I installed a T5 with a 59A flathead using the Speedway conversion kit. It included a new clutch disc, pressure plate, throw out bearing, return spring and a sleeve that goes over the trans nose shaft. Everything was great for the first 200+/- miles. This weekend I took it to Goodguys in Pleasanton, @60 mile round trip. Two blocks from home something quit working and my clutch pedal was mush. Couldn’t shift while the engine was running. I pulled it all apart today and I can’t find any issues. All of the parts seem to be in good working order. Nothing appears broken. I put it all back together and I still have no clutch even adjusting the clutch pedal rod as far out as I can. I’m going to order a new throw out bearing, return spring and disc and see if that helps. Anyone else had a problem like this
Does your bellhousing have the access plate on the top? Can you access it to see inside? If so take a look inside while depressing the clutch pedal. It doesn't sound like there is a lot that can go wrong. Either your pressure plate isn't working or however you are actuating the t.o. bearing/pressure plate isn't working. I'd your clutch pedal hydraulic?
Well, it worked for awhile and then it didn't. I would want to find out what changed before throwing parts at it. Does it have manual clutch linkage, or has it been converted to hydraulic?
Manual clutch and unfortunately no access panel to look inside. We pushed on each of the three legs on the pressure plate and they seem fine. My thinking is that possibly the throw out bearing is hanging up on the sleeve that slips over the nose of the trans and not fulling engaging the pressure plate. I’m replacing the disc only because it’s not perfectly flat and has some shiny areas where it has slipped. I don’t think that has anything to do with my main problem.
I found a Motor Trend article about installing a T5 to a flathead and it said the release bearing adapter sleeve needs to be driven on to the trans input shaft. My adapter sleeve slides on with no force needed. I called Speedway tech support this morning and they are sending a new adapter sleeve. The one I got may not have been made to the correct specs. My sleeve was sliding forward and back with the release bearing (throw out bearing) and possibly pressing against the clutch disc and not letting it release from the flywheel. I’m hoping that is the problem. Once I get the new sleeve installed I’ll follow up with this thread and let you know if that works. Thanks for your input
Got it fixed after several transmission installs and removals. I believe the moving adapter sleeve was the original problem. I had to press on the new adapter sleeve which shows the original one wasn't working correctly. I also also installed a new pressure plate and disc while I had everything apart however after the new parts were installed I couldn't get a good clutch pedal and the T5 wouldn't shift when the engine was running. The instructions with the Speedway adapter kit say that you have to cut off the counter weights on the three finger pressure plate, which I did. What the instructions fail to say is not only do you have to cut the weights off but you need to grind the bottom of the arm almost completely smooth. What happens is when you push the clutch the lower part of the arm where the weight used to be moves upward and hits the inside of the Speedway adapter bell housing stopping your clutch pedal cold and doesn't allow you to fully depress the clutch. The Speedway kit is a good kit and I could recommend it but make sure you grind the clutch arms down smooth after you cut off the counter weights.
First of all, I would like to say hello to everyone and appreciate all your great input . I am having the same problem with my T5 to the fatty. It seems like there is no clutch pressure when I push on the foot pedal of clutch. Do you have any pictures much appreciate it.
As he said above, make sure the sleeve isn't sliding on the T-5 input retainer. If the sleeve slides forward, it probably keeps the pressureplate fingers from pressing far enough forward to relieve the disk pressure.
Good luck with your repairs, I hope the new sleeve solves the problem. The Speedway sleeve has been hit and miss since the beginning. I get quite a few call a year with the same problem as yours, I do it differently in my kit. If you hit a wall I'll be glad to help.
Worked fine for a while. Everything is still in place. Pedal moves full stroke but doesn't release the Clutch enough to shift. Sounds like a sheered roll pin. The one that fastens the bearing fork to the Cross shaft.
I would think you'd be able to tell if you were actually depressing the clutch or not. If the roll-pin is sheered, then you'd feel no compression of the clutch springs. The feel alone should give you a good idea as to what to do next. On the stock cross-shaft setup it is NOT a roll-pin, but a solid, tapered steel pin.
Pretty amazing that Speedway wants folks to hack the weights off of the clutch plate arms - on a plate they supply! That tells me that their adapter and/or kit is poorly designed. Think about it for a second --> they're asking their customers to hack up clutch plates - to run their system. Some or even most customers might do this correctly, while others may not. Also, do they recommend that the clutch plate rotational balance gets checked? Since Speedway supplies the clutch plate - they should supply the CORRECT one for the application. If it needs to be modified, then THEY should do it before shipping the kit. This is just asking for liability issues if there is ever a problem with a blown-up clutch plate.
Bored&Stroked: I have been in the T5 to FH conversion business for 30+ years and have sold more kits than I can count. When I started I got my bell housings from Offenhauser and at that time there were only NOS or Re manufactured pressure plates available and they worked fine. Thru the years the originals became harder to get so the reproduction plates soon appeared. I got them from a manufacturing company in Tenn for many years until their wholesale cost went to over $200. I then sourced them from a local provider and that was when the problems started. Plates were being made in China and they didn't fit or work the same as an original. I then started sending my customers to Fort Wayne clutch which worked for several years. Speedway just copied the Offenhauser bell housing and the last I knew Wilcap, & H&H were getting theirs from Offy. Also Offy's wholesale cost became prohibitive even buying 50 at a time. I am currently using a private foundry and machine shop and we have done 3 redesigns and are still from time to time having clearance problems. I've done my best for my customers but for some reason the counter weights still present problem? Gary at Cornhusker Rod And Custom
Hey Gary: I hear yah . . . the aftermarket supplier world has been a total mess since COVID (and it wasn't all that easy before!). Given the issues, one would think that the bell-housing adapter sizes (on the inside) should be expanded for more clearance. It sounds like you've already gone through this process - more than once. I realize that the outer areas of the adapter would have to be expanded to obtain the same casting thickness (to maintain strength), but I can't think of any dimensional reason that can't be done. Yes, patterns would need to be changed and the costs might be prohibitive (production runs, etc) - but for folks like Speedway to provide a complete "kit" and then for the customer to have to hack-away on the pressure plate they provide - makes little sense to me. It is just asking for issues to happen. I recently had RAM clutches make me some custom 10" Long style pressure plates - with the external weights removed and with the correct spring pressures to handle my HP requirements. They were not cheap to produce - but at least I was able to work with them to get exactly what I needed. Seems I have to do that more often than not - and spend the $$$ and deal with the lead times. Just the way it is . . . Ft. Wayne used to be good . . . from what I hear, not anymore . . .
I’m curious about this issue as I’m wanting to put a T5 in my 50’ F47. Is this an issue pertaining to the parts supplied and mods needed to be done to the Speedway and Offy kits or does this also happen with the Hogshead style conversion? My thinking is that there is more clearance in this style, as I have not read about these mods having to be done with this kind? Any input from people running this style or first hand knowledge would be greatly appreciated.
there are two versions of the aftermarket hogs head one uses the stock style cross shaft one uses a chevy clutch fork and a ball fulcrum the chevy style fork pulls to the rear to operate
Oh boy. Next time I go down to LA I’m going to be mating my buddy’s fresh 59a to a fresh T5 using Speedway parts. Sounds like I’d better bring along some extra tools, and patience! I’m glad that this thread popped up.
I just completed the conversion last night using the Speedway kit hoghead adapter, input sleeve and their t5 9 inch clutch. The instructions said that you did not have to cut off the weights if using the 9 or 10 inch clutch/PP. I used my ford pp that I bought from Fort wayne a few years back which was for the 9 inch clutch, so I left the weights alone. Last night when I started it up, and started letting out the clutch, I had a screeching noise, even though when I bolted it together on the engine on the floor, I turned the engine over with a socket to see if I had interference, and nothing revealed at that time so I put er in the roadster. Now this weekend I have to take it back out to see exactly where it is rubbing inside. It does not do it with the clutch depressed but as soon as it starts to engage it starts to squeal. Sad deal!
I wonder if it could be the throw-out bearing. Would seem strange that you had no interference when you tested it before final installation. One thing to note is the counterweights are designed to apply additional force as the RPM increases - so maybe they extend out a bit further when running?
I used my old throw out bearing, as it seemed tighter that the one that came with the kit and it only had about 5 or 600 miles on it. Worked great with the 39 3 speed I took out a couple weeks ago. I will know this weekend when I have a chance to pull it back out to see what is squealing. Wanted to drive it to the 17th annual Valley Speed open house here in Glendale saturday, guess that won't happen now. Hopefully when I cut the weights off, if that is whats rubbing, it won't have any negative effects on the PP. I visualize the fingers moving inward as the clutch is depressed, lifting away from the hoghead, and as the clutch begins to engage the circle around the weights gets bigger, causing interference. I'm also thinking about cutting an inspection cover hole in the top so I can lube if required or see what the heck is going on in the future.
Update: pulled engine and tranny out. Found speedway adapter plate with groove cut from flyweights. Glad I only let clutch out alittle and heard the squalling. Removed material on adapter with die grinder drum siding disk. and also ground off some of the flyweights. Now she functions just fine, see shiny groove in adapter plate before blending attached
Pretty ridiculous that the PP counterweights hit the adapter on even a 9" clutch. I'd be a bit aggravated if it was me. It seems pretty simple that all they had to do was design the adapter to fit the dang passenger car clutches that came with these engines (9" and 10") - duggghhhh! The counterweight definitely had a purpose - to add additional clamping force as the RPMs increased. This offsets the need for heavier springs in the PP and additional force required to push the clutch in. If the springs are heavy enough for the HP/Torque levels that the engine generates, then it won't slip -- if not, then it might. You'll find out!
I would think that grinding the weights off of the PP would throw it out of balance and cause a vibration. Plus you loose the added clamping force of the weights designed into the PP.
Yes, I was aggravated but what can you do, should have read more articles. This has been going on since 2015 based on the past threads, and they have not changed the design or casting. I actually saw a motor trend article where the guy just lopped off the weights completely and said it was ok. I attempted to blend the 3 weights uniform and measured with a caliper to keep them pretty close to the same size. Time will tell as I am running break lines this weekend. The little flathead doesnt make alot of horsepower, if it slips I will have to pull it out and go to the next level. I read now that there is another PP available just for this reason. 3 finger style without weights but heavier springs. Fingers crossed that it will be good, maybe just no burnouts :-]
Can you elaborate on this? I need to replace my '51 Merc Pressure Plate and Clutch Disc. I contacted Ft. Wayne and they are saying they can have it refurbed in a few days.
If you are running a 10" with the counter weights, The 10.5 uses the same mounting bolt holes to the flywheel and has no counter weights for better clearance. I haven't tried that yet, but have read it several places. Am I wrong? Warren
I expect that if you take a look at his web page or catalog the lawyers will have put in a CYA disclaimer that says you as the customer have the final say on deciding if the part fits your needs and accept any and all liability for using it. BTW I'm told a Ford Tractor clutch does not have the weights - it comes in 9" or 10" versions.
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