1938 LaSalle Production - GM Heritage Center

16 Cadillac-LaSalle Preliminary Service Information
Clutch
38-60, 65,
38-50 75 38-90
Clutch Facing Diam.—
Inside 6½" 6½" 1"
Outside 10½" 11" 11½"
Facing area, total 107 sq. in. 124 sq. in. 132 sq. in.
Free travel of pedal H-M" Vg-lH" Vg-lYs"
Dampening springs, No. 8 8 None
Pressure springs, No 9 9 12
Release levers, No 3 3 6
The single plate, semi-centrifugal type of clutch
used on the 37-series V-8's, is continued with
minor changes on the 38-series V-8 cars. A larger
clutch of somewhat similar design is used on the
38-90 V-16.
The 38-50 LaSalle clutch, with a 10½ inch
driven disc and 8 dampening springs, is exactly
the same as the 37-50 clutch.
The clutch used on 38-60, 65 and 75 is the same
as that used on 37-series V-8 Cadillacs, except that
8 heavier vibration dampening springs are used in
place of the former 10. The driven disc diameter
remains unchanged at 11 inches.
The 38-90 V-16 clutch is similar in design to the
V-8 clutch, but it is larger in size and has several
detail changes. The pressure plate assembly
carries 12 pressure springs and 6 release levers
which are pivoted on needle bearings.
The single driven disc is 11¾ inches in diameter,
and carries a total facing area of 132 square inches.
This disc is not fitted with dampening springs as
the smooth flow of power from the V-16 engine
makes them unnecessary.
Service operations on the V-8 clutch are exactly
the same as for the 37-series V-8 clutch. Service
operations on the V-16 clutch are also very similar,
so much so that the tools used for servicing the
37-series V-8 clutches can be used for all 38-series
clutches.
Gear Ratio:
Low speed
Second speed
High speed
Reverse speed
Lubricant capacity
The outstanding new transmission feature, which
is employed on all 38-series cars, is the new location
of the control lever under the steering wheel.
Aside from changes in the shifting mechanism
necessitated by this arrangement, the transmission
itself is changed only in minor details from the
transmission used on 37-series V-8's.
Transmission
2 39 to 1
1.53 to 1
1 to 1
2.39 to 1
XY% pts. (lbs.)
The control lever is mounted in a housing on
the steering column so that the knob is just below
and to the right of the steering wheel rim. The
shifting positions are shown in Fig. 15. Within
the housing the lever is pivoted at the left of the
steering column. Interference with the column is
avoided by the use of the construction shown in
Fig. 16.
Two concentric torsion shafts extend from the
control lever pivot down the left side of the steering
column. Below the floorboards, each of the
two shafts carries a lever from which a rod extends
to the transmission case. (Fig. 15-)
Two short shafts extend through the transmission
case—on their outer ends they carry levers
Fig. 15. Transmission shifting mechanism, typical of all
38-series