Has anyone got or knows of a Duck clutch? I’m forced through necessity to either fit a autobox in my V8 or source the above or similar.

 

8.5" diaphragm clutch assembly according to Barratts. ~ Have no idea where the "Duck" nomenclature emanates from.

 

Hi Glynn, it’s a servo mechanism that electronically operates the clutch pedal. The gear knob is duck shaped to accommodate the switch. I’m hoping someone may have one.

 

Ah! That sounds typically Daimler. They had a preference for things automated from way back.

 

Do you have a picture of this thing so that I can keep my eyes open for one?

 

Hi Glyn I remember seeing one demonstrated on utube. Might be still on there.

 

And they called it a Duck Clutch?

 

https://duckclutch.co.uk/

Glyn, The link above may help.

There are other suppliers of similar devices.

There seems to me to be two difficulties. The first is finding a place for the servo. I'm sure it can be done - I vaguely remember Ken Jenkins fitting a servo on a Mk2 clutch for someone. The other is making it work well for starting from rest in general and on hills in particular. The design has been around for a few years. Today you might eliminate the servo and actuator and use an electric motor controlled by a processor with various sensors, gearbox, speed, inclination, throttle, engine speed, a nice project for a student studying control engineering.

 

Thanks Peter. It has similarities with the Benz Hydrak where you just changed gears and the Hydrak clutched & declutched for you. My friend in Dallas has just restored in Poland one of 11 Cabrio Hydraks built. It was more common on the Ponton. A very valuable car that he found in Canada.