Pressure plate finger adjust

B

Borninthefifties

Member
I've installed my pressure plate and wish to adjust the fingers. Can anyone give me a step by step instruction? Also, what is meant by staking and how do I do that? Finally, is there a safe way to do a history check on my Model A?
 
The fingers should be adj. before installation the most important thing is making them all equal. The threads are then staked or tack welded. I sent my 39 to Fort Wayne and they did this for 40.00.
 
Big question.
Is the clutch now in the car or still on the bench ? Its much easier while its sitting on the bench, but, doable in the vehicle. Just different procedure.
 
The fingers are only adjusted when mounted to the flywheel with the clutch disk in place. All fingers need to have the same adjustment. You can use either a 5/8 inch or 11/16 inch measurement for the adjustment. The adjustment is measured from the back of the pressure plate to the finger. Place a bar across the back of the pressure plate and measure from the bottom of the bar to the finger...

I do not believe you can adjust the fingers on a bench unless it is bolted to a flywheel....
 
Dick M said:
The fingers are only adjusted when mounted to the flywheel with the clutch disk in place. All fingers need to have the same adjustment. You can use either a 5/8 inch or 11/16 inch measurement for the adjustment. The adjustment is measured from the back of the pressure plate to the finger. Place a bar across the back of the pressure plate and measure from the bottom of the bar to the finger...

I do not believe you can adjust the fingers on a bench unless it is bolted to a flywheel....
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That's what I thought! How can you 'send' it to someone for adjustment? I use LocTite to secure the adjustment.
 
I would consider a new pressure plate that needs adjustments before use defective ---- it is something the factory sets up, but it seems a common obsession here with the model A and v8 people on this site ---- I have done it but only for when I am mixing parts or curing defects and bad workmanship

I had reground old screwdriver blades into the shape needed to stake the nuts into the slots on the bolt---- when I am looking at cores I look to see if they have been apart and restaked--- locking nuts with nylon insert would eliminate the need for staking, and allowing near unlimited playing with adjustments
 
Kurt in NJ said:
I would consider a new pressure plate that needs adjustments before use defective ---- it is something the factory sets up
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Well there must be a lot of 'defective' pressure plates being sold. All of the vendors say to check the adjustment, some even sell a tool for checking.

I'm not sure how the factory can guarantee a pressure plate is adjusted properly if the Model A flywheel is surfaced, just by the configuration of the flywheel. If just the contact area is machine and not the the mounting surface the same, the finger adjustment will be off.

Later flywheels don't have this problem because they are flat so all surfaces are the same.

Air cooled VW flywheel is the same.
 
The Master Cylinder said:
Well there must be a lot of 'defective' pressure plates being sold. All of the vendors say to check the adjustment, some even sell a tool for checking.

I'm not sure how the factory can guarantee a pressure plate is adjusted properly if the Model A flywheel is surfaced, just by the configuration of the flywheel. If just the contact area is machine and not the the mounting surface the same, the finger adjustment will be off.

Later flywheels don't have this problem because they are flat so all surfaces are the same.

Air cooled VW flywheel is the same.
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The Model flywheel has a ridge the pressure plate bolts to. The distance from the ridge to the clutch disk surface is 1.123" When you take a flywheel in to have it resurfaced, tell the machinist to take as much metal off the ridge that he takes off the surface. In other words, restore the 1.123" factory dimension.

The pressure plates should be properly adjusted at the factory, and there is no reason why they can't as long as they use a disk (or a substitute) that is of the proper thickness. Apparently they don't. I would never trust that a new pressure plate is adjusted correctly, always check it.

Tom Endy
 
Tom Endy said:
The Model flywheel has a ridge the pressure plate bolts to. The distance from the ridge to the clutch disk surface is 1.123" When you take a flywheel in to have it resurfaced, tell the machinist to take as much metal off the ridge that he takes off the surface. In other words, restore the 1.123" factory dimension.

Tom Endy
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Well that's pretty close to what I attempted to convey only you said it better, haha. If the mounting surface isn't machined the same as the friction surface, you will have to adjust the pressure plate if it was adjusted at the factory/rebuilder or not.

But I certainly wouldn't suggest that "a new pressure plate that needs adjustments before use is defective".
 
Adjustment while on the 'bench' means the complete assembly [ flywheel, plate and disk] is put together and adjusted. That can certainly also be done with the assembled clutch in the car while the transmission is still out. I guess I assumed too much.

To me its easier to use a piece of round stock turned to the height used [ 5/8 or 11/16"] and just check [ or adjust] the fingers to a slight drag of the round stock between the fingers and a straight edge held across the plate.
 
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Just a general comment on this thread. I am unaware of any new pressure plates being manufactured in the U.S. My understanding is they are being manufactured in China. I would not buy a new pressure plate because they are made in China. However, if you want to buy a good rebuilt pressure plate, go to Bert's. He has a fellow, who for the last 30 years, rebuilds all of his pressure plates. Bert's rebuilt pressure plates are the only ones that I am aware of that have the fingers preset. His re-builder has a flywheel fixed to a bench. A new clutch disk is placed on the flywheel. The pressure plate is then bolted to the flywheel and he then sets the fingers. Steve at Bert's informed me that he has not had one of his rebuilt pressure plates returned in 30 years. I know they come preset from Bert's because I have bolted on a rebuilt pressure plate from Bert's and it needed no finger adjustment.
 
Borninthefifties said:
If the nuts have already been staked, how do I unstake them? Do I need new nuts?
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The studs usually have a slot in the top. The staking is done by forcing some on the nut castle into the slot. Take a hacksaw and run it in the slot to clear the staking. If not too severe, just by holding the stud stationary and turning the nut will break the staking.

You can re-use the nuts by re-staking or by applying lock-tight

Tom Endy
 
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