Help. Clutch Chatter and need to move car soon!

[Big_Guys_baby]

Hey gang, I am in a time pinch to get this car moved and need some help.

1946 business coupe. I inherited car from my dad when he died last year. Dad had a rebuilt tranny sitting around and the old one leaked. I installed new clutch, pressure plate, throw out, pilot bearing, and the new tranny. Also installed new u joints, brakes, and suspension spring shackle and bushings.

The engine is running very solid and it fires up faster than my new car! The only issue is that the clutch or tranny chatters as I put it in gear. Also when I am driving it I can't down shift without ungodly chatter....

When I was adjusting thr clutch pedal threaded rod it took me and a buddy to depress the adjust. Do I need to adjust more, any suggestions would be more than welcome! I hope I am specific enough. Normally I research more, but time pressured to get car moved.

Thanks!

[Big_Guys_baby]

Oh, and once everything gets warmed up it chatters going into 1st from idle and dead stop

[Bruce Lancaster]

Possibilities are failed rubber-to-metal bond in the rear mount, which secures engine fore/aft in '42-48, and clutch finger height. I have heard that some current pressure plates have randomly adjusted finger...not a pleasant prospect to get at after the thrash of putting it all in there.
Try looking in through the little inspection window on bellhousing...I'm not sure how much you can see that way, but it is over an area of interest.

[Brendan]

when you say chatter, do you mean that the gears grind?

[FlatheadTed]

You should have two rods that run forward from the bell housing to the frame ,they need to be tight .The finger adjusment is important ,The new clutch Pressure plates I have checked are out ,You may need to Machine the fly wheel but this is low on the list .

[Bruce Lancaster]

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No rods after 1941...they got a rear mount that is rigid fore and aft, until the rubber tears away from the steel...

[Bruce Lancaster]

PS...there is a fairly complicated Canadian Army sourced conversion using '41 rods and instructions from Canadian Bulletins, but if that is the problem someone posted an aftermarket (formerly available from JC whitney) steady rod setup on here with dimensions. It is simple, and I think making one would be easier than changing the rear mount.

(this post https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showth...er+aftermarket shows the thing. Another I failed to find gives dimensions, but since it is based on two lower bellhousing bolt holes and a simple cook over X member connected by a piece of threaded rod, figuring it out would be pretty easy.)

[George/Maine]

The old trick when starting off was put in 2 nd gear thats stops the gears then put in 1st and get the clutch up as fast and you can with out running rubber,lean to down shift at slower speeds and learn to double clutch.

[Floyd]

I think the problem is in the phrase "new clutch and pressure plate". Many, if not most of the new clutches are of offshore manufacture and the lining is too thick and of a material that promotes chatter. These clutches drag and chatter. Best bet is have the old disc and cover(pressure plate) rebuilt by a good rebuilder. Just an opinion
Floyd

[Mart]

In my opinion, I think the OP is referring to gears grinding. A clutch does not chatter when you put it in gear, it chatters when pulling away from rest.

Until the OP confirms one way or another it may be time wasted to guess the cause.

Mart.

[Big_Guys_baby]

Sorry guys... Yeah even though today is my 33rd birthday I have been messing with cars my whole life thanks to my old man. It feels more like the gears are chattering... Unfortunately I didn't keep the old clutch and pressure plate to have them rebuilt...

The clutch pedal adjustment I am talking about is the threaded rod to clutch pedal....

[Big_Guys_baby]

Does this forum accept video... I can post some video tomorrow of the problem

[Brendan]

Originally Posted by Big_Guys_baby

Does this forum accept video... I can post some video tomorrow of the problem

yup , if you put them on you tube first, then put the link on ford barn that is how i do it

[Brendan]

Originally Posted by Mart

In my opinion, I think the OP is referring to gears grinding. A clutch does not chatter when you put it in gear, it chatters when pulling away from rest.

Until the OP confirms one way or another it may be time wasted to guess the cause.

Mart.

thats what i said earlyer

[Karl Wolf]

Fort Wayne Clutch, Indiana... That's where I got the clutch that's in my avatar
A-V8... No problems for me, Lots of good words for them on this site.

Previous clutch of mine chattered, the pressure plate arms were not adjusted to work at the same height... But this was only from a stop, not running down the road shifting...
I would want to look at the oil in the gear box for evidence...
Karl

[Mart]

Brendan, I know you also said it, I was reinforcing what you said and asking for more info from the OP.

So it sounds like gears grinding, so we are looking at a dragging (not properly releasing) clutch.

[47Merc]

Change the rear transmission mount and the two front engine mounts for new ones and I think you will find the chatter will disappear.

[40 Deluxe]

Maybe we need to clarify some terminology: Gears don't "chatter", they "grind". Clutches "chatter"; this is when the whole car shakes as you let the clutch pedal up, just as the car is starting to move. "Free play" is the amount the clutch pedal moves before the throwout bearing contacts the pressure plate fingers. This amount, maybe an inch or so, is easy to move with your hand-the only resistance is the return spring.
Try this: Start the engine with the trans in 2nd or 3rd and keeping the clutch pedal down. You should now be able to shift into 1st or reverse without any grinding. If the gears grind with the clutch down, the disc is dragging against the pressure plate-wrong adjustment or wrong/defective parts.

[John Kennedy]

Or the pilot bushing is dragging. Don't overlook that.

[jimvette59]

It''s been discussed before, could be the pressure plate arms over riding he throwout bearing. When I ordered a setup from Fort Wane Clutch Indiana they said I needed a larger diameter throwout bearing and supplied a complete set. Just a thought. Jim.T.