Clutch Issue - Need Help Please

[Nasukau]

Hi All,
I parked my 31 pickup 8 months ago in the shop and everything was working just great. It has not been started since until today. The pickup fired right up. But now I am unable to put the car in gear when I press the clutch in. I could not get the video uploaded here. Please see the YouTube link below.

https://youtube.com/shorts/hQf33giANEg?feature=share

Thanks,
Denny

[fundytides]

Clutch disc may be "stuck" to the flywheel. Try a couple of abrupt starts from a dead stop while holding the clutch pedal to the floor. Might brake it free. Also try lugging on a hill in high gear while holding the pedal to the floor. If not, you might have to pull the clutch. Good luck.

[GRutter]

Yup - probably stuck.
If you can "safely" do this. With ignition OFF, apply emergency brake and apply service brakes. Put 3rd gear and depress clutch. Use the starter to bump engine over. If you're lucky, the clutch will break free.

[CWPASADENA]

As stated above, the clutch disc is probably stuck to the flywheel which sometimes happens when the car has been sitting for a period of time. After you warm up the engine while the transmission is in neutral, turn off the engine. Put it in low gear and hold the clutch pedal to the floor and start it again. Just be sure you have a lot of room in front of you and be ready to turn the ignition off if the clutch does not unstick. The engine should start and usually the clutch disc will free up on the first try. If it does not, try again.

Usually the clutch will unstick on the first try. Just be sure you have the clutch pedal all the way to the floor and there is plenty of room in front of you.

I have had it happen to me more than once.

Chris W.

[GRutter]

I suggested 3rd gear, not a low gear.
In 3rd gear, there is minimal stress on the transmission shafts / bearings, and the lowest torque in case the clutch doesn't break free. Doing this with the ignition OFF and bumping the starter is much safer

[Mulletwagon]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

All good suggestions. A first step might be to pull the inspection cover on the clutch housing and take a look. Problem may be obvious.

[Jacksonlll]

Put it in third gear and with the clutch pedal to the floor, have your buddies give it a good push. Forward or backward. Good safe way to try first. Good luck and drive that car.

[Nasukau]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I will try them out this morning.

Denny

[Ernie Vitucci]

Good Morning...If you are not going to drive your A for a few weeks or months, disconnect the battery, and cut a 2x4 or some such, much like a brake adjusting board, that will go from the clutch pedal to the front seat to hold the clutch pedal on the floor...it can't stick in that position...Ernie in Arizona

[Nasukau]

Hi All,
Update - I warmed the engine and transmission up in neutral. Then turned the power off, clutch pressed to the floor and in 3rd gear, then bump the starter a few times. Also tried this in 1st gear. Still having the same issue.
I also tried this with the power on and the pickup starts up and i have to shut the ignition off quickly. I also checked my clutch pedal and there is a little more than 1 1/4” free play.
Any other suggestions before The last resort of pulling out the transmission to see what’s going on?

Denny

[nkaminar]

Did you take the cover off the clutch housing and peek inside?

The responses here are all the standard methods of freeing up a frozen clutch. Third gear is easier on the transmission and rear end. Try it again with the ignition on and a good runway and then apply the brakes with the throttle open. and clutch depressed But first peek inside. There may be something wrong with the throwout bearing or clutch pressure plate.

Did you try rocking the car forward and backward in third, clutch depressed, ignition off? Invite the local high school football team over for snacks.

[Nasukau]

@nkaminar - please see my video in the initial post. I opened the plate to show what is going on inside. I have not tried rocked the car back and forth yet.

Denny

[john charlton]

I have had this problem and had to remove the transmission to free the clutch disc which was stuck to the flywheel . I was surprised to find I could easily ping the disc off just with my fingernails . I got to thinking a good jolt would have freed it so when it happened again I removed the inspection plate and with a flashlight I could see the disc centre . I got a long screwdriver and engaged on the disc and gave it a good bop and freed straight away worth a try .

John in Suffolk County England .

[john in illinois]

John,did you have the clutch pedal down while tapping the center.

John

[nkaminar]

Sorry, just looked at the video and see that you have the cover off.

I like John's idea of prying the clutch disk back with a long screwdriver. I assume he did this with the clutch disengaged. The right length board could be used to hold the clutch pedal down.

[Patrick L.]

A brake board can serve double duty [ smiley face]. A brake board really can be useful.

[w.michael]

Jack up the rear wheels and place rear axle on jack stands. Make sure the path in front of the car is clear. Start the engine with the car in high gear and speed engine up to fast idle. Hold the clutch pedal to the floor and jab the brake pedal hard a couple times.

I’ve used this method three different times, and it worked for me. Make sure you can do this safely.

W.Michael

[Jacksonlll]

I wonder if his actuation lever has partially failed. Did the travel of that throw out brg look right to you guys?

[john charlton]

Yes I did do an edit to say I held the clutch pedal fully down with a piece of wood against the seat riser but it did not post although it did at first . You do not "pry" the disc you cant get to the edges only the centre section with the springs in . With the long screwdriver end hard up on the disc centre give it a good bop . This has worked for me several times but these were old style discs with no springs . I dont like the spring centres as they tend to get out of alignment and cause the clutch to jam and that is definately a trans out job !!!

John in Suffolk County England .

[Patrick L.]

Originally Posted by Jacksonlll

I wonder if his actuation lever has partially failed. Did the travel of that throw out brg look right to you guys?

Good point.

[redmodelt]

How much travel in the pedal when the pedal is all the way out and when the bearing first comes in contact with the fingers when pressing down? It should have about 1 inch travel.

[Dick M]

It is also possible that your clutch arm has cracked and split. You can check this by having someone depress the clutch pedal to the floor and you go under the car and look at the clutch arm. You will be able to see if it has split. If so, the clutch will not disengage and you will need to replace the clutch arm. I have seen this situation before and it is an easy fix.

[Ak Sourdough]

I haven't had to do it with a Model A, but my 52 pickup had the disc rusted to the flywheel a couple times. I started it in low gear and got it going down my long driveway a few mph then held in the clutch pedal and bounced my other foot on the throttle pedal a few times to get the old truck bucking a bit. Came right loose, no messing around.

[Anteek29]

Originally Posted by Ak Sourdough

I haven't had to do it with a Model A, but my 52 pickup had the disc rusted to the flywheel a couple times. I started it in low gear and got it going down my long driveway a few mph then held in the clutch pedal and bounced my other foot on the throttle pedal a few times to get the old truck bucking a bit. Came right loose, no messing around.

Called the 'Herky-Jerky' method!

[WHN]

Originally Posted by w.michael

Jack up the rear wheels and place rear axle on jack stands. Make sure the path in front of the car is clear. Start the engine with the car in high gear and speed engine up to fast idle. Hold the clutch pedal to the floor and jab the brake pedal hard a couple times.

I’ve used this method three different times, and it worked for me. Make sure you can do this safely.

W.Michael

This also has worked for me. Good luck.

[Nasukau]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

@redmodelt - there is about 1 1/4” pedal travel

I will be checking the clutch arm tomorrow and also give the “Herky-Jerky” method one last shot. If that does not work then I will be pulling the transmission out to see what’s going on.

Thanks everyone
Denny

[redmodelt]

Keep us posted on this same sting, when you find out.

[Ed in Maine]

Years ago I had a car that would pull this stunt. I put the car in neutral and started the car and warmed it up. Shut the car off. Then with the open road ahead of me, I put the car in first and started the car and off we went. I drove it around the block changing the speeds and it broke loose. I had to do this several times over the period I owned the car. Ed

[ronn]

clutch plate off- a straw with alcohol in it- drip it down between clutch/plate....


Im repeating myself from a yr or two back.

[jg61hawk]

So whatever happened?

[Nasukau]

Finally had a change to pull the engine and transmission. The clutch disc is completely stuck. I tried to loosen it up by using a rubber mallet but that did nothing. Any ideas of how to remove this?

Denny

[Patrick L.]

Originally Posted by Nasukau

Finally had a change to pull the engine and transmission. The clutch disc is completely stuck. I tried to loosen it up by using a rubber mallet but that did nothing. Any ideas of how to remove this?

Denny

The pressure plate is removed and you can't remove the disk ?

Well, get a bigger hammer ! I'm wondering how this happened.

[Nasukau]

Finally got it off with a little more hammering and some prying. I am wondering how this happened also. After I had drove it and then parked it for the long duration it was stored inside a shop until this last time I went to drive it.

Denny

[J Franklin]

I had a stuck plate not quite as tight but it was after a winter only. Couldn't free up, so after tearing things down I found mice had got in somehow (now I know) and peed on the parts enough to rust things fairly solid.