VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 Leather clutch joys

Does anyone by any chance have any saved links to previous discussions here about "stuck" leather clutches? Getting close to getting the 1914 running, so the next thing will be dealing with the clutch and tranny, untouched for a lifetime. And stuck. I know this has been talked about several times, but not finding anything when I search. Thanks.

Did you search the 1916-1922 forum for "cone clutch"? There are a number of threads. As you can see there are, as usually, differing opinions about what is the best way to do things.

In wich way is the clutch "stuck"? I suppose you cannot remove the cone from the flywheel? If the clutch is a construction similar to the one in the 490 and FB models the cone is pressed to the flywheel with a very strong spring. If so, you need a sturdy puller. The spring is running in a quite narrow tube (clutch housing and clutch hub), maybe the spring can be stuck by rust?

I have pictures with dimensions for clutch pullers for 490 and FB models, but I guess they differ from what you need.

Hello Don,

I am pretty sure you will find news about this subject in the 490 columns. I only know on one having restored a similar car to yours. Hans Peter Nielsen in Denmark, having a 1915 fully restored to an amazing result. Ask him and I think he might know the answer as to your car.

Here is the home made tool for keeping the heavy spring pressed together to be able to remove the clutch itself: http://s889.photobucket.com/user/so...%20of%20clutch%20parts?sort=3&page=1

You also will need a sturdy puller to release the spring.

I have always managed to free a cone clutch by heating the flywheel and clutch, usually with a hot-air gun. I keep heating it and trying the pedal until it frees.

Regards
Al

Finally, success! Today, I turned my full attention to getting the clutch un-stuck. and it took almost all day. I have been squirting Neatsfoot Oil in it almost every day, and it hadn't budged.

Today, I took an old putty knife blade which I shaped into the correct radius, and hammered it in between the leather clutch and the flywheel - in about an inch, wiggle and pull out, repeat - all the way around the circumference. Twice. This should have done the trick, but still no movement. Next, I disassembled the various shafts and joints back to the transmission, and everything was free. Backed a little pressure off the central clutch spring. Nothing.

Finally, ended up heating it with a little hand-held butane torch, and beating it with a hammer. After about 30 minutes of this abuse, it suddenly became free! I had just about given up, too, and didn't know what the next plan was going to be. But it appears to be in reasonably decent shape, for not having been working for nearly a century. When the day comes I get to drive the car, we will see if it holds together or blows apart, I guess. But at least it is freed.

As stuck -


Disengaged - Free at last!