Technical:
- Cork Clutches
Ultimately I chose to have my clutch re-corked rather than the DIY method. I felt the price charged by Mr. Fellows in El Paso, TX was fair and was about the same as the UK prices. There is a difference, however, in the method used for getting the correct thickness between the UK services and that of Mr. Fellows. The corks are trimmed (or machined) to the correct height off the plate by the UK suppliers. Mr. Fellows, a 'Hudson man', uses compression and the heat of an oven to set the exact height. I questioned his method, since trimming was the only way I'd heard of at that point. He assured me that his Hudson cork clutches not only kept their set but as for strength were used in winning dragsters. When it was returned I was surprised to find the corks a dark color and oily and asked him why. It has to do with the solution of transmission fluid they are soaked in prior to going into the oven. There is another noticeable difference between his recorking and that used by the UK firms. Using his method there's more active surface area against the flywheel and pressure plate. This is visible by comparing the photo below with those at the top of the page. I do not know what significance the difference makes.