The Ford Barn

Russ/40 · 09-21-2019, 11:06 AM

I'm curious, when a rear main leaks substantially, does it foul the clutch? Or, does the leak somehow bypass the clutch. Also, is the long style clutch on a trimmed A flywheel more suseptable to oil fouling?

Purdy Swoft · 09-21-2019, 11:29 AM

I've had model A's most of my life and I have never had oil from a leaking rear main bearing get in the clutch . I suppose if the leak was severe enough it could happen but the leak would probably be too bad for regular use .

Ruth · 09-21-2019, 11:40 AM

When my rear main was leaking the flywheel seemed to 'fling' the oil out where it would collect on the inside of the bell housing then run out the bottom. never got to the clutch.

Patrick L. · 09-21-2019, 12:43 PM

Its pretty hard for the oil to get tangled up in the clutch.

Synchro909 · 09-21-2019, 04:53 PM

A combination of gravity and centrifugal forces prevent oil getting to the clutch. I had an engine once that leaked oil out the back so badly that when I stopped, oil would flood out onto the road and often enough, leave a puddle a foot accross. While I was driving, the spinning flywheen kept the oil flung out against the inside of the bell housing. When the motor was turned off, gravity did its thing and the oil found its way out. NONE got on the clutch!

Purdy Swoft · 09-21-2019, 05:00 PM

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That's the way that I believe it works and it leaks after the engine is shut down .

Werner · 09-21-2019, 05:15 PM

Hallo Russ, on my A, the clutch slipped because a mixture of grease and oil touched the friction lining. Remedy brought the repeated spraying with a big lot of brake cleaner.

Russ/40 · 09-21-2019, 11:35 PM

What makes me ask the question, is if I let my car sit for a few weeks, The clutch has no chatter and is smooth. If I really work the car like long drives with lots of hills, the clutch begins to chatter. The longer I drive it, the worse the chatter gets.

Patrick L. · 09-22-2019, 03:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ/40

What makes me ask the question, is if I let my car sit for a few weeks, The clutch has no chatter and is smooth. If I really work the car like long drives with lots of hills, the clutch begins to chatter. The longer I drive it, the worse the chatter gets.

You could remove the inspection plate and take a look. You might also check that the pressure plate fingers all make contact with the release bearing at the same exact time.

Russ/40 · 09-22-2019, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick L.

You could remove the inspection plate and take a look. You might also check that the pressure plate fingers all make contact with the release bearing at the same exact time.

Your right, I should do that. I just hate pulling the floorboards. The floormat gets buggered up a bit more every time. I'm pretty confident the clutch fingers are ok.

Patrick L. · 09-22-2019, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ/40

Your right, I should do that. I just hate pulling the floorboards. The floormat gets buggered up a bit more every time. I'm pretty confident the clutch fingers are ok.

I can relate to the floor mat thing. Mine is now one of those 2 piece units.

But generally a chatter is from a warped flywheel, pressure plate fingers too far out of adjustment or clutch housing out of alignment. Of those, the finger check the easiest with a long feeler strip.

I think its seldom that a chatter is caused by a soaked disk.

Kohnke Rebabbitting · 09-22-2019, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick L.

I can relate to the floor mat thing. Mine is now one of those 2 piece units.

But generally a chatter is from a warped flywheel, pressure plate fingers too far out of adjustment or clutch housing out of alignment. Of those, the finger check the easiest with a long feeler strip.

I think its seldom that a chatter is caused by a soaked disk.

I Agree, Mr Patrick, and I also have never seen oil on Flywheel, or pressure Plate.

The ones I have, ( Not Model A ) , always slipped, rather then chatter.

Herm.

Kohnke Rebabbitting · 09-22-2019, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick L.

I can relate to the floor mat thing. Mine is now one of those 2 piece units.

But generally a chatter is from a warped flywheel, pressure plate fingers too far out of adjustment or clutch housing out of alignment. Of those, the finger check the easiest with a long feeler strip.

I think its seldom that a chatter is caused by a soaked disk.

I Agree, Mr Patrick, and I also have never seen oil on Flywheel, or pressure Plate.

The ones I have, ( Not Model A ) , always slipped, rather then chatter.

Herm.

09-21-2019, 11:06 AM	#1
Russ/40 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Santee, California Posts: 3,505	Rear main leak to clutch I'm curious, when a rear main leaks substantially, does it foul the clutch? Or, does the leak somehow bypass the clutch. Also, is the long style clutch on a trimmed A flywheel more suseptable to oil fouling?

09-21-2019, 11:29 AM	#2
Purdy Swoft Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Alabama Posts: 8,099	Re: Rear main leak to clutch I've had model A's most of my life and I have never had oil from a leaking rear main bearing get in the clutch . I suppose if the leak was severe enough it could happen but the leak would probably be too bad for regular use .

09-21-2019, 11:40 AM	#3
Ruth Senior Member Join Date: May 2016 Location: Glide, Oregon Posts: 1,336	Re: Rear main leak to clutch When my rear main was leaking the flywheel seemed to 'fling' the oil out where it would collect on the inside of the bell housing then run out the bottom. never got to the clutch.

09-21-2019, 12:43 PM	#4
Patrick L. Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Largo Florida Posts: 7,225	Re: Rear main leak to clutch Its pretty hard for the oil to get tangled up in the clutch.

09-21-2019, 04:53 PM	#5
Synchro909 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 7,496	Re: Rear main leak to clutch A combination of gravity and centrifugal forces prevent oil getting to the clutch. I had an engine once that leaked oil out the back so badly that when I stopped, oil would flood out onto the road and often enough, leave a puddle a foot accross. While I was driving, the spinning flywheen kept the oil flung out against the inside of the bell housing. When the motor was turned off, gravity did its thing and the oil found its way out. NONE got on the clutch! __________________ I'm part of the only ever generation with an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood.

09-21-2019, 05:00 PM	#6
Purdy Swoft Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Alabama Posts: 8,099	Re: Rear main leak to clutch Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) That's the way that I believe it works and it leaks after the engine is shut down .

09-21-2019, 05:15 PM	#7
Werner Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Germany, near Aachen Posts: 1,153	Re: Rear main leak to clutch Hallo Russ, on my A, the clutch slipped because a mixture of grease and oil touched the friction lining. Remedy brought the repeated spraying with a big lot of brake cleaner. __________________ Beste Gruesse aus Deutschland, Werner Ford Model A, Roadster, 1928 Citroen 11 CV, 1947 Hercules W 2000, 1976; (with NSU-Wankel Rotary Engine), Canadian version

09-21-2019, 11:35 PM	#8
Russ/40 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Santee, California Posts: 3,505	Re: Rear main leak to clutch What makes me ask the question, is if I let my car sit for a few weeks, The clutch has no chatter and is smooth. If I really work the car like long drives with lots of hills, the clutch begins to chatter. The longer I drive it, the worse the chatter gets.