Re: Henry's 55 Constellation

Posted by Ross On 2010/5/8 9:51:17

The torque convertor is a fascinating piece. There are a number of things to look out for in there; in my experience many of the causes of Ultrauma are hatched there and them come to full flower elsewhere.

Be extra careful inspecting the sprag clutch. It is the weakest link, and if any of those sprags flip over and invert when it is under load, the clutch will lock and you will experience massive overheating. Those two damaged sprags have got to go. I'll be happy to send you a couple, but really recommend replacing the set.

The clutch disc must be soft enough that you can mark it with your fingernail. If it is hard it will slip under load.

The plate that covers the disk is supposed to be coned toward the disc. If you lay a straight edge across it you should be able to measure about a .010 gap at the edge. If the convertor was ever seriously overheated that cone will reverse to upwards--which means the harder the piston applies, the less surface area there will be for the clutch disk. These can be resprung in a big press--just did it for the 56 I'm building.

All the bolts that hold aluminum pieces onto steel hubs should be coated with Loctite and retorqued. They love to come loose.

Lastly double check all your bushing clearances; .003 maximum for good oil pressure control. You will probably have to borrow a special puller for those front bushings.

I'll try and post a few picture later on.