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The Clutch System on an AD...
This same 1953 truck that I have done the Floor repairs and Electrical upgrades also needed a new Clutch. Clutch replacement on a stock AD is not a very pleasant experience if you are a hobbyist like me. First, you have to get the Torque Tube pulled back. There is a collar that unscrews around the perimeter of the Torque Tube. Loosen that and remove the 4 bolts holding the Transmission to the Torque Tube. Once you have the gasket sealer broke free, pull the collar back enough to remove the 4 bolts holding the U-Joint in place. Once it's all loose, you need to remove the crossmember. Unfortunately there is no way to get the Torque Tube down and out of the way far enough to pull the Transmission out without doing this. There are 4 bolts on each side of the Frame, and 1 bolt underneath to remove for a total of 10 bolts. After removal of the bolts, it just pushes back and then you can angle it out. With the U-Joint loose, you can now pull the Torque Tube back enough to drop it down. BE CAREFUL!! It can spring downwards and break you! Put a jack stand under it to support it. Lower the Jack Stand carefully so you can pull the Transmission straight backward and out. It's heavy so again.. BE CAREFUL! In my case, it's a 3 speed so not impossible to remove by yourself. Once the Tranny is out, you can shove a piece of 1 inch stick into the flywheel to keep it from rotating. You can then start removing the 6 bolts that hold the clutch in place. (The Throwout Bearing comes out with the Transmission or sort of falls out). Leave the clutch fork in place. No need to mess with that. With the clutch removed, it's time to remove the Flywheel.
NOTE: The Clutch Fork should stay in place. If it does not, a spring inside the fork is missing or broken. Also, there are two adjustment nuts on the Adjuster linkage that need to spin freely so you can adjust the Clutch once it is in place. It is not hard to remove the parts, clean everything and put it all back together, just be aware that the Clutch Pedal Spring is under load and can be hard to get back into place.
We are removing the flywheel because we do not trust what is there. The symptoms in the first place to cause us to do this was warbling and smoke and an almost impossible engagement. This could mean the flywheel surface is uneven. I removed the flywheel and took it to my favorite engine shop and had it resurfaced. It's $40 worth of peace of mind. With the Flywheel resurfaced, I also went to my Flywheels Explained page and marked the flywheel and repainted it while it was out. Marking the Flywheel as explained in the article is just an awesome way to know where to set your valves during a valve adjust as well as engine timing. Why not? It's on the table anyway!
With the Flywheel marked and reinstalled, it is now time to install the Clutch. I have a spare Tranny Shaft that I use for alignment. But wait! We need to remove the Pilot Bushing. Or not. Install the spare shaft in the Pilot Bushing and see if there is any play in it. If it feels good, don't waste your time removing it unless you see visual reasons to remove it. If you do need to remove it, there are many ways to do it. YouTube has a few methods where you pack the area with grease then use a 5/8" dowel to create hydraulic pressure by pounding the dowel through the packed grease with a hammer. Or, use a slide hammer or your favorite method. With the Clutch Kit.. Disc, Clutch, Throwout Bearing, Pilot Bearing and alignment tool, just install everything in reverse order. I suggest cleaning everything nicely to avoid dirt and crud from ruining your day.
NOTE: There is a right way and a wrong way to install the Clutch Disc. This is very important! The flattest side of the clutch disc goes towards the Flywheel! The idea is to keep the springs on the disc from interfering with the engagement of the flywheel, so be sure to flip it so the flattest part of the disc is on the flywheel side. Put it in backwards and it will not make for a very good day!
The Pilot Bushing removal sort of had me thinking, then when Classic Parts sent me a Clutch Kit with a Pilot BEARING, I like the idea of a bearing instead of a bushing, so I decided to remove the old bushing and put in the new bearing. Now, how to get the old bushing out? You hear about the success of the 5/8" dowel/grease method but then you also hear to wear goggles and expect to have grease all over everything in the process. So, I looked to another idea. How big of a TAP do I need for this? Turns out, a 5/8" fine thread tap screws right in without ANY pre-drilling! So, a 5/8" tap typically has a 3/8" square drive shank amazingly the same as your 3/8" drive socket set! So, take the long extension, turn it around and mate the tap with the extension and chuck the other end of the extension into your cordless drill. Run it in until all of the sudden everything comes apart nicely. Very little effort and no mess. Inserting the Bearing was just a matter of a 1/2" drive, 5/8" socket with extension long enough to tap it in with a Hammer. It doesn't get any easier than that!
It is quite a long and involved process changing out a Clutch since everything from the Crankshaft to the Torque Tube has to come out, but to do a thorough job, you may want to inspect the Torque Tube's U-Joint and Front Bushing for serviceability. There is no better time than when you have everything apart anyway. Another issue that could take place at the same time is the rear main seal on your engine. If it leaks, with the transmission out, it makes for easier sneaking a new rubber type seal into place.
The Clutch now works as advertised and I can now focus on another issue that is needing to be addressed, the Bed. Have a great week everyone! Seeya Next Week!
This same 1953 truck that I have done the Floor repairs and Electrical upgrades also needed a new Clutch. Clutch replacement on a stock AD is not a very pleasant experience if you are a hobbyist like me. First, you have to get the Torque Tube pulled back. There is a collar that unscrews around the perimeter of the Torque Tube. Loosen that and remove the 4 bolts holding the Transmission to the Torque Tube. Once you have the gasket sealer broke free, pull the collar back enough to remove the 4 bolts holding the U-Joint in place. Once it's all loose, you need to remove the crossmember. Unfortunately there is no way to get the Torque Tube down and out of the way far enough to pull the Transmission out without doing this. There are 4 bolts on each side of the Frame, and 1 bolt underneath to remove for a total of 10 bolts. After removal of the bolts, it just pushes back and then you can angle it out. With the U-Joint loose, you can now pull the Torque Tube back enough to drop it down. BE CAREFUL!! It can spring downwards and break you! Put a jack stand under it to support it. Lower the Jack Stand carefully so you can pull the Transmission straight backward and out. It's heavy so again.. BE CAREFUL! In my case, it's a 3 speed so not impossible to remove by yourself. Once the Tranny is out, you can shove a piece of 1 inch stick into the flywheel to keep it from rotating. You can then start removing the 6 bolts that hold the clutch in place. (The Throwout Bearing comes out with the Transmission or sort of falls out). Leave the clutch fork in place. No need to mess with that. With the clutch removed, it's time to remove the Flywheel.
NOTE: The Clutch Fork should stay in place. If it does not, a spring inside the fork is missing or broken. Also, there are two adjustment nuts on the Adjuster linkage that need to spin freely so you can adjust the Clutch once it is in place. It is not hard to remove the parts, clean everything and put it all back together, just be aware that the Clutch Pedal Spring is under load and can be hard to get back into place.
We are removing the flywheel because we do not trust what is there. The symptoms in the first place to cause us to do this was warbling and smoke and an almost impossible engagement. This could mean the flywheel surface is uneven. I removed the flywheel and took it to my favorite engine shop and had it resurfaced. It's $40 worth of peace of mind. With the Flywheel resurfaced, I also went to my Flywheels Explained page and marked the flywheel and repainted it while it was out. Marking the Flywheel as explained in the article is just an awesome way to know where to set your valves during a valve adjust as well as engine timing. Why not? It's on the table anyway!
With the Flywheel marked and reinstalled, it is now time to install the Clutch. I have a spare Tranny Shaft that I use for alignment. But wait! We need to remove the Pilot Bushing. Or not. Install the spare shaft in the Pilot Bushing and see if there is any play in it. If it feels good, don't waste your time removing it unless you see visual reasons to remove it. If you do need to remove it, there are many ways to do it. YouTube has a few methods where you pack the area with grease then use a 5/8" dowel to create hydraulic pressure by pounding the dowel through the packed grease with a hammer. Or, use a slide hammer or your favorite method. With the Clutch Kit.. Disc, Clutch, Throwout Bearing, Pilot Bearing and alignment tool, just install everything in reverse order. I suggest cleaning everything nicely to avoid dirt and crud from ruining your day.
NOTE: There is a right way and a wrong way to install the Clutch Disc. This is very important! The flattest side of the clutch disc goes towards the Flywheel! The idea is to keep the springs on the disc from interfering with the engagement of the flywheel, so be sure to flip it so the flattest part of the disc is on the flywheel side. Put it in backwards and it will not make for a very good day!
The Pilot Bushing removal sort of had me thinking, then when Classic Parts sent me a Clutch Kit with a Pilot BEARING, I like the idea of a bearing instead of a bushing, so I decided to remove the old bushing and put in the new bearing. Now, how to get the old bushing out? You hear about the success of the 5/8" dowel/grease method but then you also hear to wear goggles and expect to have grease all over everything in the process. So, I looked to another idea. How big of a TAP do I need for this? Turns out, a 5/8" fine thread tap screws right in without ANY pre-drilling! So, a 5/8" tap typically has a 3/8" square drive shank amazingly the same as your 3/8" drive socket set! So, take the long extension, turn it around and mate the tap with the extension and chuck the other end of the extension into your cordless drill. Run it in until all of the sudden everything comes apart nicely. Very little effort and no mess. Inserting the Bearing was just a matter of a 1/2" drive, 5/8" socket with extension long enough to tap it in with a Hammer. It doesn't get any easier than that!
It is quite a long and involved process changing out a Clutch since everything from the Crankshaft to the Torque Tube has to come out, but to do a thorough job, you may want to inspect the Torque Tube's U-Joint and Front Bushing for serviceability. There is no better time than when you have everything apart anyway. Another issue that could take place at the same time is the rear main seal on your engine. If it leaks, with the transmission out, it makes for easier sneaking a new rubber type seal into place.
The Clutch now works as advertised and I can now focus on another issue that is needing to be addressed, the Bed. Have a great week everyone! Seeya Next Week!