1965 ford falcon issue

D

destingirl

Junior Member
hey all
i have a 65 Ford Falcon that has a stuck clutch. it has been sitting for almost 6 months outside. we were having running issues with her but she is running now purring like a kitten. but unfort. the clutch is grinding,, won't engage and also the brakes feel real hard, it has drum brakes. also before this happened the clutch was fine as were the brakes.
i really want to get her out on the road
just found a new mechanic that got her running, the old mechanic let her sit there for months cause he couldnt figure it out. :mad:
anyway now she is running great and he is gonna look at replacing the master cylinder
when we started her up today i didnt run her for very long but tomorrow we are meeting up again and im gonna let her warm up real good, ive read that sometimes just that alone will help free her up
please any suggestions would be much appreciated:D
 
As far as the brakes are concerned, I would pull the drums and inspect everything for rust, including the wheel cylinders. Peel back the rubber boots on the wheel cylinder while checking. Also check the master cylinder.

If the flex hoses going to the wheel cylinder looks funky, replace them. Could be that they have deteriorated inside.

The clutch may also have some rust on it. Maybe driving it will clear your problem up.
 
Stuck clutches can free up fairly easily or in extreme cases have to be removed to correct. Start by jacking up the rear axle, after the engine is warm stop it and put the trans in high gear. Start the engine with trans in high and with the clutch pedal on the floor, rev the engine. Keep pedal on floor, get the speed to about 60 and release the accelerator and stab the brakes. Doing this repeatedly might free it. I've found that blocking the clutch pedal to the floor for a few days releases some to the pressure and may allow the disc to begin to release and make it easier to unstick.

Considering the brake symptoms, you might have to repair them first.

There are other methods, but they require driving the car.

good luck with it.
 
thanks for that
ya he talked about jacking it up today..but don't you need a hydraulic jack? won't it take off if it works? she is surrounded by other cars in a small area...
and he does plan to replace the master cylinder first if it needs it ....he was thinking it did.
part is cheap and in stock!
my poor car sittin there for that long when it was so simple to get her going, so disappointed in my original mechanic. i think he is going senile:eek:
 
a lot depends on where you live in a damp area a car can go to hell fast when left sitting to long.brakes,carb gen,starter batt,are just a few things.
 
I'd say she's on the gulf coast, Destin, FL,,,,no wonder the problems.
Had a couple Falcons, great little car, hope you can get it going again.
 
:)i'm working on a 64 ranchero for 5 yrs:eek: now picked up from a barn in pa had the same issues with the brakes needed wheel cyls. hoses a couple of lines car sat so long the brake bindings fell off metal holders only difference is mine is an automatic with a factory rebuilt 6 cyl just keep pluging along it will all pay off when you drive it to your first show and people comment on it:p
 
hey all
well the brakes are good and the clutch was freed! my old mechanic did it before i got there this morning.
On the way home she died several times though.:confused:
but i drove her all around the island and put new gas in and some seafoam and that seemed to help alot.
sometimes though when i go to start her she just dies:confused:
so my new mechanic said it could need a new fuel filter and he is coming in the morning to put one in
hopefully that will cure her woes.
i kept driving her all over the island to..."get her broke in"......
and she only messes up in idle or when I was sitting at the light.
we have some long lights around here too
and actually i live in Fort Walton Beach, Fl which is right next to Destin, its just I usto work in destin and kept that name for blogs ever since.
thanks for replies!!:)
 
I would do the carb most likely bad from sitting plugs and so on as stated above also if yours is like mine there is a filter on top of the fuel pump also
 
hey just to let yall know i ran into an old friend that got my carburetor adjusted just right (it was brand spanking new) with a spring from a pen of all things.
now she is running like a dream
thanks for all replies;)
 
okay to review everything that happened to my Ford
first it had a large gap in the old manifold that caused the fumes to destroy my old carburetor. It died on me.
Put it in the shop.
Got a new manifold and carburetor. My mechanic installed new plugs, and new rotor..
Then he couldn't get her to start.
I had to eventually hire someone else because of it. My new guy discovered the new rotor did not fit snug over the distributor.
I thought she needed a new distributor but she didn't.
He installed the old rotor over the old distributor and got her to start. Thank God after almost 6 months of her sitting at my old mechanics.

Then he couldn't figure out how to set the timing on my brand spanking new carburetor.

I ran into this old car guy that lives right down the road and knows all about classics.
He set the timing on my new carburetor with a spring from a pen. It was amazing
Also on my new manifold my old mechanic i guess broke a bolt and had shoved something in it and whatever he had put in there blew out. Then my old car guy had a huge bolt that we simply screwed in and that fixed my new manifold.
Now my car drives like a dream.
I also replaced the fuel pump although my old car guy said it prob. didn't need it.
Very thankful to have her back. Disappointed in my old mechanic though.
I do appreciate yalls advice.
Oh and old mechanic did get my clutch freed and that was one good thing he did.
 
destingirl said:
okay to review everything that happened to my Ford
first it had a large gap in the old manifold that caused the fumes to destroy my old carburetor. It died on me.
Put it in the shop.
Got a new manifold and carburetor. My mechanic installed new plugs, and new rotor..
Then he couldn't get her to start.
I had to eventually hire someone else because of it. My new guy discovered the new rotor did not fit snug over the distributor.
I thought she needed a new distributor but she didn't.
He installed the old rotor over the old distributor and got her to start. Thank God after almost 6 months of her sitting at my old mechanics.

Then he couldn't figure out how to set the timing on my brand spanking new carburetor.

I ran into this old car guy that lives right down the road and knows all about classics.
He set the timing on my new carburetor with a spring from a pen. It was amazing
Also on my new manifold my old mechanic i guess broke a bolt and had shoved something in it and whatever he had put in there blew out. Then my old car guy had a huge bolt that we simply screwed in and that fixed my new manifold.
Now my car drives like a dream.
I also replaced the fuel pump although my old car guy said it prob. didn't need it.
Very thankful to have her back. Disappointed in my old mechanic though.
I do appreciate yalls advice.
Oh and old mechanic did get my clutch freed and that was one good thing he did.
Click to expand...


OMG ! I'm picturing the mechanics referred to are Gomer and Goober from Andy Griffith.
 
Well Stan is a good guy but he is going senile I think.
Plus he is overwhelmed with alot of cars. His nephew usto work with him but he quit.
He has a excellent reputation where I live so people just keep bringing him cars and he doesn't know when to say ..no...
But I will not be using him again as a mechanic that is for sure.
But like I said...just very thankful to have my Ford back. :)
 
I am new to this forum and looking forward to talking street rods with you all. I'm 66 years old and have built a 64 falcon hardtop with 89 mustang h.o 302 eldlebrock intake 650 double pumper Holley ford racing b303 cam headmen headers flow masters world class t5 with s10 tail housing for bench seat homemade (Lakewood style) traction bars 17 inch cobra r wheels Holley blue fuel pump 8 inch 67 fairlane rear with 3.00 gear. Running disk brakes on front with bf g-sport 245/45 tires and bf g-sport 275/70 on the rear.
Wanting to put 380 gears in the 8 inch with true lock.or go with a explorer 8.8 373 rearend and true lock. The car will really get up and go now, even with the 3.00 gears, but feel that the trans gears have got to be helping the 3.00 ratio really push the car fast. The 67 fairlane rear I'm running is 59 1/4 in length from flange to wheel flange. If I shorten the 8.8 using 2 short axles I don't believe I will be able to run the 275's any longer. So on the 8.8 maybe I should not cut it and put it in the car as is offset pionon. Does anyone see any reason why I shouldn't leave the explorer rear as is on install, as I don't want to have to mini tub? Jerryhill-of archery fame.......
 
Set the carb timing with a spring? Ol goober sure has a way with words lol. I bet that "new" carb was really a rebuilt one and had the wrong spring on the idle mixture screw and the spring from the pen allowed the screw to be able to be screwed in farther to get the carb adjusted right.
Anyhow, Destingirl I'm just picking with you. I hope your car is still running good and keeps on running good. GOD bless you...

Jerryhill, I don't know the answer to your post, but you kinda hijacked the thread it seems. Maybe if you posted that in your own post/thread (I'm still learning that termanology) maybe people would answer you. Sounds like you got a cool car though. All the people I ever knew in their mid 60s and up didn't care about that stuff. Good to meet someone your age that does--just don't make an idol out of it is my humble suggestion.

Edit: I know, I know--6 year old post. I hope everyone on here is still alive and kicking and doing well.
 
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greenpondmike said:
... Destingirl ... Jerryhill ...
Edit: I know, I know--6 year old post. I hope everyone on here is still alive and kicking and doing well.
Click to expand...
greenpondmike, If you look on the left a couple lines under their name you'll see the number of posts they've made, and since the thread is 6 yrs old, they aren't here anymore and won't see your comment.

A thread with the last post older than a couple months has most likely already been resolved.
.
 
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Just as a note since I know this post is over 6 years old, I prefer to time my carburetor at 10 degrees BTDC.


Sal
 
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