1952-59 Ford H-e-e-e-e-e-e-l-l-l-l-l-p-p-p-p-p!

My new F-100 shop truck arrived from California today and I'm trying to sort it out. It needs a LOT of help!

The biggest problem is horrible clutch chatter.

When I looked underneath it I found a custom-made additional crossmember with a center-located transmission mount. Since the front mount is also a center-located one, I deduced that this may be the cause of the clutch chatter.

It's got a Y-block engine and stock-type 3-speed transmission with the shifter on the column. The motor runs great but the truck is almost totally undriveable.

Help!

 

Put in a Camaro subframe with Chevy drive train. That's what I did with my 56.

 

Sorry to hear about that, Eric. I just looked at the pics in your album and she looks like a peach. I have no doubt that you will get things straightened out in short order.

 

Actually, the-stiq, plans are afoot to go XJS front and rear with an old school Chevy V8 and T5 from an S-10 Xtreme - you know, traditional.

But for right now I'd like to get it driveable and reliable with what's already in there. I had expected to do a little tinkering but wasn't expecting to have to re-engineer the crossmembers and put in a clutch before I could even drive it.

Oh...and the steering box is junk, too. Anybody got a good one?

 

normally clutch chater is either oil on the clutch disk or a flywheel that needs to be resurfaced. just like warped rotors on a car. wish my 53 looked as good as yours.

 

Thanks, OLM. Motor mounts are usually set up in a triangle to limit side-to-side movement of the engine to help limit the effects of clutch chatter. On my truck they are in a line. Since the rear crossmember is clearly a fabricated one I'm wondering if the stock rear mount(s) are this way, or has it been changed from original.

And yes, sadly, the truck will need a clutch. I just don't want to have to deal with the same problem all over again if the mounts are the cause.

PS: Still looking for a nice, smooth steering box for this beast.