65 frozen clutch update- very happy ending

[FireFly]

This spring I posted a message indicating my 65 clutch being frozen. Many of you provided GREAT info on how to fix it without ripping everything apart.

I tried in vane many times to free but it did not help matters. The one thing I did not try was the rolling start (while car is in gear) because I was afraid I may get the car down my 700ft driveway and never get it back up there.

So today I jacked up the rear end ever so slightly off the ground (enough to have a few inches between the tire and ground) and made tripple sure it was stable. I put the car in 1st, started her up and watched the drivers side back tire. It started spinning so I gave it some gas and put the clutch in. Nothing yet (tire still spinning) so I pushed in the clutch again and gave it more gas with the clutch in. TIRE STOPPED MOVING!!!!!

Indeed a very happy day. Took her for a spin around the block and put some fresh gas in her. Running a bit rough but I'm sure once I work the new gas in she'll purrrrr again.

Thanks again to everyone who offered help. I'll be enjoying the car for the rest of the summer and fall.

FYI- that was a very easy way to free up a frozen clutch. Unless there are serious ramifications for doing it this way, I highly recommend it.

 

[IH2LOSE]

Firefly excellent
I remember the post quite well but dont remember that being one of the option given that was a great recomendation.

Congradulations and enjoy the car.

 

[youwish2bme]

Firefly,
I too remember this. Great fix man!! It's always good to hear the outcome. You never know when it might happen to you (ME). Thanks for the info...Dave.

 

[FireFly]

IH2lose- It was not listed as a possible solution. I figured if revving the engine would take care of it then having it up on blocks should do the trick.

I can't tell you how relieved I was to find out it fixed it. I spoke with a couple of mechanics who said in order to get to the clutch they would need to pull the motor.

So if you ever find yourself in a jam and the clutch plate is rusted (frozen) then try this simple fix- took all of 15 minutes (10 of which were checking and double checking to make sure the car would not pop off the blocks and lunge forward).

 

[00fxd]

Something to consider is that when an independant rear suspension Corvette rear wheels are off the ground, the u-joints usually bind when turning. Not recomended. The clutch probably would have free'd up with a bump start and spirited run around the block, on and off the throttle in 1st or 2nd gear, whichever gear you bump started it in. Glad you got her going.

 

[Tom Bryant]

My '59 had a habit of doing this when it would set for a long period. I'd just roll it down the drive and pop the clutch. Worked every time.

Tom

 

[vigman]

Nothing to fear except fear itself..

You basicly did the same thing as the start the car in gear ( but with less mass)...

The clutch was not frozen that bad... due to the inertia needed to break it free.. was just the rotating mass of the drive train .

So either way it would have worked... and cool for you that you did it they way it was most comfortable for you...

Great news,

Vig~

 

[FireFly]

Tom,

Problem with my situation was the two surfaces were rusted together )frozen) so if it was in gear and you started it, it would lurch forward even if you had the clutch pressed in.

Now if you started it in neutral, there would be no way to get it in gear except for grinding it in- would not want to do that.

So to roll it down my driveway would be hard to do because it would have to be in gear- how would I get it rolling if it was in gear?

So it was a bit of a dilemma. I thought about coasting down the driveway and getting it onto the street. Then I would put it in gear and start it by lurching forward. But what if the plates did not free themselves and I was driving around in 1st gear. How do you stop? You can't put the clutch in and coast to a stop. You would have to apply the brakes (hard) and this would stall the car or you would have to turn the key off.

I decided this was too much of a risk given the possibility that it might not free up the clutch.

 

[Tom Bryant]

I think my disc just sticks to the flywheel but it's been a lot of years since I tried to start it. It seems like all I had to do was get the engine to turn at a different rate than the driveline and it would break free. Thinking back I think I had my son hold the clutch pedal down and I would push it or rock it back and forth and it would break free. I've also done the start in gear thing. Put it in reverse so it is heading out of the garage and start it. As soon as it starts push in the clutch. It should break free.

Tom