F8 on the road again

[david moore]

With much help from Tom Lodge, we got the F8 out running on the road . Engine starts and runs nicely now but still having some problems with the clutch/gearbox - possibly duff clutch throwout bearing so I may be some time before we appear in public!

[Alex van de Wetering]

What a terrific sight, David! Good work!

Please post some more pictures.

Alex

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

What a terrific sight, David! Good work!

Please post some more pictures.

Alex

Please post some BIGGER pictures.

[david moore]

Bit bigger pic for you Tony!
I've determined that the pilot bearing is probaly shot (yes, should have changed it BEFORE putting the engine in) so will be getting at it via removing drive shaft and tranny, easier than hoisting the engine. So won't be taking the truck to Carrieres bash as hoped!

[Bob Carriere]

Dave

Bring it down.... will race you across the back field.....

Got mine going under its own power today.... using only the front axle.... nice to see the front axle spinning.... nearly cut a hole in the lower rad hose due to flexing of the rad support..... mine is naked compared to yours....will fix for next weekend....

Bring it down so we can see it...... mine is not perfect either......

Turned out my rough idle and low vacuum was due to a faulty vacuum advance unit......

Boob

[Grant Bowker]

As evidence, I offer these photos. The truck started well, idled for quite a while with all signs suitable, drove out of the barn and down the drive for a tour of the construction across the street, through Bob's ditch (simulated cross country) was admired by all and eventually put back into the barn under its own power. Generally a success. Bob was generous and brave in the extreme and let me go for a drive too.

[david moore]

Got the engine out of the F8 again to find out why the clutch is not declutching! (Looks a bit like one of Lord Nuffields products at this point?)
Found that the clutch disc was thoroughly bu*gg**red and will replace that and the pilot bearing and throw out bearing while about it. The clutch pressure plate assembly looks just fine.

By the way, I had to get the engine out frontwards so to speak - you can't get the gearbox up off its mounting studs and pull the mainshaft back out at the same time!

Hope to get it all back together and the whole shebang running in a few weeks - but too late this year to challenge M.Carriere to a race round the field - next year perhaps?!

BTW - if Paul Singleton sees this - Paul, will you be able to come to the OMVA fall show at the base on Oct 4th? Hope we can see you there.

[Bob Carriere]

Should I bring my oversize dune buggy to Kingston to see if a Chev runs better than a Ford....????? hihihi

Any idea what bu*****ed up the clutch plate...??

At the very least I hope you will be giving free rides on your F8 at Kingston...

Bob

[david moore]

No, Bob, I don't know what chewed it up so badly - and thats what worries me a bit. No sign of any loose debris, bits of metal or anything in there - just lots of bad scuffing of the friction material on the pressure plate side and lots of thick oily guck and transferred friction material on the pressure plate which presumably caused it to stick? The pressure plate cleaned up nicely. The pilot bearing looked fine, too. Theres a little bit of play in the throwout bearing so I'll get a new one of those from Macs or Dennis Carpenter (cheaper). Theres also a tiny bit of play in the main (pilot) shaft but I can't see changing that.

I can't wait to get it all back together hopefully before the cold sets in - I have to fix up my jeep tfirst ready for the OMVA fall show - not to mention all the cottage jobs that she who shall be obeyed has lined up. My beach buggy will outrun your beach buggy any day - don't forget I have little tiny wheels - good for acceleration!!!

Cheers
David

[Bob Carriere]

Too bad you can't figure out what caused it..... so as to be able to prevent the re-occurance.....

Do you think your little teeny weeny wheels could keep up with my Chev if I install my big 20 inchers.....?

Do we sound like a couple of teenagers at the A&W parking lot.....?

Boob

[Phil Waterman]

Years ago I had a mouse take the clutch out on BEAST my HUP. Dam little critter when in an built a new home on top of the clutch forks. Go to start the truck, push in the clutch and bingo the nest is picked up by the spinning clutch and the nest is slung out into the edge of the clutch fingers. Thus jamming them in the disengage position.

But really the only time I've seen a clutch plate disintegrate was when the clutch was pushed in on a steep down grade in low gear. Then bang.

Cheers

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Phil Waterman

Years ago I had a mouse take the clutch out on BEAST my HUP. Dam little critter when in an built a new home on top of the clutch forks. Go to start the truck, push in the clutch and bingo the nest is picked up by the spinning clutch and the nest is slung out into the edge of the clutch fingers. Thus jamming them in the disengage position.

But really the only time I've seen a clutch plate disintegrate was when the clutch was pushed in on a steep down grade in low gear. Then bang.

Cheers

Phil.
Same thing happened when I was showing off my double clutching abilities as a teenage hoodlum growing up in the south end of Halifax..in the '60's..
Smoking the tires of my brothers '53 Ford and then shifting into second for another chirp..and then double clutching back into low at about 40 miles an hour with a pinned out rev and releasing the clutch with a snap that stood the old Ford on its nose and a terrific bang from the clutch and lots of dust...
On tear down and inspection it was revealed that I blew the clutch disc right off one side and half cleaned the other side off...
It has been my past experiennce that when I changed clutch discs it was wise to change the pressure plate,from normal wear and tear..what I was doing was not normal..
did the same thing almost when double clutching the old Mercedes diesel I was driving back in '64..('58 Mercedes 180D)..
Double clutched the old four speed back into first gear at about 40 mph and when I let up on the clutch ,blew the throut bearing right out through the side of the bell housing...

MY problem was never double clutching into gear without grinding the gears,it was letting out the clutch after the successful manouver..

Drove that old Mercedes for two months before I rounded up enough money for a new throwout bearing..
was allways interesting cruising to a stop with the ignition off and then starting off in second gear without a clutch using the starter to drive me forward until the motor fired up and we were on our way again..shifting was never a problem..good old syncro Mercedes transmissions ..

[Paul Singleton]

Hello David, I will see you at the fall show. I was talking to Tom Lodge and he mentioned your clutch troubles. Do you think engine oil or transmission lubricant got into your clutch? Slight play of the transmission input shaft may be normal on your truck, certainly probably nothing to worry about. I hope it doesn't happen again.

Paul

[david moore]

Hi Paul
Will see you at the fall show. Yes there was some oily muck in the clutch housing and the muck on the clutch disc was sticky/oily but no sign of recent leakage. The "bad" side was that facing the gearbox so a gearbox oil leak past the main shaft? But as I say, no signs of recent leakage.

I had hoped to bring the F8 to the fall show on the trailer ready or not. But I'm still working on getting the jeep repaired!
Cheers
David

[david moore]

Just got the engine with new clutch back in with great help from Tom Lodge. Truck starts and runs well and clutch/gear shift smooth as silk now!

Soooo.....en garde, Carriere!

[Stefan Leegwater]

David, that sure is a good lookin' truck!!
Good luck with the rest of your progress.

Cheers,

Stefan

[Bob Carriere]

..... yes by all means....... she is looking good.

I don't know how your ride...... but driving mine a cross the field is a butt wrecking experience and you really need to hold on to the steering wheel.

Because of my exposed ignition /plug wiring near my left foot I have found it easier to shift fast and furious with just one pump of the clutch pedal..... amazingly with some feathering of the throttle it hardly crashes the gears..... they just seem to slip in very easy.

When I first drove it int he field I was amazed at how fast it accelarated at just a fast idle...... until I realized that I was using 3rd and fourth gears..... the 261 really pulls very well...... in low gear it will easily slip the tires on grass......

I am still having trouble getting a smooth idle....... I may need to switch the carb again....... or re-examine the ignition........ not yet installed a "ballast" resistor on the circuit to the coil and may have burned the points or at least enough to affect the point gap setting........

Currently she still needs a bit of "choke" to idle properly and stinks of raw gas at the exhaust.......

Comments and suggestions welcomed.....

[david moore]

Hi Bob

Yeah, perhaps racing across your field wouldn't be such a good idea - maybe a local drag strip?!!
My F8 spins its wheels easily ,too - but of course there is zero weight on the back wheels with the box off. Almost as bad as my '02 F150! Also my tires on the F8 aren't exactly off-road.
Next job is getting the box to the sand blaster.

I'll be off the air for a couple of weeks - back Nov 20th.

[Mike Timoshyk]

Bob,

If you don't put a ballast resistor between the coil and distributor you will certainly burn out your points. suggest if you dont have one make one for the time being.

cheers

mike in windsor