clutch removal
 

A 1940 ford with a 59ab what is th best way to replace clutch. Pull the motor or the trans. The oil pan on the motor is a one piece.

Re: clutch removal
 

if were me & the trans needed no work & no leaking buy the u joint i would pull the eng when you pull the hood remove the bolts on the hood don,t touch the ones houlding the hinges to the body. while you got the eng out if the water pumps have been in a long time . you might want to change them. the question is like would you want to be hung or a fireing squard eather way a clutch is a pain in the neck

Re: clutch removal
 

Unbolt the transmission from the engine and slide the transmission back. Then you can replace the clutch without having to pull the engine. This is a really easy fix especially if you have access to a two post lift and can get the car up in the air. Just replaced the clutch and pressure plate in a 51 F-1 with a flathead and only took a couple of hours with the truck up on the lift.

Re: clutch removal
 

Seth, what you describe is probably perfectly ok in an f1, but a 40 has a torque tube which prevents the trans being moved back.

I pulled the engine on my 40, left the trans in place and just undid the hood props, left the hinge bolts in. Pulled the hood right back and tied it to the back of the car with a rope.

Must have pulled the rad, (crs) but the engine came out and went back in ok.

Mart.

Re: clutch removal
 

I am aware of the torque tube. I just thought it would be easier to move the rear end back a little than remove an entire engine?

Re: clutch removal
 

I'm not so sure that dropping a closed drive torque tube rear and rolling it back far enough to remove the transmission is any easier than removing the engine to replace the clutch & pressure plate as some folks profess. I recently helped someone remove their transmission from a '36 Phaeton by first removing the rear, so I am well aware of how much work it was and the time that was involved to do that. I can tell you I have removed the engine in the same year car a lot faster than it took us to get the transmission out while leaving the engine in place. Another 'gotsha' for deciding which way to go may be if you need to remove the flywheel to have the face reground when you have a one piece oil pan. You can not remove the flywheel on some of these early Ford V8's without first removing the oil pan. If you have ever remove a one piece oil pan with engine in place you will know how much 'fun' that can be. I'm putting a new c&pp in my Avatar car plus doing a lot of other repairs, and I am definitely pulling the engine to do all of these repairs. The rear may eventually come out though for a ring and pinion gear ratio change but that will not happen this year.

Re: clutch removal
 

I'm with John & Mart. Removing the engine is the way to go. I had to do it to my '46 some years back and it was'nt all that bad to just support the trans and pull the engine out. Did'nt remove the radiator just the hood.

Re: clutch removal
 

To me its much much easier to drop the rear end.

Re: clutch removal
 

Please share with us the benefit/benifits of your reasoning.

Re: clutch removal
 

Don't need a hoist or cherry picker,just a floor jack and jack stands.No fluids to drain,no exhaust to deal with,no wiring to deal with.Assuming one is pulling trans from inside.Never done it on a 40 but done it many times on a 33-34 and 35-36's.Those years you need to pull the radiator and grille completely out.Granted if you pull the engine and trans together its easier to then replace the clutch then to work from inside.

Re: clutch removal
 

I suppose it boils down to personal preference.

Two ways to do it, take your pick.

Mart.

Re: clutch removal
 

on the 40 ford the torque tube flang is very tight fit between the chassis & floor requiring jacking or prying the floor if you leave the trans in the car pulling the eng is e.z

Re: clutch removal
 

If you have the space and want to lessen the chances of damaging your paint - pulling the rear is the way to go.

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I have had the rear-end out twice since I have owned my `35. The worse part is using a spring spreader. I don't know if one could get the car high enough to pull the spring still attached to the rear-end. Still I think it is easier and faster than pulling the engine as you don't have to mess with the hood, exhaust and radiator. As a teenager I had a `40 Ford two door. It was lowered in the back with long spring shackles, didn't need a spreader, just a jack. Junkyard transmissions were $20, but money was scarce, so we took two transmissions and made one. It lasted the weekend...

But on the other hand it would be a good opportunity to do some cleaning and painting on the engine and engine compartment.

Shadetree

Re: clutch removal
 

Shadetree, there are a lot of pros & cons for either way. Sometimes the circumstances will dictate which way makes the most sense. As a teen driving a '35 3W Coupe I could pull an engine in the morning and have it repaired or a new one back in place and pick up my girl friend that afternoon. I had it down to a science. BTW, it was not necessary to use a spring spreader to remove the rear on a recent transmission swap in a '36 Phaeton. We didn't need to raise the back of the car very high because we removed the rear wheels & tires, and rolled the rear back on the drums. I'm pulling the engine on my avatar car because I want to replace the clutch & pressure plate, have the flywheel resurfaced, cleanup and paint the engine compartment, replace the brake cross shaft, replace all front end wiring, remove the engine oil pan to completely check out all the bearings and journals plus a bunch of other work needs to be done up front and it will be much easier without having the engine there in my way.

Re: clutch removal
 

FWIW, my Motor's Auto Repair Manual says the following about replacing the transmission in a 1940-48 Ford:
"After removing the rear axle assembly from the car, remove the floor pan or boards as required. Remove the clutch equalizer shaft. Detach shift rods from transmission. Place a jack under the engine to support its weight. Unfasten the transmission from the engine and lift it out."
Easy Peasy;)

Re: clutch removal
 

Re: clutch removal
 

If you have a 10" clutch, you will have to remove the oil pan in order to remove the pressure plate bolts.

It is always good practice to resurface the flywheel when you replace the clutch.

If you pull the rear end back and remove the transmission, you should remove the front seat to keep it from getting grease on it.

I vote for pulling the engine on your 40. You should remove the hood and radiator, I like to remove the intake and starter to give more room to work.

Be sure to relieve the tension on the pressure plate by placing wedges between the arms and the cover. This will prevent warping the cover and reduce the chance of chatter.

Cover your cowl and fenders with movers blankets to protect the paint.

Re: clutch removal
 

Re: clutch removal
 

Also known as "Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy" :D