Reproduction Parts for 1916-1964 Chevrolet Passenger Cars & 1918-1987 Chevrolet & GMC Trucks


Thread Like Summary
Avatar
Total Likes: 2
Original Post (Thread Starter)
#476361 11/23/2022 4:06 PM
by Avatar
Avatar
I'm about to have a mechanic replace the clutch leather on my 1920 490 Touring. He's charging $80 per hour, which I think is very fair, but I have a few questions.

1) How long should this job take?

2) What are some problems he might encounter?

3) What other parts may need replacing and are they available?

4) Any advice that may help him?

Sorry for all the questions, but my car seems to be in nice original condition and I'd really like to get her on the road again!!
Liked Replies
#476378 Nov 24th a 11:54 AM
by swedechev
swedechev
I recommend you to search this forum. Choose ”Advanced Forum Search”, scroll the ”Forum(s) to search” to ”Technical-Prewar”, begin to choose 1916-1922 (Model 490 only) and print ”clutch leather” (Note: don’t forget the ”...”:s) in the ”Keyword Search Terms”, then ”Searth Entire Posts”. On ”Date Range, choose ”Newer than 20 years. Klick ”Search forums” and you’ll get a handy number of posts (I got different numbers, between 24 and 43!), many of them from the same thread. Choose one post, go to the first post in that thread and often you will find a lot of good information. Sometimes different opinions on the same subject. In some of these threads you will find links to other threads, or tips of different kinds.

1 How long time?
I have no idea. Depends on the mechanic's knowledge and experience.
I replaced the clutch leather, during the winter 2006/2007, with extremely lot of help from a good friend, not a professional mechanic but with a lot of knowledge and quite a lot of experience from restoring and reparing older cars on hobby basis. At that time I was not a member of the VCCA, and i did not have the excellent ”Chevrolet Repair Manual 1918-1924”, third edition January 1923, which I one year later bought from Gary Wallace.

2 Some problems?
In my opinion: a lot. Depends on the mechanics knowledge and experience.
For me alone it had been an impossible job.
One example: How to remove the gear box without removing the rear end? I got the information from a man who was restoring a 490.
Another example: How to construct and make a ”Clutch Puller”? My friend succeded! And he did that without the instructive picture of the tool in the Repair manual mentioned above.

3 What other parts?
I cannot remember if we replaced some other parts.
I used leather, and I recommend that. After the replacement the clutch has worked for more than 11 000 miles, so far without issues.
The six expanders are crucial, mine were quite good.

4 Any advice
I have quite a lot of pictures from the replacement, also from the check of the clutch leather I did one year later, when I had to make an engine overhaul.
1 member likes this
#476833 Dec 11th a 05:01 PM
by swedechev
swedechev
Avatar, sorry for delay. Actually I thought that I had posted some pictures in some of my old posts. After I noticed your Private Message I found out that there were no pictures. After that it took some time to find out some ways to make it possible for you to view pictures of my clutch leather replacement.

First I recommend you to take a look on my my website . Under ”Sidor” (pages), go to ”Reparationer, tips”. Scroll to ”Nytt läder på kopplings konan” (new leather on the clutch cone). You can click on pictures to see them in full size. To go back, click the ”back” arrow in your browser. The text is in swedish ...

Then take a look on the following 14 pictures. The pictures are in quite high resolution, so it takes a couple of seconds before the they shows correct.

The first three pictures are from the removal of the engine with the clutch, december 2007. The removal of the engine was necessary in order to make an engine overhaul.

Still in the car 4357
Engine and clutch released from transmission 4359
Engine and clutch out of the car 4362

The following seven pictures are from the the investigation of the clutch, also december 2007.

Leather after one season 4372 Note that I had the leather mounted with the smooth side out. Other recommends the rough side out, so I guess both will work. Also note I had the ends of the leather slanted, more two inches, maybe more, and then glued togetheter. The rivet on the right side is positioned through the slanted and glued ends. Others, for instance Bob Knaak, who seems very experienced, recommends cutting the leather without slanting, but with two extra rivets near the leather ends, so I guess that works too.

Oil from the cranccase 1. 4375 On this and the following two pictures, note the oil leakage that has coloured the leather. It is engine oil, coming från the hole in the rear end of the crankshaft in order to lubricate the roller balls for the ”Clutch Spring Tension Rod”.
Oil from the cranccase 2 4376
Oil from the cranccase 3 4378
Oil on the ”Clutch Spring Tension Rod” retainer 4380

The clutch puller tool my friend made 4383
The clutch puller tool 4384. See also pictures 5491and 5493 below.

The last four pictures are from the assembling in July 2008.

Clutch Spring Tension Rod 5475 Note: When you install the Clutch Spring Tension Rod, with the balls and the retainer (?), be careful that the retainer will fit exactly into the recess (?) in the rear end of the crancshaft. There is a risk that the retainer comes in a skew (?) position. Guess how I know...
The tool used at the assembling 5491
The tool used at the assembling 2 5493. Note the slot in the pipe, nessery to remove and install the spring pin.
Ready to install the engine and clutch in the car 5494.

Hope this helps.
If you have some specific questions you are welcome to ask.
1 member likes this
Support The VCCA!

Enjoy the forum? Become a VCCA member! The World's Best Chevrolet and GMC Club!


Member Photos
1964 Chevrolet Impala SS
1964 Chevrolet Impala SS
by DreamChevy, February 17
My 1933 Chevy 2 Dr. Sedan
My 1933 Chevy 2 Dr. Sedan
by 1939Chevy1, November 24
Back on the road 79 years later
2 1927 Chevrolet Trucks
2 1927 Chevrolet Trucks
by 1927TRUCKS, June 7
Who's Online Now
1 members (Tiny), 82 guests, and 19 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
NeilA, Jayhicks, Tomvanhouten, Dads29Chevy, Tractorman
18,308 Registered Users
Today's Birthdays
SabrinaKarras, Speedy1
Forum Statistics
Forums58
Topics59,072
Posts429,077
Members18,308
Most Online1,133
Jan 22nd, 2020
 

Notice: Any comments posted herein do not necessarily reflect the official position of the VCCA.

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5