Clutch Screeching

nellis003 said:
I ended up pulling the trans (always fun on these cars, with having to drop the whole rear end), and I'm going to get another TO bearing and make sure to grease it before I install. I also think I may have damaged the bearing by tapping it on instead of using a press, so I'll do that right next time.

Thanks for all the advice.

Nick
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Look very carefully at the clutch pressure plate and see if it was rubbing on the inside of the bellhousing. I just went through a lot of research here about putting an 8ba/rt into an earlier truck and learned like Walt said you can't fit an 11" clutch into a stamped steel bh. Some have modified to make it work, but otherwise it rubs. Sadly it was me who put my throw out assembly in backwards. It fell off the snout while I was installing and I hurriedly picked it up and slid it back on (backwards) and continued. It made a horrible racket and wrecked a few parts. Hope you get this figured out soon.
 
I haven't seen the question raised so I'll bring it up. Why run an 11 inch clutch in the first place? Seems to me there are a lot more negatives than positives. If you have to take it apart anyway that would be the first think I would fix!
 
Not sure if it even has an 11", he just said he used the truck clutch. Also I re-read after posting and it only squeals upon pressing in the clutch pedal. I suppose that could bring other parts outwards against the bell. We need to know what clutch he's using. And btw Mr. Seery, my 8rt runs and idles beautifully on a stand today with the correct 8ba type carb hooked up to the port and the load a matic dist. You called that one. I'll post up more results on my thread tomorrow, sorry off topic on that...
 
GB SISSON said:
Not sure if it even has an 11", he just said he used the truck clutch. Also I re-read after posting and it only squeals upon pressing in the clutch pedal. I suppose that could bring other parts outwards against the bell. We need to know what clutch he's using. And btw Mr. Seery, my 8rt runs and idles beautifully on a stand today with the correct 8ba type carb hooked up to the port and the load a matic dist. You called that one. I'll post up more results on my thread tomorrow, sorry off topic on that...
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Good to hear your carb/distributor issue is resolved! I was thinking he said 11 inch, but reread it and just says truck. The 11 inch question was ask in #14 & #15.
 
Hi all,

Thanks for all the input. Here's the answers to a few questions:

It has the 11" clutch with the cast bellhousing. When I bought the car it had a 49-53 engine with the '39 trans, so it already had an 11" clutch but the pressure plate assembly had been hacked up. So I went back to the stock clutch before I realized that it wouldn't work with the newer engine. Ended up buying a new 11" setup and resurfacing / balancing the flywheel, and installing that back into the car.

I pulled the bellhousing and there's no sign at all of any contact. Nothing on the pressure plate either. I can't remember exactly which cast bellhousing I have, but it doesn't appear to be the problem.

The only evidence I've found of any damage is a light scoring of the throwout bearing, so that's what I'm going to replace. I think I damaged it somehow by tapping it in instead of pressing it, so when I get the new one I'm going to press it in and see if that resolves the issue.

I got the parts from Mac Van Pelt, and he's been very helpful over the phone in trying to diagnose the issue and making sure the setup is correct. I should get the new TO bearing in a day or so, and I'll update with the progress.

Thanks again for all your thoughts on this.

Nick
 
PS - by "hacked up" I mean the pressure plate fingers looked like they had been ground down for clearance. The car would jump forward as soon as you lifted the clutch even the tiniest bit off the floor, and chattered like a sorority sister, which is why I started this whole thing in the first place.
 
One thing about a 39 car or truck there isn't much travel in clutch leakage.
If the lever is original on the trans it should measure about 3.5"
The pressure plates now seam to have no screws on 3 fingers.
They will put the finger closer to engine and may help the throw-out bearing.
I think 11" clutch is to big the 10" will fit the flywheel you have.
 
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