Big clutch problems

[GToddyT5]

OK, so my clutch has been increasingly finnicky for the past few months now. I had replaced the clutch cable from an adjustable back to a Ford cable. When I was replacing the clutch fork cover, it would not go back on, so obviously the clutch fork had moved. I thought this was odd, and I had made a post about it, but no one could help me out. So I took it to a shop to find out what was wrong, and the idiot there just said you need a new clutch. He didn't tell me what the problem was. So I kept on driving it. The clutch would go through periods of when it was easy to depress and other times ridiculously hard. So I'm driving it home the other night and I lose all sort of pressure in the pedal. Somehow, I made it back to my house. I jacked the car up today to see what the problem was. I thought maybe I broke the cable again or it slipped off the quadrant, but neither was the case. I get underneath the car and the I'm able to just completely jiggle the clutch fork all around. What happened? I should also add that in the months before this happened I got a lot of clutch noise and chatter, but no slippage. I also had a lot of vibration through the cable and pedal. I am running a Centerforce Dual Friction, btw.

 

[Red2000GT]

Sounds like your throwout bearing and/or clutch release bearing is toasted. Both cheap to replace but you'll have to pull the tranny no matter what and find out.

 

[COramprat]

I had the same problem AFTER I replaced my clutch. What happened is when I reattached the clutch cable to the fork it had dropped off center of the bearing making it really hard to depress. I removed the cable and worked th fork back into place while applying pressure with my hand forward, then replaced the cable. Works fine now. The tension from the cable holds the fork in place. Driving that way for so lont though you may have damaged the fork.

 

[GToddyT5]

So should I just replace everything in there? Clutch assembly, throwout bearing, retainer, clutch fork?

 

[MineralG2k2GT]

I had a similar scenario when i replaced my clutch. The throw out bearing I replaced was destroye din a matter of minutes becuase I was pushingon the clutch fork to get my new cable wire to connecto to the quadrant.

however in the process the clutch fork came off the grove it slides into and i also marred the pivot ball the other side pivots on. If the top of that pivot ball is not perfectly smooth you will not get a smooth action on clutch fork while you are depressing it.

honestly bending or breaking a clutch fork is nearly impossible, however damaging those metal brackets that guide the cluctch fork to the bell housing is entirely possible.

As stated, you definitly are going ot have to pull the tranny down and take it all apart regardless, but pay special attention to that pivot that screws into the bell housing and make sure the surface is smooth

 

[COramprat]

You should be able to tell if there is dmage to the clutch fulcrum. The bearing is probably damaged though. You can try to get it to seat by moving the fork with your hand (with the cable removed) and use a long screwdriver to set the bearing in place. If it doesn't seat then the tranny has to come out.

 

[Turbo92PGT]

Im willing to bet your clutch fork just about fell off the clutch pivot

Good luck man

Try pushing straight up on the clutch fork.

 

[COramprat]

Im willing to bet your clutch fork just about fell off the clutch pivot

Good luck man

Try pushing straight up on the clutch fork.

Exactly what happened to mine.