The Ford Barn

50MercMetalHead · 08-16-2021, 09:57 PM

I was looking at the old clutch pressure plate that I pulled off my ‘50 Merc, and I noticed how it would make a great clock face. So, I zip-tied a clock mechanism to it and now I have a pretty cool clock in my shop. I figured someone here might find it interesting.

40cpe · 08-16-2021, 10:33 PM

Imagination and ingenuity in action. Good job!

GB SISSON · 08-16-2021, 11:04 PM

I love it.... Was it Steve Miller who said that time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' into the future? He musta seen my wife turning her subaru around in our 30 degree slope driveway. Perfect thing to do with a clutch. Excuse me if I copy this. Thanks for sharing!

cas3 · 08-17-2021, 12:09 AM

I like it !!

tomcarman · 08-17-2021, 12:21 AM

Love it! A great way use parts and pieces and make art. Much better than scrapping and destroying a piece of history.

V8COOPMAN · 08-17-2021, 01:29 AM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

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I thought those Merc clutch cores were getting rather hard to find. Neat way to "pass the time", though. DD

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flathead48 · 08-17-2021, 05:52 AM

Very clever, thanks for sharing

mfirth · 08-17-2021, 06:45 AM

Really neat. Does it chatter at all ? Funny how "time slipps away".......

corvette8n · 08-17-2021, 06:55 AM

Nice job.

bigdoor · 08-17-2021, 07:07 AM

well dun

5851a · 08-17-2021, 10:08 AM

Was it time for a new clutch? I like it.

19Fordy · 08-17-2021, 10:12 AM

Save that pressure plate as they are getting as scarce as 51 Merc water pumps.

rotorwrench · 08-17-2021, 12:19 PM

While the Mercury certainly used the Borg & Beck clutch, it wasn't the only car to use them. Only the inner diameter and the number stamped there ID it as for a Mercury application. It is a nice Borg & Beck/Mercury clock though.

50MercMetalHead · 08-17-2021, 03:29 PM

Glad you all like it! I guess I wasn’t aware that these were getting hard to come by. The car has had a spare in the trunk for probably about as long as I’ve been alive, so I haven’t had to go looking for one. For the person who asked: the pressure plate and the disc weren’t as bad as they could have been, but they weren’t good enough to put it back together with either. From what I was told, this clutch was seized up from sitting at one point, they got it free by standing on the clutch pedal and bumping the starter over and over while two people rocked the car back and forth, but who knows if that’s true. I also learned to drive a manual on this clutch when I was 14, so that adds a little sentimental value to it for me.

KDL · 08-17-2021, 05:19 PM

I like it. I have two cores boxed up to return to Fort Wayne. Maybe I'll take another look at them before I do.

Clem Clement · 08-17-2021, 07:28 PM

I found a clock mounted one mounted on a 39 Ford after market dog dish. I mounted it on the front pax tire. The problem is then someone asked what time it was, we had to jack up the tire to turn the wheel's clock right side up...
I have a '50 Ford clock-dog dish for sale.

rotorwrench · 08-18-2021, 01:50 PM

The clutch changed when the Mercury changed over to the new style transmission somewhere around February of 1951, The 1949 thru early 1951 cars used the 1 3/8" 10-spline input with the small half bell like the early Fords. The late 51 Mercury through at least 1953 used the 1' 10-spline input with the 4-bolt Borg Warner flange pattern similar to the shoe box Fords but Ford cars used the Long type clutch while Mercury cars used the Borg & Beck. The numbers are listed in the Hollander Interchange manual.

The Borg & Beck clutches changed for the different throw out bearing & input spline used between early and late transmission types.

08-16-2021, 09:57 PM	#1
50MercMetalHead Member Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Minnesota Posts: 31	I made a clock from the clutch out of my ‘50 Merc I was looking at the old clutch pressure plate that I pulled off my ‘50 Merc, and I noticed how it would make a great clock face. So, I zip-tied a clock mechanism to it and now I have a pretty cool clock in my shop. I figured someone here might find it interesting.

08-16-2021, 10:33 PM	#2
40cpe Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Star, MS Posts: 4,024	Re: I made a clock from the clutch out of my ‘50 Merc Imagination and ingenuity in action. Good job!

08-16-2021, 11:04 PM	#3
GB SISSON Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Orcas Island Washington Posts: 4,924	Re: I made a clock from the clutch out of my ‘50 Merc I love it.... Was it Steve Miller who said that time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' into the future? He musta seen my wife turning her subaru around in our 30 degree slope driveway. Perfect thing to do with a clutch. Excuse me if I copy this. Thanks for sharing! __________________ Owner/Operator of 'Jailbar Ranch' on the side of Mt. Pickett. Current stable consists of 1946 1/2 ton pickup turned woodie wagon with FH V8, 1947 Tonner Pickup (red) mostly stock with exception of a cummins 6at turbo diesel, 1946 Tonner Pickup (green) with 226 cu in 6 cyl flathead, 1979 Toyota landcruiser wagon, completely encased in 1947 Ford Jailbar sheet metal. Ok, cornbinder rear fenders..... 'Rusty ol' floorboards, hot on their feet' (Alan Jackson)

08-17-2021, 12:09 AM	#4
cas3 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: sw minnesota Posts: 4,571	Re: I made a clock from the clutch out of my ‘50 Merc I like it !!

08-17-2021, 12:21 AM	#5
tomcarman Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: Rochester Wa Posts: 574	Re: I made a clock from the clutch out of my ‘50 Merc Love it! A great way use parts and pieces and make art. Much better than scrapping and destroying a piece of history.

08-17-2021, 01:29 AM	#6
V8COOPMAN Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: East Shore of LAKE HOUSTON Posts: 11,107	Re: I made a clock from the clutch out of my ‘50 Merc Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) . I thought those Merc clutch cores were getting rather hard to find. Neat way to "pass the time", though. DD . __________________ *Click Links Below* __ ▼ *'35-'36 W/8BA & MECHANICAL FAN* *T5 W/TORQUE TUBE*

08-17-2021, 05:52 AM	#7
flathead48 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Saratoga Springs, NY Posts: 1,110	Re: I made a clock from the clutch out of my ‘50 Merc Very clever, thanks for sharing

08-17-2021, 06:45 AM	#8
mfirth Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: ohio Posts: 986	Re: I made a clock from the clutch out of my ‘50 Merc Really neat. Does it chatter at all ? Funny how "time slipps away".......

08-17-2021, 06:55 AM	#9
corvette8n Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: 36 miles north of Albany NY Posts: 2,949	Re: I made a clock from the clutch out of my ‘50 Merc Nice job.

08-17-2021, 07:07 AM	#10
bigdoor Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: peoria az. Posts: 38	Re: I made a clock from the clutch out of my ‘50 Merc well dun

08-17-2021, 10:08 AM	#11
5851a Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: NE Iowa Posts: 1,664	Re: I made a clock from the clutch out of my ‘50 Merc Was it time for a new clutch? I like it.

08-17-2021, 10:12 AM	#12
19Fordy Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Coral Springs FL Posts: 10,930	Re: I made a clock from the clutch out of my ‘50 Merc Save that pressure plate as they are getting as scarce as 51 Merc water pumps.

08-17-2021, 12:19 PM	#13
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 16,426	Re: I made a clock from the clutch out of my ‘50 Merc While the Mercury certainly used the Borg & Beck clutch, it wasn't the only car to use them. Only the inner diameter and the number stamped there ID it as for a Mercury application. It is a nice Borg & Beck/Mercury clock though.

08-17-2021, 03:29 PM	#14
50MercMetalHead Member Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Minnesota Posts: 31	Re: I made a clock from the clutch out of my ‘50 Merc Glad you all like it! I guess I wasn’t aware that these were getting hard to come by. The car has had a spare in the trunk for probably about as long as I’ve been alive, so I haven’t had to go looking for one. For the person who asked: the pressure plate and the disc weren’t as bad as they could have been, but they weren’t good enough to put it back together with either. From what I was told, this clutch was seized up from sitting at one point, they got it free by standing on the clutch pedal and bumping the starter over and over while two people rocked the car back and forth, but who knows if that’s true. I also learned to drive a manual on this clutch when I was 14, so that adds a little sentimental value to it for me.

08-17-2021, 05:19 PM	#15
KDL Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Central MA Posts: 186	Re: I made a clock from the clutch out of my ‘50 Merc I like it. I have two cores boxed up to return to Fort Wayne. Maybe I'll take another look at them before I do.

08-17-2021, 07:28 PM	#16
Clem Clement Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Fairfax, VA Posts: 3,393	Re: I made a clock from the clutch out of my ‘50 Merc I found a clock mounted one mounted on a 39 Ford after market dog dish. I mounted it on the front pax tire. The problem is then someone asked what time it was, we had to jack up the tire to turn the wheel's clock right side up... I have a '50 Ford clock-dog dish for sale. Last edited by Clem Clement; 08-18-2021 at 05:25 PM.

08-18-2021, 01:50 PM	#17
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 16,426	Re: I made a clock from the clutch out of my ‘50 Merc The clutch changed when the Mercury changed over to the new style transmission somewhere around February of 1951, The 1949 thru early 1951 cars used the 1 3/8" 10-spline input with the small half bell like the early Fords. The late 51 Mercury through at least 1953 used the 1' 10-spline input with the 4-bolt Borg Warner flange pattern similar to the shoe box Fords but Ford cars used the Long type clutch while Mercury cars used the Borg & Beck. The numbers are listed in the Hollander Interchange manual. The Borg & Beck clutches changed for the different throw out bearing & input spline used between early and late transmission types.