Hudson Wet Plate Cork Clutch Oil Service. 

Thanks. I realized that after I had uploaded. My cover plate has been missing since I've owned it and forgot to mention it. 😀

I've never tried that. Usually kerosene and gentle steady pressure on the clutch pedal will break them free. I imagine WD40 would probably work using the same technique.

I change the clutch oil once a year when I change the engine oil.

The first thing I would do is drain the old oil out and refill it with 6 ounces of atf. Then block the pedal down as far as possible and let it sit for a couple of days. Then start the engine in neutral and fully warm it up. Shut off and block the pedal again for a couple of hours. Usually this will help break up the varnish. Don't jump on the pedal this can damage the cork lining and can cause it to jam worse. Restart the car in neutral and apply pressure firmly then release while it is warmed up. This may be a bit time consuming but if careful and lucky it will unstick. Hopefully it only stuck from varnish and not because the corks have fallen out and jammed it. I'd also recommend looking at the Hudson Essex Terraplane club forum on Facebook and the website as well. I know this subject has been discussed alot there too and might have some other ideas too.

@@gregdelagrange8573 thanks. The car isn't running yet so the oil will have plenty of time to work. Hopefully I don't have to drop it off a jack like I've seen elsewhere.

@@kasane69 That may be to your advantage in getting it unstuck. My 51 in the video had clutch problems with severe chatter and finally all the corks fell out and jammed it. The only fix for that was to replace the clutch.

It's either stuck or the corks have fallen out of the disk and are wedged between the disk and pressure plate or flywheel. Have you changed the oil in it?

@@gregdelagrange8573 Hi Greg and thanks for your reply. We drained and refilled then bumped the starter in high gear. All is well!

@@stevewaclo167 Glad to hear that. One tip that I do with my Hudson is to block the clutch pedal down when the car is not in use. This prevents the sticking issues. I just have a length of 2x4 that goes from the bottom of the dash to the clutch pedal to hold it down.

@@gregdelagrange8573 great advice on the 2x4! Will do.

Is it possible for the corks to fall out while transporting the Hudsons on a trailer,? I had recently bought a 50 Hudson and hauled it home and feels as if the clutch isn't disengaging. Went up on the trailer just fine.

Once free it will need to be re oiled for use. You may have to repeat the process in the video a couple of times with new Hudsonite or automatic transmission fluid for smooth operation. Hopefully the disc isn't damaged. Also I keep my clutch pedal blocked down when my car is not in use.