Clutch Will Not Disengage

[KFH]

My 59 FC. The car was used  four weeks ago without any sign of problems.  Went to take it out of the shed today, started it in neutral however when I tried to put it into gear very big graunch.  Tried rocking car in neutral and in gear several times without sucess. Drove the car out of the shed on the starter motor, ignition killed, in neutral to try to disengage the clutch - no luck.  Ended up driving it back in the shed in first gear until ignition fired an did the jobto get it back up the slope.  Engine stalled when I applied the brakes. Have tried just about every method to disengage clutch.

I am lost to find a suitable fix.  The weather here in the last few weeks has been quite wet and high humidity.  It has been like that on previous times and caused no problems..  The travel on the slave cylinder arm is around 1 1/4 inches.  The pedal feels normal.  Any thoughts would be appreciated.  Keith

[ardiesse]

Keith,

Your clutch plate has rusted onto the flywheel.  And you're not the first to report this - I had to cure a car club member's FJ of the same problem.

The cure is brutal.  Start the car up and let it warm up well.  Next, you need to get the car out into the street: it's almost certain your drive's not long enough for what comes next, and you may have to enlist the neighbours' help for a push when the time comes.

Street long and free of traffic?  With the engine stopped, get in the car, release handbrake, select first, push the clutch pedal to the floor and keep it there.  Don't touch the accelerator (yet).  Turn the key.  Yes, the car will move.  Once it's settled down at idle in first, give it a bootful and back off, keeping the clutch pedal on the floor.  Repeat as often as needed until the clutch breaks free.

The alternative is horrendous: gearbox and pressure plate off, peel the driven plate off the flywheel, and reassemble.  No, you don't want to do that.

Best of luck.

Rob

[KFH]

Thanks Rob for your suggestions.  Checked the clutch fork travel and free play.  All was good. I have cured the problem now. A suggestion on facebook was to hold the clutch pedal with a piece of timber between it and steering wheel for 24 hours.  I did this for 12 hrs and this morning  securely chocked the front wheels, left the timber in and with the car in first gear hit the starter.  After a bit of a thud the motor turned over normally.  The clutch was free. Loaded it up for around 20 seconds slipping the clutch.  Went on a club run today without any further problems. Three weeks of very wet weather and 100% humidity was the cause of the problem.


Keith

[ardiesse]

Keith,

That sounds like a useful procedure.  You'd need to have very good clutch hydraulics that don't leak down at all.

Mind you, it wouldn't be a problem with a Humpy

Rob

[my8thholden]

Most definately necessary in all this humidity to run the early Holdens once a week ..