familiar with the Superior Model. This will eliminate the grabby clutch, but it may slip for several miles till the access oil comes off the clutch. Hope this was of help.
Cheers,
Gary

Gary,

That's exactly the kind of practical advice I was looking for. After I do the neatsfoot oil I get to play around with spring adjusters and see how they work. This is becoming a very interesting hobby.

Thanks for your help!

If you do not have a reprint of the OM and Repair Manual it is strongly urged that you get them. They are not that expensive. Consider a set of the CSNs also if you own a 1927 or 28.

After I replaced the leather on my 1922 five years ago the clutch has worked very smooth and without problems during approximately 5 000 kilometers (3 000 miles). A short time after installing the new leather I had to adjust a couple of the expanders slightly, and after one year I re-oiled with neats-foot oil as I described in a couple of posts in the threads listed in a post above. The last three years (4 000 kilometers/2 500 miles) I have done nothing to the clutch. Of course I often fill oil in the yoke and give the square axel a little oil. On a tour last week, 600 kilometers/400 miles, the clutch still worked perfect.