clutch slipping on my oval 56

[jayster]

Have Just purchased a oval 56 there is an adjustment that needs doing to the cable i think.
The clutch was replaced before i brought the car.
The pedal is very har with very little freeplay..
I Have tried letting off the nut on the end of the cable behind rear wheel and Have about 2 cm that i can let it off a bit more.
Question is.is it norway to let it off so much that the nut is at the end of the cable?
What do i do if i let it off as much as i date without the nut coming off,and the clutch still slip...it is slipping in 3 and 4 sometimes 2.
Feels like if i put my foot down and give gas it is really struggling to engine...What do i do?
All help needs!!!!thankyou.[/quote]

[bdub475]

Maybe an incorrect cable was used. Is there still tension on the arm/lever with the nut at the end of it adjustment. It's always possible that the PO never changed it and it's slipping because it worn.

[jayster]

[bdub475]

Ok. Then take out the cable and make sure it is the correct length. Does your car have a 36hp engine and a split case trans? If you know the clutch is new and you have no more adjustment then something is making the cable shorter than it should be. Maybe it broke and someone tried to repair it making it shorter. Maybe the previous owner changed the clutch thinking it was bad when that wasn't the problem to begin with.

[bdub475]

The fact that someone took the time to take a picture of them changing a clutch before they sell a car seems a little odd to me to begin with. The cable lengths changed over the years, I don't know when and how off the top of my head but thats where i would start.

[57BLITZ]

[jayster]

[57BLITZ]

[jayster]

[jayster]

Have got no bend in my bowden tube.how does this effect clutch slipping.?

[Snort]

The bowden tube does not affect clutch slippage directly, it should have a bend in it to prevent clutch chattering when engaging due to motor and transmission movement. Having a bend in the tube allows the motor and transmission to flex on the rubber mounts while maintaining a constant tension on the cable.

It is possible that you have the wrong length cable, and by reading your first post it looks like you are short as it is and adding a bend to the bowden tube would make it even shorter. So pulling the cable to check the length would be a good first step.

If your cable is the correct length, my experience with this type of problem usually points to a problem with the pressure plate and disc. Starting with the disc, the thickness of the fiber pads must be very close to the factory specification. Fractions of millimeters here lead to centimeters of variations in the position of the clutch release arm. With the pressure plate, if you have the coil spring type these are adjustable and must be set so that the release ring is parallel with and at the correct distance from the surface of the flywheel. Again, small adjustments here lead to large variations in the clutch release arm. Check your service manuals to find the correct measurements for these, you may have to look in more than one source to find both.

Lastly, there is a possibility that your release bearing has come loose from the operating shaft or perhaps the operating shaft itself is damaged which can keep the release bearing from correctly engaging the pressure plate.

There's a few more things to look at including the clutch pedal shaft which has a hook on the end to hold the cable. This isn't your immediate problem but they wear and eventually break so while you're investigating your clutch cable, take a look at it. Then there is the clutch cable tube which often breaks a weld near where it exits the rear of the chassis and many cars have been poorly repaired here, some even with shortened tubes which effectively disables or at least impairs the function of the bowden tube. If the tube weld is broken it allows too much flex in the cable system which shortens the effective range of the clutch pedal so you have to over tighten the adjustment in order to get the clutch to release.

Long story short... the clutch and clutch control system has a lot of parts and they all need to be in tip top shape for everything to work. Check everything.

[jayster]

Is there Any videos that show the amount of freeplay the pedal.
I slacked of the cable and i could wobble the cable there was far far too much movement there.
I Have no Locking nut on the end of the cable Just one nut.
Am getting a bit stressed with the thought of having to pull the engine.love my bug and really want to be a good mechanic on the old girl Just feeling like a lack confidence to do Any big jobb on Her as am affraid of moving think worse..

[Bruce Berman]

Or perhaps the clutch in this vehicle was really never replaced (although the previous owner may have stated that it was), and the clutch disc is worn to the point of requiring replacement.

If the clutch cable is the correct length (and correct part number for this car), and the clutch adjustment is at the very end of it's useful range, with the adjustment nut backed all of the way out to the end of the adjustment threads, that is usually indicative of excessive clutch disc wear. My guess is that this car will require an new disc, and while you are at it, you might as well replace the pressure plate, the throw-out bearing, and the engine oil seal.

It's really not a big deal to drop the engine in these cars to perform this kind of service.

Bruce
_________________
Factory original 1957 Type 1 Deluxe Sedan, with 13,000 miles. I purchased her from the estate of the original owner in 1978. Color: L324 Polar Silver, with light beige leatherette interior, dealer-installed Dehne fuel gauge and Motorola Volumatic radio.

[oldsplitvw]

Don't kill yourself on pulling the engine, it is you VS 4 bolts. Not a deal. My 51 sunroof clutch started slipping, and I chased the "adjust clutch cable" demons for a month before I pulled the engine and the solution was right in front of my face: The pressure plate failed. 1/3 of the springs were bent backwards, and there was obvious lack of pressure pushing the clutch to the flywheel.

You own an oval. Cool. You also need to own a good floor jack and 2 jack stands. Good manual helps too. Take a deep breath. Drink a beer, send the kids to gramma's and remind your wife why she married you, then grab that 17mm wrench and pull that engine. If it looks cool then grab that 13/14mm wrench and pull the pressure plate. Clutch used and worn? Oil leaking from the front seal? There you go. Don't be afraid just to dive in. 99.9% you'll figure it out, and then be stoked that you solved the prob. Post the solution, and then a buncha other guys will be thrilled that you helped them out. Enjoy, this is the fun part of it.

Will

[ZENVWDRIVER]

I have a similar problem...no real free play at the pedal and chatters a bit. I have a new cable and used a 6v 200 mm clutch from a bus. Could that be the problem...and am running a 1961 stale air 40.
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[Jonnyla]

Hey all, first off I agree with all previous replies as far as possibilities for your problem. Just wanted to add a possibility from my own experience.

About 20 years ago I put a 912 5 speed trans in my 63 rag top. Lots of fab to get it right but it was awesome in the end. Anyways, I had a problem basically as the original posted described. After long hours of diagnosis and even having the engine out a few times it all came down to the wrong throw-out bearing.
I know this is a different application but my point is while your in there don't forget to check that too, as I did all but the last time the engine was out.
Basically the wrong throw-out bearing was too "thick" and never let the pressure plate fully release.
Good luck!
_________________
'55 3 fold sedan, stock with lower stance (project)
'57 sedan, future old speed outlaw style (project)