Hey gang, Anyone following my clutch questions the past month or so may remember that Nate gave me a play by play on how to take the transmission out. Special thanks to Nate, it worked perfectly -- although I admit that good friends of mine did most of the hard work! But the directions were great. A follow up question on this 3/4 ton, 1952, the pressure plate we took out looks just fine. I am going to take it into a guy at the local NAPA and ask him, but is there anything I should be looking for to see if its ok. As a 3/4 ton, the pressure plate is the 10 3/4 inch, which is fairly expensive and no longer available from Chevy Duty, and I hate to replace if I don't have to. Thoughts? Eric
Eric, You already did all the hard work. Just think...if it is done right ONCE you probably won't have to do it again. Replace the disc and the pressure plate. I didn't even think twice about it. To me, a clutch job is doing both. You can't tell what shape the springs are in on the pressure plate and guessing means asking your friends to help you do it again. Andy
I tend to agree with Andy, but... Look closely at the diaphram spring. That's the thing in the middle of the pressure plate that looks like a finely cut pizza. Inspect the inner most part to see how much of of the ends are worn away and if they are worn away evenly. If suspect, replace it. If they look OK, at a minimum, replace the pressure plate retracting springs. There will be 3 of them on the pressure plate. What does the clutch plate itself look like? Does it appear to be oil soaked? Before they outlawed it, carbon tetrochoride would make them better than new. And last by not least, check the throw out bearing. They can be a bearer of bad news. (Been there, done that!)
What Ken Said : Lay the P.P. on a flat surface and eyeball across the operating levers , it may have a whole buncha them (diaphram typ) or just three but the main thing is : they *must* all be level ~ if even one is lower than the rest , or if the ring (some have this) is tilted , the P.P. is dead and must needs be rebuilt or replaced . If you have fingers in the center , look closely at them ~ if they're worn (may not be much , just a little lip mushed up) it's dead and must need be rebuilt . There's a way to test the springs involving your heel and the shop floor but I dunno how to explain it , I hadda step on hundreds of old clutches before I figgered out the good from the bad . Remember to change the pilot bushing in the middle of the crankshaft , it's easy and will ensure no clutch judder and a long life of the new one . Much has been written here on Clutch service , just search it out . Dri-Lube or a super thin paste of Moly based grease on the input shaft's splines is important as the disc *must* side freely up and down the splines . If they're dirty or rusty , wire brush 'em untill they're shiny and prefectly clean , DO NOT EVER put fresh grease on a dirty clutch spline ! . Of course you know to tighten down the clutch cover in little bits , going 'round & 'round , turn each bolt 360° then move on to the next one , this ensures you don't warp the P.P. as you tighten it up . DANG ! there's more I wanted to add but I got interuppted . I'll come back later when/if I remember .
T.O. Berg. ...If you ever heard a faint " groaning " sound as you released the clutch , this was prolly your Throw Out bearing , I don't always replace 'em and _never_ if the old one is silent and has a Zerk fitting on it for lubrication ~ install so the Zerk faces _down_ as you can only acess it for the greasegun from below after removing the flywheel scatterpan .
