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Old 06-29-2011, 09:12 AM   #1
zeffer1940
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Default Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

35 V-8 sat in barn since '60. Engine was stuck, now runs properly. Before I jerk it down the road and try to break it free...How about removing starter.....with clutch depressed..is there any room to slip a
something in and attempt prying it ....I assume it will pop with a little help...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uSpq48YckA

(sorry I accidently posted on late v-8 forum..dbl post)
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Old 06-29-2011, 10:10 AM   #2
Lawson Cox
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Default Re: Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

Put it in gear, have a nice long way to drive it straight, nothing in your way, crank it up and drive it, popping clutch from time to time. It should pop loose.
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Old 06-29-2011, 10:10 AM   #3
Bruce Lancaster
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Default Re: Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

You would have some very limited access from the other side, via the inspection window, but I suspect not nearly enough. I think maybe violence is the only answer, get the thing moving and stop. You can probably start the car right up in first or reverse if battery and starter are good, if not start it in neutral, roll down a hill if available and slam on the brakes so engine pulls it free. If no convenient hill, get help pushing it off to at least walking speed, yank it into 2nd, and get it moving that way. Stop in neautral with your foot on the gas!
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Old 06-29-2011, 10:59 AM   #4
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Default Re: Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

my `56 chevy used to do that after sitting over the winter. i would start it up in neutral, to be sure it would start right up and run. then put it in first gear with the clutch pedal held down, ( no obstructions in your way) engage the starter so it will start while driving itself forward. drive it away in first gear with the clutch pedal held down, while pressing on and off the throttle if it doesn't release before you have to stop - hope your brakes work good enough to kill the engine.
don't do the toyota trick and panic, one of your options will be the ignition switch.

Last edited by xix32; 06-29-2011 at 11:05 AM.
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Old 06-29-2011, 11:01 AM   #5
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Default Re: Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

get it running and warmed up in nuetral.

start it in gear pointed in a safe direction.

get some speed up, push in the clutch and jam on the brakes.

Should pop loose.

you may at this time also discover that your brakes are way out of adjustment, curbs are not your friends.
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Old 06-29-2011, 11:06 AM   #6
Bruce Lancaster
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Default Re: Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

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One other thing...once this has happened to a car, apparently the metal surfaces are conditioned to rust up extra fast. Give the thing regular excercise so it doesn't lock up again!
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Old 06-29-2011, 11:10 AM   #7
Ed in Maine
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Default Re: Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

I had a Corvette that would do this after it sat over the winter. Just like the other comments, I would warm it up in neutral and then get it rolling, shift into first and start driving it, shift into second and just the little jolt of shifting would break it loose. I would not try to pry it off, the clutch disc is brittle and could be damaged with a pry bar. This is a pretty common problem. I tried to remember to depress the clutch once a week when I was walking by the car. Ed
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Old 06-29-2011, 11:31 AM   #8
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Default Re: Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

Go for what xix32 said, it works for me... Karl
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Old 06-29-2011, 12:09 PM   #9
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Default Re: Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

Had that happen on my vette & only cure was to put in a new clutch & resurface/light cleaning of the flywheel.
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Old 06-29-2011, 02:34 PM   #10
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Default Re: Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

Get the motor warmed up .With it in top gear and the hand and foot brake on .and a 12 volt battery hooked up ,one to to the starter switch and one to the starter earth using heavy jumper leads , with the clutch in and ingniton off hit the starter .
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Old 06-29-2011, 02:37 PM   #11
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Default Re: Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

I just realised you would need three feet to do as I suggested.
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Old 06-29-2011, 03:12 PM   #12
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Default Re: Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

if you can get to the little cover off on the trans look at the spline is it rusted spray a peneterating oil on the spline where it meets the disk. you will need a helper to do this. next jack up one rear wheel block both front wheels make sure nothing in front of car if you jump the blocks now with the one wheel off the ground put car in third speed hold the clutch pedal down start the car bring rpm to about 1,000 have helper release the jack fast
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Old 06-29-2011, 03:39 PM   #13
Mike in AZ
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Default Re: Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

was it brake cleaner or WD-40 that was recommended to spray thru the inspection hole??..onto flywheel, clutch disc,pressure plate??..might help some and will evaporate..could also check to see if throwout bearing is binding??....good luck....Mike
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Old 06-29-2011, 04:15 PM   #14
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Default Re: Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

Don't spray wd40 onto the clutch - it will leave an oily residue.

I've freed a couple of clutches off by just getting the engine warm, then setting off in gear, getting into a higher gear (carefully) and then with the clutch held down, getting on and off the throttle in quick succession. If you can drive along at the speed where the engine can develop max torque the better chance you have of it busting loose.

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Old 06-29-2011, 05:58 PM   #15
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Default Re: Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

Just a reminder that if it is stuck/rusted too bad there will be particles left on the pressure plate if you bust it loose that way. Could come back to haunt you down the road. I'm not sayin to not try running or tey to scare anyone one just remembering when my vette was stuck I had to replace the clutch & pressure plate as there were parts of clutch disc pretty attached . BTW it was McCloud street & stip clutch & pressure plate assy.
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Old 06-29-2011, 06:07 PM   #16
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Default Re: Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

Before starting off down the street, take a board and wedge it under the clutch pedal arm under the floor boards or between the seat and the clutch pedal. This will unload the clutch. Leave it this way for a couple weeks, then drive around in high gear with your foot on the clutch. Unloading the clutch lets the clutch disk material expand ever so slightly and helps pull the rust particles apart.
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Old 06-29-2011, 06:15 PM   #17
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Default Re: Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

"Don't spray wd40 onto the clutch - it will leave an oily residue."


Worst stuck clutch I ever encountered ... gave up and thought I'd have to pull it out.

SOAKED the clutch with WD40. Came back in about two weeks (that's a fortnight) and found the clutch had released itself. Still running that clutch last I heard.

May actually be good for the clutch. It's one of those things that sorta scares folks.

"Before starting off down the street, take a board and wedge it under the clutch pedal arm under the floor boards or between the seat and the clutch pedal. This will unload the clutch."

... and park it on the hill above your mother-in-laws house. She'll call when it breaks loose.
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Old 06-29-2011, 07:14 PM   #18
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Default Re: Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

i don,t know how a clutch disk can rust to a flywheel .if you take a clutch disk & put a magnac to the faceing it will not attrack. the disk faceing have no ferrus meterals.not a standard ford one. every one i ever checked never attraced a magnac . so this leads me to belive that 1-the disk spline rust to the input shaft . 2- the car has a piolet bearing whitch could rust not a bushing. every so called frozen clutch i removed i had to take the pressure plate bolts off & when you pulled the trans some came out with the pilot bearing or the disk was frozen on the spline. thats why i say use a peterating oil on the spline & if possable heat the clutch hub . i have seen sticking clutch disk that had some type of foren meteral on the faceing. & would make shifting hard & grinding.but they were sticking not frozen.
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Old 06-29-2011, 09:33 PM   #19
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Default Re: Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

I stuck a board holding the pedal down and wedged a sharp long blade between them, rolled the motor by hand and continued till I went all the way around, worked for me, then slipped it a little on purpose just to polish the crud.
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Old 06-29-2011, 10:15 PM   #20
Jerry Parr WI
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Default Re: Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

I have had a couple that came loose by a combination of the methods described. I did have one that the trans input shaft was rusted so badly I had to pull the trans and polish the shaft before it would release completely.
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Old 06-30-2011, 02:19 AM   #21
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Default Re: Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

Have had that problem with an 11" truck clutch in a '47 car and would not free by driving so drilled a 5/8 hole in the bottom of the bell housing in the right place and drove a fine little wedge between the clutch disc and flywheel where the cover lifts away between the mounting bolts with the clutch released.Risky but it worked although probably not with the earlier 9" clutch and flywheel.
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Old 06-30-2011, 06:41 AM   #22
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Default Re: Clutch disc frozen to flywheel

"i don,t know how a clutch disk can rust to a flywheel .if you take a clutch disk & put a magnac to the faceing it will not attrack."

The clutch does not need to have ferrous metal in it to become stuck. When the clutch sits for enough time for moisture to act on the flywheel/PP, the rust from those surfaces penetrates the fibers of the clutch faces. The pressure plate has the clutch under pressure, and when the rust forms, it expands and is forced into the fibers ... somewhat like in woodworking when glue is forced into fibers by clamping. The rust acts sorta like glue.

Clutches absolutely do rust to transmission splines and pilot bearings do rust tight, but the sticking that most people experience is the clutch stuck to the flywheel. If you search the internet and the various forums, "stuck clutches" also cause problems in newer cars which when disassembled have no signs of binding splines or bad pilot bearings.

Again, I am not disputing the splines/pilot bearing cause. I have had enough of both to know it happens, usually in older engines that have been ignored.
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