The Ford Barn

FrankWest · 06-26-2019, 06:08 AM

1933 model B..four cylinder
Caught in heavy stop and go traffic for 1/2 hr.
Car finally stalled. Could restart easily, but could not put into gear...very excessive grinding....Clutch problem? Had car towed home.
Then was able to restart and shift normally to drive car in reverse and also forward to drive into my garage. Any suggestions?

FrankWest · 06-26-2019, 10:21 AM

Other post suggest lubricating with KROIL? They say the fingers can stick?

40cpe · 06-26-2019, 11:19 AM

I'm just throwing out ideas, but if your clutch pedal went to the floor I don't see how the fingers could be stuck. It is all mechanical and something stuck would prevent the pedal going down. I would be suspicious of the lining on the clutch disc. It might be separating from the disc, or a piece came off and stuck between the disc and flywheel. If it does it again you might try putting transmission in 1st with engine off and start engine. It might free it up.

FrankWest · 06-26-2019, 02:00 PM

It is an old car That ran briefly when I got it until the timing where broke. I replaced that an get it running, but I never did anything to the transmission or clutch. or brakes. These things were all working. I knew sooner or later the clutch or trans , and brakes would need rebuilding.

Automotive Stud · 06-26-2019, 03:14 PM

Inspect all of the linkage. I had something similar happen and I had a cracked piece of linkage. With use the crack would grow and I would lose my disengagement even with the pedal depressed. After sitting the metal would slowly spring back and briefly work ok.

supereal · 06-27-2019, 03:43 PM

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Most old Fords require that the clutch only fully releases when the pedal is down to the floor. My '47 started to grind the gears and I suspected a linkage problem because the free play at the pedal was correct. Turned out to be that a floor mat had worked forward and was blocking the pedal just off the floor! Correct idle speed is important to smooth shifting, and remember that low and reverse gears are not synchronized.

philipswanson · 06-27-2019, 09:45 PM

A while back, I had the disc stick to the flywheel which rendered the clutch inoperative even though the linkage was working fine. To break it loose, I turned the ignition off, pressed on the pedal when in gear and ran the starter. That works like a champ for a stuck clutch disc. Not sure if that's your issue tho.

06-26-2019, 06:08 AM	#1
FrankWest Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 3,005	Clutch adjustment? Need help 1933 model B..four cylinder Caught in heavy stop and go traffic for 1/2 hr. Car finally stalled. Could restart easily, but could not put into gear...very excessive grinding....Clutch problem? Had car towed home. Then was able to restart and shift normally to drive car in reverse and also forward to drive into my garage. Any suggestions? Last edited by FrankWest; 06-26-2019 at 06:32 AM.

06-26-2019, 10:21 AM	#2
FrankWest Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 3,005	Re: Clutch adjustment? Need help Other post suggest lubricating with KROIL? They say the fingers can stick?

06-26-2019, 11:19 AM	#3
40cpe Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Star, MS Posts: 4,024	Re: Clutch adjustment? Need help I'm just throwing out ideas, but if your clutch pedal went to the floor I don't see how the fingers could be stuck. It is all mechanical and something stuck would prevent the pedal going down. I would be suspicious of the lining on the clutch disc. It might be separating from the disc, or a piece came off and stuck between the disc and flywheel. If it does it again you might try putting transmission in 1st with engine off and start engine. It might free it up.

06-26-2019, 02:00 PM	#4
FrankWest Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 3,005	Re: Clutch adjustment? Need help It is an old car That ran briefly when I got it until the timing where broke. I replaced that an get it running, but I never did anything to the transmission or clutch. or brakes. These things were all working. I knew sooner or later the clutch or trans , and brakes would need rebuilding.

06-26-2019, 03:14 PM	#5
Automotive Stud Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: New Jersey Posts: 832	Re: Clutch adjustment? Need help Inspect all of the linkage. I had something similar happen and I had a cracked piece of linkage. With use the crack would grow and I would lose my disengagement even with the pedal depressed. After sitting the metal would slowly spring back and briefly work ok.

06-27-2019, 03:43 PM	#6
supereal Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Iowa Posts: 1,634	Re: Clutch adjustment? Need help Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Most old Fords require that the clutch only fully releases when the pedal is down to the floor. My '47 started to grind the gears and I suspected a linkage problem because the free play at the pedal was correct. Turned out to be that a floor mat had worked forward and was blocking the pedal just off the floor! Correct idle speed is important to smooth shifting, and remember that low and reverse gears are not synchronized.

06-27-2019, 09:45 PM	#7
philipswanson Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Bonita, CA Posts: 1,374	Re: Clutch adjustment? Need help A while back, I had the disc stick to the flywheel which rendered the clutch inoperative even though the linkage was working fine. To break it loose, I turned the ignition off, pressed on the pedal when in gear and ran the starter. That works like a champ for a stuck clutch disc. Not sure if that's your issue tho.