Centerforce DF will not disengage

[machine1515]

I replaced the stock clutch on my 94 GT with a Centerforce Dual Friction clutch DF021048.
Centerforce TOB
Centerforce pilot bearing
Maximum Motorsports quadrant and firewall adjuster
I had the stock flywheel resurfaced.

I can shift into gears when the motor is off but when I start it I cannot get it into gear but the transmission will spin in neutral with the clutch pedal out. The clutch seems to not be disengaging.

I have read many forums posts on this but most come down to the fact that they were putting it in an LS1 and their slave cylinder is to blame. So from here I have no further ideas.

I called Roger from Centerforce and he said I should take it out and test it on a press to see if the PP released after 3/8" of travel. From what I can tell in the bell housing window it is being depressed about 3/4".

Any ideas welcome.

 

[Noobz347]

Can you feel the break in resistance of the clutch pedal when the quadrant goes over center?

What cable are you running?

 

[machine1515]

Stock cable.
The resistance is softer than stock with no apparent catch point. It feels like the same pressure throughout the entire travel of the pedal.

 

[Noobz347]

Hmmm... check the routing of the cable at both ends. Have a buddy check to see that the fork is actually moving...

Short of that, screw that fire wall adjuster all the way out toward the radiator and check for disengagement. If good... screw it back in a couple of turns at a time until fully engaged.

I'd tell you to check for an inch to inch and a half of pedal free play but that can hard to distinguish with the MM quadrant so instead...

Once you to the point where you're adjusted at full engagement and getting the disengagement, go out and pound on it... if you get any clutch slip, turn the adjuster in a couple more turns until slip goes away.

 

[machine1515]

I have checked the movement of the arm with a buddy, it is good. The arm almost hits the front side of the window on the bell housing when the pedal is depressed.

I did not remove the cable but instead just released each end while I was doing the work.

The firewall adjuster is as tight as I can get it. The TOB is actually pushing the finders on the PP in while the pedal is all the way up.

 

[Noobz347]

Did you install a steel retainer or are you running the OEM aluminum?

 

[machine1515]

if you are referring to the flywheel...it is the original OEM and it was resurfaced before the CF DF was installed. Also cleaned really well with brake cleaner before installing.

 

[Noobz347]

The bearing retainer is the piece in the pic above, at the nose of the trasmission, that covers the input shaft.

OEM bearings are aluminum... Most folks replace it with a steel piece.

 

[machine1515]

its all stock. This is the first time the exhaust/transmission has been removed from the car.

 

[Chythar]

Your situation does sound like the clutch fork isn't engaging enough to release the clutch. I had that happen when I replaced my clutch cable with the Maximum Motorsports version; I could shift into gear with the motor off, but I couldn't switch it into gear with the motor running. In my case, I had to adjust the firewall adjuster enough to get the clutch to disengage properly.

You said that the clutch fork nearly touches the front of the bellhousing when the pedal is depressed. The other part that can affect this is the point where the other end of the clutch fork attaches inside the bellhousing. There's a pivot point (a metal ball) that the clutch fork clips to, and that point can be adjusted. If that pivot point was screwed into the bellhousing too far, the clutch fork won't have enough leverage to release the clutch. Do you know if that was adjusted when you changed the clutch?

 

[machine1515]

I did not move the lever or pivot point when I removed the bell housing. Just slid the whole assembly out from under the car and replaced the TOB.

 

[machine1515]

I had a friend help me put the clutch back in and I am leaning towards the fact that the clutch disk was installed backwards.

Can anyone verify which side the orange Kevlar is supposed to be on? PP side or Flywheel side?

 

[revhead347]

I had a friend help me put the clutch back in and I am leaning towards the fact that the clutch disk was installed backwards.

Can anyone verify which side the orange Kevlar is supposed to be on? PP side or Flywheel side?

LOL. He can join my club, I've done that once when I was exhausted at 10:30 at night. There is a raised clutch hub area, that goes towards the pressure plate. The flatter side of the clutch goes towards the flywheel.

Kurt

 

[machine1515]

Above thoughts confirmed. Friend put the disk in backwards. Luckily only a few scratches on the center hub springs from the flywheel bolts.
...Only 4 more hours spent doing a simple job