Hand clutch???

[barnbikes]

Found a good deal on a slant 6 with a manual tranny behind it. Don't want to deal with a clutch pedal though.

Anybody ever try and use a hand clutch on a car?

Would love to install it on the shifter handle.

Motor and tranny are out of a mid 80 truck.

 

[donsrods]

We just talked about that very thing.

www.tbucketeers.com/forum/f18/4-speed-thoughts-2501/


Don

 

[rooster57]

How bout a servo with a highbeam switch as the actuator signal. Or how bout a hand clutch on the left like an old emerg brake handle.

 

[Francis Blake]

Back in the late 1940s I drove a tractor for a farmer that had a lever for a clutch pedal. Might be a little difficult in a tbucket....FRrancis

 

[Keeper]

Maybe put the paddle on the steering wheel..??. I cannot see how else you could use a hand clutch, shift and steer at the same time.

 

[TheAntiBoyd]

Having Cerebral Palsy, and having had a 4spd car for awhile; I was downright sad that I couldnt drive a stick anymore (right leg is bad so I had to have the accelerator moved to the left side of the brake. I have agonized over this for a long time, there has to be a servo powered cable actuated clutch answer. I just lack the engineering to do it "right"

My friend ralph was born with basically one arm. The DMV gave him a brodie knob (suicide knob) and he has an endorsement saying hes allowed to have one. Its a big, ugly, bright orange fooker...so I got him a "vintage" one at a fleamarket with the appropriate naked girl. Ahh much better.

My solution (for me) is to go to a total hand control set up for the gas/brake and use my left foot on the clutch. This will leave the regular pedals in place for other people to drive my car. Its not that hard to drive a modified car, I basically took drivers ed again in a modified car and had to unlearn everything we were taught. BUT, back in the early 1900s there was NO standard car controls layout, so what youre dealing with is unlearning what we perceive is comfort, not because its the best way - just the only way we know

 

[akitagandy]

I like the shifter idea ,You could a setup like whats on a motorcycle

 

[barnbikes]

It's the 70- 80lbs of clutch plate pressure I am trying to get around.

How about a tiller steering with a motorcycle brake handle as a throttle on the tiller. Brake on one side and clutch on other.

 

[LumenAl]

Seems to me, and I'm not expert on this, but conceptually could you have a motorcycle lever on the shifter that actuates a hydraulic clutch?

 

[butch27]

I think the "Dwarf" race cars use that set-up.

 

[barnbikes]

I don't think Dodge has a hydraulic clutch.

 

[Todd]

Here's a thought. Cycle type lever on the shifter handle - cable operated - and a 24/1 lever on the clutch master (to make pulling it easier).

 

[stroker]

Dwarf cars (or Legends) use a hand clutch. But the engine and trans are from a motorcycle. Also, once in gear they stay in gear for the entire race.

 

[rooster57]

I think if those hopper guys can buonce a 64 cheby 10 feet in the air you could depress a pressure plate fork or better yet a hyd throwout bearing .

 

[barnbikes]

But how do you control the release of the clutch.

Would rather not deal with compressers and air tanks.

 

[fluidfloyd]

My suggestion would be to talk to one of the hyd clutch companies that sell the throwout bearings. They can give you a mastercylinder bore size and minimun chamber volumn requirement and how far the bearing has to move to disingage the clutch. Then tell them what you have in mind. They might say you're completely nuts or they might well have already been there and done it. You'll have to juggle the recommended petal ratio against the hand lever ration in order to both move the bearing the required length and be able to physically pull the lever. Personally, I would rather have my hand pulling a hand brake in a panic rather then trying to clutch, shift and steer with my 3rd. hand. You do have three hands don't you? If you decide to try it and need some hyd. design formulas, let me know. The Womack handbook is really good but you do have to buy them. Seems they are 5-15 dollars. I'll look Monday when I get to work. Most of this information if available on the internet. You probably can get a catalog with basic design info from any local hyd sales rep in your area. Hope this gives you something to think about. Good luck.

George

 

[LumenAl]

Another idea is simply take an automatic transmission and replace the valve body with a Manual Valve Body... this would require you to shift into the different gears and you would stay in that gear till you shift up or down, but no clutch to have to mess with...