Re: Torsion Leveling Problem on '56 Clipper

Posted by HH56 On 2013/4/24 22:11:41

Packard V8 makes a good point about the battery. If it failed perhaps there is not enough to move the suspension. If that is deemed OK, I'd turn the dash switch on just to see what happens. If same results then verify where things are before going any farther.

If the bars did switch there are two options. First, you have to be able to watch what is happening and be able to stop things instantly. That means getting on the ground and close so be careful.

If the motor still works you can remove the two wires off the motor so it is isolated. Use a heavy wire or even a jumper cable between the battery hot side and ONE of the terminals to rotate things back. I can't tell you which terminal would be the proper direction so I strongly suggest temporarily adding a 30 amp fuse to the cable. That way if you pick the wrong terminal right off the fuse will blow. If you picked the correct terminal the motor will back the bar away from the center and will rotate the other direction until orientation is correct. The rear will raise and probably lower again while this happens. You can refer to the diagram to get an idea where bars need to stop.

If the motor won't work then the other option is a pain. Two long screws thru the motor field hold the motor on. Be sure the motor and armature come off as a unit. Once off, you will probably need a large screwdriver to fit in the slots at end of worm. You may be able to do it with your fingers but either way it is lots of patience to manually rotate the worm gear so it moves the compensator. It is tedious because of the gearing. I forget what the ratio is but something like 3600 revs of the motor to make one rev of the output.