The Ford Barn

GSCOV · 06-16-2020, 04:32 AM

recently bought a V8 32 roadster. When starting in neutral you can't get the trans to shift, all gears grind. Shut the car off and put it in gear no problem, then start and let the clutch out and it seems normal. Clutch grabs right at the bottom. Is this just out of adjustment? Have taken it down the driveway and shifted from 1st to 2nd okay. I have had stuck clutches before, but this is different.

flatheadmurre · 06-16-2020, 04:58 AM

Just assuming you checked adjustment...the issue is that clutch doesn´t disengage enough.
If they changed it over to hydraulic and kept the long clutchlever on the gearbox you will get less travel on the pressureplate to disengage.
And i´ve had frictionplates that has been redone riveted in the wrong way so they expand giving this symptom.

DavidG · 06-16-2020, 06:52 AM

The original specification was that there should be an inch and a quarter of free travel of the pedal before the clutch starts to engage and that the pedal should be adjusted if the free travel is less than one inch. (Page 52 of the August, 1932 Service Bulletins)

Bored&Stroked · 06-16-2020, 07:08 AM

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Just adjust the clutch, sounds like it is not releasing the clutch enough (since it grabs right at the bottom). Pull the floorboards and thread the adjuster out a bit. Setting the free travel to be correct usually requires putting the floor-boards in/out a time or two - as the clutch pedal "stops" are on a metal plate that is installed on top of the upper/angled floor board. You really don't know your free travel until the floorboards are back in.

You should be able to feel the "free travel" at the top (with the floorboards and the metal plate around the pedals/column in) - of about an inch or so. Then you should feel the throw-out bearing engaging the clutch forks.

06-16-2020, 04:32 AM	#1
GSCOV Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Connecticut Posts: 960	32 transmission/clutch recently bought a V8 32 roadster. When starting in neutral you can't get the trans to shift, all gears grind. Shut the car off and put it in gear no problem, then start and let the clutch out and it seems normal. Clutch grabs right at the bottom. Is this just out of adjustment? Have taken it down the driveway and shifted from 1st to 2nd okay. I have had stuck clutches before, but this is different.

06-16-2020, 04:58 AM	#2
flatheadmurre Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Sweden Posts: 3,045	Re: 32 transmission/clutch Just assuming you checked adjustment...the issue is that clutch doesn´t disengage enough. If they changed it over to hydraulic and kept the long clutchlever on the gearbox you will get less travel on the pressureplate to disengage. And i´ve had frictionplates that has been redone riveted in the wrong way so they expand giving this symptom.

06-16-2020, 06:52 AM	#3
DavidG Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: southeastern Michigan Posts: 10,101	Re: 32 transmission/clutch The original specification was that there should be an inch and a quarter of free travel of the pedal before the clutch starts to engage and that the pedal should be adjusted if the free travel is less than one inch. (Page 52 of the August, 1932 Service Bulletins)

06-16-2020, 07:08 AM	#4
Bored&Stroked Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Central Ohio Posts: 5,067	Re: 32 transmission/clutch Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Just adjust the clutch, sounds like it is not releasing the clutch enough (since it grabs right at the bottom). Pull the floorboards and thread the adjuster out a bit. Setting the free travel to be correct usually requires putting the floor-boards in/out a time or two - as the clutch pedal "stops" are on a metal plate that is installed on top of the upper/angled floor board. You really don't know your free travel until the floorboards are back in. You should be able to feel the "free travel" at the top (with the floorboards and the metal plate around the pedals/column in) - of about an inch or so. Then you should feel the throw-out bearing engaging the clutch forks.