The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop My clutch is frozen

I parked my '55 1st GMC Suburban in March and was not able to drive it again before yesterday for health reasons. It was parked inside and was started and allowed to reach operating temperature about a month ago, but wasn't moved.

Yesterday when I went to move it, I get grinding trying to put it into any gear. I finally shut it off and started it first in reverse, and the repeated the process in 1st to move the truck.

I pushed the clutch all the way in and and let it out many times, with varying degrees of violence. It stayed stuck.

Any suggestions how I free up my stuck clutch?

take off the flywheel cover and loosen the pressure plate bolts. Then see if you can't tap a thin blade putty knive up behind/frt of the clutch without damaging it. Its worked for me on some vehicles in the past.

try using a tractor and a chain, worked for me.

Its kind of common for clutches to rust to the flywheel in high humidity. We had about a dozen Cummins pullout engines in a storage trailer last winter which was the wetest winter I can ever remember. I think every one rusted the clutch to the flywheel. Of course its not a big deal with an engine on a stand. I got one unstuck years ago by putting a broomstick on the clutch pedal to hold it down and then I took the bottom cover off and hit the disc with a center punch in the gap between the linings. Hope something like that works so you don't have to pull the transmission.

It happened to me... I started it in gear like you, gave it some gas with the clutch pushed in, and it finally freed up. I think I put the load on the clutch both ways... Ie Gas and coasting.

This used to happen on my Ford 1715 tractor all the time but it always broke free at WOT in neutral and working the clutch pedal. Now my little Farmall Cub has the same issue and I can't get it to free up even by pulling against a large tractor. Sure hope I don't have to break the tractor in two. Must be common problem.

Thanks for the ideas guys. Tomorrow I should have time to try some of them...

I'll report back.

heres what I did when mine stuck, lift the rearend off the ground, its best to place jackstands under it, start the engine, transmission in gear, clutch pushed in, lock the brakes several times.

steve i know your pain! my 53' ford NAA has this issue and i broke the clutch loose 3-4 times loading and unloading it but this time were gonna have to split the case. sure am glad the forklift is running as that will make the job a little easier. hope your feeling better dude!

Being the least invasive I tried this approach first. And it worked!

Thanks for the suggestion!

I suspect I'll be replacing the clutch someday in the not too distant future, but my plan is to replace it with a torque converter and automatic trans. My health problems are making clutches hard to deal with.

Steve, good to see that your back to playing with trucks....

Glad to hear that it worked as easily as it did. I wouldn't be so quick to through out the standard unless you just like auto trans. In a year from now you might want to put the standard back in.

I've placed a steel rod in such a way that it holds the clutch disengaged while it's sitting unused. I was told this works but I'll know for sure in a few months when I finally get this thing moving under its own power.