What Pressure Plate ?

[jimvette59]

Please help, I am trying to get the correct pressure plate for my 53 Mercury Flywheel To a 39 Ford Transmission. The PP that was on the engine is a 9 1/2". I had the PP drilled for a 10" long and that doesn't work ether. When the 10" is bolted down it is fully compressed . I would really appreciate if fellow Barn members can sort this out. Thanking you all Jim T.



Please see POST #10

[Krylon32]

They can't always solve your problem but I send all my customers to Fort Wayne Clutch. Talk to Lou. Also might try Van Pelt?

[jimvette59]

Thank you, I will call Fort Wane and Van Pelt .

[cadillac512]

When I swapped in a late Merc engine in my '41 Merc I used the 10" Long style PP from the '41 and drilled the late flywheel to fit. Worked great with the '41 Disc. Both flywheels are flat surface-no raised mounting areas.



Terry

[marko39]

I have an early 50s pp, flywheel and clutch that was behind a merc. engine. It is a 10” Borg and Beck diafram type. I was wondering if that was something just used by merc.

[cadillac512]

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Originally Posted by marko39

I have an early 50s pp, flywheel and clutch that was behind a merc. engine. It is a 10” Borg and Beck diafram type. I was wondering if that was something just used by merc.

Marko, although a 10" B&B clutch (mounting holes all evenly spaced) was used by Merc in those years, I don't believe a diaphragm style ever was. They were all finger type if I'm thinking correctly.


Terry

[AnthonyG]

Jim did the original 9 1/2” PP & FW work? Are they in good shape? Unless ur going to b bumping the HP up a lot that 9.5” PP & FW w a new disc should be fine. Small horror story, I went to a 10” FW that was drilled to fit from a 9.5” & who ever drilled it got the mounting holes out of concentricity w the center line. Cause a vibration I thought was coming from the engine. Three engine removals later I realized it and went back to the 9.5” set up I had previously & no probs since & plenty of grip. I can burn rubber & it doesn’t slip. U won’t notice the .5” less!
BOL

[cadillac512]

Anthony, do you know if there's a 1 3/8" disc with 9.5" diameter so it'll fit the early trans input spline?


Terry

[jimvette59]

Well I just put the 10 " long setup together and the through out bearing is a 1/2" away from the PP fingers. ?? This is on a 8BA to a 39 transmission. What gives ? Jim T.

[jimvette59]

I called Fort Wane & Third Generation they gave me number of solutions and it took me a while to trace it down to both of the fly wheels. I think they are under cut and a new thicker disk is pushing the fingers of the PP to far in and not getting them close enough to the through out bearing ( I think ) I will shim out the PP tomorrow to prove my theory. Being a first time Flathead person and living in a Condo. away from my home for 70 years and the car people I have known all my life. I depend on the internet the HAMB and THE FORD BARN for all my questions . I thank you all for you input support. Jim T.

[cadillac512]

Jim, do you have any pictures of the parts, installed preferably (maybe a pic through the top inspection cover), or even on the bench? This is very strange...but there has to be an answer.


Terry

[AnthonyG]

Originally Posted by cadillac512

Anthony, do you know if there's a 1 3/8" disc with 9.5" diameter so it'll fit the early trans input spline?


Terry

Sorry Terry I don’t remember as it’s been 8 or so years. I can say & do remember my engine builder (United Engine Builders) Jerry Livingston supplied my 8BA w a 9.5” Flywheel & pressure plate. Thinking I wanted a stronger PP I went to the FW I mentioned w mounting holes drilled off center for 10” PP. after the nightmare of trying to figure out the vibration after 3 engine removals I said the hell with it & went back to the engine builder supplied 9.5” FW & PP. it fit the 1939 top load Tranny Tipper here on FB rebuilt 4 me & all fit & worked fine! I did get my money back from the guy who sold me the FW & a guy bought my ‘35 tranny & wanted the heavier 10” PP so I sold both.

[jimvette59]

Yes Terry I will post them tomorrow. Please see post # 10.

[jimvette59]

Hi Terry here are some pictures. As you can almost see the fingers are about 5/8 " away from the throughout bearing Where they should be almost touching it. Please see post #10 Jim T.

[Bob C]

Is there any adjustment left on the clutch linkage?

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by jimvette59

Hi Terry here are some pictures. As you can almost see the fingers are about 5/8 " away from the throughout bearing Where they should be almost touching it. Please see post #10 Jim T.

[cadillac512]

Originally Posted by jimvette59

Hi Terry here are some pictures. As you can almost see the fingers are about 5/8 " away from the throughout bearing Where they should be almost touching it. Please see post #10 Jim T.

Jim- Yeah, that's a long way from the fingers. It's very odd that a flat (not stepped) flywheel surface should behave this way with your clutch parts.

Is there enough linkage rod adjustment to get the bearing close? Are the fingers roughly parallel to the pressure plate when they're at rest?

I can measure a Merc clutch after work tomorrow if need be...just for comparison.



Terry

[Flathead Fever]

I put a disc in backwards once at work when I was young and had that problem. It wouldn't disengage. I never made that mistake again. If it's not a stepped flywheel where the pressure plate mounting surface is a different height than the discs' surface, I would think that on a flat flywheel the pressure plate and disc would compress to the correct height no matter what flywheel it was. It would not matter if it was a redrilled flywheel, it's still a flat surface the same height. I just did the clutch on my daughter's Scion and it had a stepped flywheel. The machinist had to take the same amount he took off of the disc's surface off of the pressure plates' surface, two separate cuts. Too bad we don't know what the finger height measurement should be. If you have the old parts, always measure that stuff on before you disassemble them. Never-ever-ever turn in parts for cores until the job is done. You need them for comparison when things go wrong. Always lay the pressure plates upside down next to each other to see that the machined surface is the same height. Same with the discs. Make sure the pilot bearing, throw-out bearings and clutch disc fit the tran's too before you try to slip the trans in.

[jimvette59]

No the linkage is not the problem. I've been trying to figure this out for two weeks and I think my flywheels are cut down to far therefor compressing the PP fingers two far. At this point I will try to shim up the PP and try it. The engine is on a engine stand. This is my first Flathead "Just having fun with cars" .

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by jimvette59

No the linkage is not the problem. I've been trying to figure this out for two weeks and I think my flywheels are cut down to far therefor compressing the PP fingers two far. At this point I will try to shim up the PP and try it. The engine is on a engine stand. This is my first Flathead "Just having fun with cars" .

[cadillac512]

Originally Posted by jimvette59

No the linkage is not the problem. I've been trying to figure this out for two weeks and I think my flywheels are cut down to far therefor compressing the PP fingers two far. At this point I will try to shim up the PP and try it. The engine is on a engine stand. This is my first Flathead "Just having fun with cars" .

Hi Jim-


Since the flywheel is just a flat surface (as it's designed to be) no matter how much it is cut down the pressure plate will still be compressed exactly the same amount. Of course if a half-inch were removed from the surface it'd end up far away from the bearing, but that's impossible...so .... how can you be sure there is a problem with the half-inch clearance if the clutch linkage isn't hooked up? The bearing's normal position isn't the fully retracted position as in the pics...it's just shy of touching the fingers. The linkage adjustment sets the position.

If I'm misunderstanding let me know. But a clutch installed on a flywheel with a transmission and a throwout bearing assembly like these old Fords use will always have a mile from the bearing to the fingers until the linkage is installed and adjusted.


Terry


P.S. Have a look at this thread, particularly the pics on posts 17 and 34.


https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...pection&page=2

[Bob C]

I asked before and I see Terry asked above about your free play and
how much adjustment you have left on your clutch linkage, never saw and answer.