DOUG WILDRICK SELLS A KIT TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM AND IT WORKS HE ALSO HAS GOOD REBUILT CLUTCH AND PRESAURE PLATES AND EVERY THING YOU WILL NEED TO DO THE JOB RIGHT THE 1ST TIME

yep, I think the wildrick kit was money well spent for me. if you have all the time in the world and don't get frustrated taking engine/clutch/tranny apart and putting them back together multiple times you might be able to save the 140 clams. 😛

Replace that damaged transmission input shaft. The pilot bearing fit is going to be loose and a clutch chatter WILL be evident. I hate to see you do all the work on the clutch only to still have a chatter problem. Perhaps a good machine shop can weld and turn the shaft end to repair it, if you can't find a reasonable replacement..

Ok I had the input shaft machined to get rid of any play with pilot bearing.
I repaired the cross shaft end and its frame mount hole which was egg shaped. Bushings are new.

Went good until fully warmed up then same problem again.

Just noticed a stange behaviour.
Idling/revving engine, with the rear wheels jacked up I can go in 2nd or 3rd speed when I'm declutching. When I engage, the wheels stops. Disengaging the wheels spins.

So clutch works, right ? BUT I still can't put low or reverse, seeming the clutch isn't releasing input shaft...

Going insane. Why would the clutch work in 2nd/3rd but not first ?

Second check. Wheels spin too in 2nd and 3rd. Clutch work but not enough.
Tried to adjust at its farest position. Works for 10 minutes then same problem again. Ajudsted a bit farer then work then same problem.

Clutch springs ? Looks like the more I adjust to more I compress/extend springs.

Please don't tell me about the wildrick kit. Got no play at cross shaft and yoke is fine.

Crankshaft thrust bearing ? Will ask someone to press the clutch while I look on the damper side.

i doubt it's crank thrust. i think it's your pressure plate. i think i can tell you why it won't go into rev or 1st is those low gears have more torque and mate up better to the engine speed/gear match. if the clutch heats up it will not release right. it really has very little throw at the clutch disc.
like i said before, mine did the same thing. i know you don't want to hear about any kit so i won't go there. i would suggest finding someone to rebuild the pressure plate. if you don't want to go thru wildrick there may be some other place that can do it. i would check that they will do it correctly.
i am sorry if i was hounding you about getting a clutch kit. the reason i feel strongly about it is i could kick myself for messing around with one thing at aa time trying to save a nickel on my car. sometimes it works out good sometimes it doesn't. go the route you feel most comfortable with. like i said before, if you are ok with trying one thing at time and pulling it all apart that's ok. that's a good way to learn. i am watching your thread in hopes of learning too. if you keep at it you will get it. best of luck!

Crankshaft endplay does enter into the string of additive clearances that will affect clutch operation. Consider that when all other clearances have been "taken up", crank endplay is the last one in the string to have effect. Excessive thrust bearing clearance means you have to shove the crank forward by that amount before the clutch will begin it's release. By then, there may not be enough travel left to complete the disengagement.
The fact that it will go into 2 and 3 is likely because the input shaft/disc rotation is halted through the braking effect of the synchronizers.
Although I wouldn't look to crank endplay as a first choice as a culprit in clutch issues, it will be interesting to see just how much Thib is dealing with.
Frank

Stacy and Frank, thanks.
What you said about clutching in 2nd/3rd make sense. Anyway after a long time at idle trying to figure what happens my clutch couldn't release enough even in those gears.

I have nothing against Mr Wildrick at all, really 🙂 I would have bought the clutch pedal shaft and its frame mount if he was carrying it. I ended doing it myself for a good result. In the case of the cross shaft kit, 140$ is 120$ more than what I needed.

I'm 100% ok with your way of thinking Stacy. This is common sense !
Fact is I bought the Hudson because it was running/braking/steering to enjoy it while I'm occupied by a bigger restoration (Buick '50 hardtop). This was a very bad idea since I already poured lots of money and time into the Hornet.

Anyway, time doesn't cost me anything. Buying parts that I may not need does.

When you talk about rebuilding the pressure plate, do you mean having it resurfaced or new springs ? Looks like it's the last thing to check. I'm probably going to send it over Wildrick.

I just got in touch with someone who owns a donor Hornet. I may try the clutch assembly from that car to see if it works better.

We'll see. For now I'm about to give up -_-

the pressure plate and cross shaft were the thing that fixed mine. the pressure plate has to be finished, the spring pressure tested, arms adjusted so it will engage evenly. like Dave said earlier, the manual has all the overhaul info if you want to give it a try. I think you will need a press with a pressure gauge.
I have heard the finish on the flywheel and pressure plate is important and most machine shops don't know how to do it correctly, because it's a cork clutch and not the abrasive type. and the gasket thickness for the pressure plate is very important too. I am def going to be watching to see how it gets fixed for you.
most importantly, you made the right choice on fixing the Hudson! to heck with that buick.

Indeed there is a full page in the manual with overhaul instructions.
Unfortunately I'm not tooled to do any of them. No press nor pressure gauge, frustrating.

I recall one of the 3 fingers isn't set up like the others (1/8" diff).
Corks are thinner on the pressure plate side on 1/2 side.
And the input shaft splines aren't perfect at the trans side.
Clutch splines were good.

I know I should have done something to these parts but I just can't/want afford it (>500$). The cross shaft and its mount were so bad I had to give a try to check if it was enough to replace.

I should get the other used clutch assembly sunday. Hopefully it will be ok since the said car burned from the trunk.

Ok.
Just fitted the gearbox, pressure plate, clutch housing and bellhousing from a working car.
Same problem.

I just kept the clutch disc and flywheel. Both visually good.

Definitely not the pressure plate or tranny.

Pissed off and out of ideas..

For the benefit of people just joining this discussion, could you please re-state the precise problem? As this discussion continued for 5 pages, some folks might have gotten a bit confused as more people chimed in with ideas.

I think it ended up that you could shift into two gears but not the other two.

If that's so, have we entertained the possibility that the gear lever linkage may somehow have gone bad, and that the problem is not in the clutch at all? This would, of course, be a relatively simple fix (though I am not qualified to offer a solution, since my gear lever protrudes from the floor...).

i think his problem is the clutch isn't fully releasing after the engine gets hot.
other possibilities I can think of is clutch fluid level and type, the clutch linkage as discussed before, clutch pedal adjustment, or the gasket thickness to seal pressure plate to flywheel. again I am no expert, but I am interested in what you finally find out.
I can't believe you had a pal that let you take all this stuff out of there working car and try it in yours! that pal needs a pat on the back too!

If you did all the measurements in the Hudson manual Prior to assembly. Everything should work well and without using two gaskets. Regardless of what you hear. .Just about any automatic transmission fluid will work well. It ain't rocket science. One thing that can bite you in the aXX is too much fluid! The clutch becomes a torque converter! And when hot will cause the clutch to drag. I have had cork discs that were too thick.. Got one from Clifford many years ago. But since I decided to use the Hudson manual and check clutch fingers etc.. No problems.
Good Luck! dave