New clutch: Judder from hell

Chris Van

Chris Van

Member
Hi boffins:

I have just had a branch new clutch and pressure plate fitted to my '31 Town Sedan and the judder as I pull of is so brutal that it tries to shake the car to pieces. Once it "bites" though it's fine and there is zero slip.

The mechanic said he used the V8 clutch, which is apparently the same as the regular Model A clutch.

I want to take the car to a different mechanic but I need to tell him what to do. Here in South Africa skilled Model A mechanics are almost non existent.

Thanks a million. Driving me nuts.
 
The V8 clutch and the 'A' aren't the same.
There are several things that can cause the 'judder' ranging from warped flywheel and mis-adjusted pressure plate fingers and mis-aligned bell-housing/clutch cover.
 
Patrick L. said:
The V8 clutch and the 'A' aren't the same.
There are several things that can cause the 'judder' ranging from warped flywheel and mis-adjusted pressure plate fingers and mis-aligned bell-housing/clutch cover.
Click to expand...
Patrick, can V8 clutch AND pressure plate be used?
 
Chris Van said:
Hi boffins:

I have just had a branch new clutch and pressure plate fitted to my '31 Town Sedan and the judder as I pull of is so brutal that it tries to shake the car to pieces.
Chris I had the exact same issue but using Model A clutch, Advice from fellow A Gurus. Try starting off in 2, 3 gear almost to point of slipping clutch , I done this numerous times , almost stalling engine , done this every time I drove car for several days . clutch seemed to seat and hold after a few days , no noises or chatter.
Click to expand...
 
When I changed to a V8, 8N ford PP, I machined the PP from 63 lbs. down to 36 lbs. on a lathe and drilled and tapped the holes on a mill, so the new PP will fit.
 
Start with adjusting the pressure plate fingers. That would be the easiest and is probably your problem.
 
I had the same issue, and I solved it by adjusting the front engine mount. Tighten down on the springs to change the response frequency of the new clutch.
 
The early 32, 33 and I think 34 , V8 pressure plates were the same as the model A.

I had the same problem, but the more I drove it, the better it got. The slipping of the clutch, and 2nd gear starts does in the long run actually help in time.
 
My clutch chatter was solved with a finger adjustment. Instructions said do not adjust so I didn't when I installed it... none of the fingers were the same height.
 
When I think V8 clutch, I think of the 9-inch Long type but the flywheel has to have the lip machined down to use it. Some of the new 9-inch pressure plates are crap so a person has to know where to shop or have an old original rebuilt by a good shop like Fort Wayne Clutch.

Torque tube drives can put a lot of pressure on the motor mounts. If they are loose in any way then the engine will move around all over the place when engaging the clutch. Worn float-a-motor sets would likely be more problematic than OEM sets but either one can get loose.
 
When you have the clutch disk out of the car check it carefully for a lump or thick spot. Had that happen to a friends car. Drove us crazy until we carefully measured the thickness and found the bump. New disk and all was well. Only put the engine in and out of the car four times before we found it.
 
1crosscut said:
When you have the clutch disk out of the car check it carefully for a lump or thick spot. Had that happen to a friends car. Drove us crazy until we carefully measured the thickness and found the bump. New disk and all was well. Only put the engine in and out of the car four times before we found it.
Click to expand...

Only 4 times? Ouch I feel your pain and frustration.:(
 
I had the flywheel lightened and a V-8 clutch and pressure plate installed about 14 years ago, by our local Model A mechanic, and have never had any issues with it, even from the start. Much less clutch pedal pressure with that setup......
 
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