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All, need a little advice on the clutch. My first mechanical problem since owning the truck. The truck sat for about a month while I re-did the bed, and everything worked well. I started it up and tried to put it in gear and the clutch wouldn't work. I checked clutch pedal shaft and everything moves and have the 1inch free travel. Is there something I should look at next before tearing it apart.

Thanks,

Ed
'53 M37

It's possible that your clutch is just "stuck" to the flywheel. This can sometimes happen with old clutch plates. If you have lots of room to play, it's possible that push-starting the truck in 2nd gear and then working the clutch repeatedly, it may free itself enough to shift gears. If that is the problem, the only sure cure is to replace the clutch disc. If you have to do that, it would also be good to have the pressure plate and flywheel resurfaced (i.e. polished).

It's also possible that your clutch linkage is not allowing the clutch to release fully, in which case you may be able to adjust it enough to make it work again.

I agree with Lifer but will go one further if rocking it around doesn't free it up:
Drop the clutch bottom pan and have a buddy fully depress the clutch while you shine a light up on the disc to see if it is stuck either to the flywheel or the pressure plate. Usually it sticks to the flywheel. If so, you may carefully ease a putty knife or other thin blade between the two. On rare occasions the problem may be the transmission shaft splines with the disc sticking in this area. If this is the case you'll likely need to put it all apart.
Gary

These guys are right, surface rust has done it to you. You can break it loose however, but it will likely continue to do it until you get a current production facing on your clutch disc. The older facings of yesteryear are notorious for this happening in high humidity conditions.

Thanks guys, I will take a look at it this weekend. Its probably why when I bought the truck the spare parts that came with it already had a new disk and pressure plate. I read in the manual the alining tool is #41-T-3085 is this still current and where can I find one.

Thanks,

Ed

AHA! Methinks the guy you bought the truck from had already experienced the sticky clutch problem and "hadn't gotten around to fixing it." I hope that the clutch disc he included is a new one rather than a NOS one. A NOS clutch should be good, but the problem you have now will resurface sooner or later. The modern clutch lining materials are much less prone to sticking.

Check E-Bay under M37 for the transmission input shaft-makes an excellent clutch aligning tool and usually goes for $10. AB Linn is the vendor.
Gary

EDI, here you go:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/M37-Dodg ... 0265208103

Hey Guys thanks for this INFO!!!!!! My M37 has been sitting forever!!!!!! I was messing with it again this summer and I got it running on its own fuel system finally. I tried putting it in gear and I got nothing but grinding. I will check this out, and here I thought I screwed up with the linkage. Should I try the 2nd gear and rock it loose???

Hey Jeff,
Nice EOD truck!
Rick

milstencil wrote:Hey Jeff,
Nice EOD truck!
Rick

Thanks rick, its getting there!!! Dad did a custom job with the markings on the bumpers but I will be calling you in the spring on the stars and hood markings.