Help.....I am going INSANE trying to adjust clutch!

[67GTCOUPE]

Can someone who knows what to do, please chime in.........

I have a 1967 with the mechanical linkage that we had to customize the z bar to accomodate my transplanted 351w and headers.

I have a lakewood bellhousing and am using hays PP, disk and throwout bearing.

It seems as if my crank's thrust bearing is getting chewed up due to pressure on the crank...........

So, I am trying to readjust the clutch but I cannot get it right........

I put the pedal to the height I want it at, then go under and adjust the rod so that it has about 1/4" freeplay before the TO bearing contacts the fingers of PP.........fine.....BUT then when I press the clutch in and out a few times.....there is no longer any freeplay, and the damn TO bearing is being forced against the PP???????

I have a shop manual for the 67, and it is as useless as can be when it comes to adjusting the clutch. In fact, I learned more by simply slamming my head with the drivers door!

PS: If I bring the clutch pedal all the way up to the stop on the bracket....the damn thing is knee height (LOL)...so I like it just slightly higher than the brake pedal.........Can I not adjust it to that height?????

Your help is appreciated, as I am at the end of my rope.

 

[67GTCOUPE]

No one here has set-up their mechanical linkage clutches?????????

Hard to imagine.

 

[gjz30075]

Assuming the whole linkage is in perfectly good shape, ie, the pivot bushings and other little plastic bushes, is the underdash spring still on the pedal? Your situation sounds like the pedal is not returning fully. The under dash spring acts as an overcenter spring. It helps the pedal down and it helps the pedal up. This only works well, though, for three finger pp's. Is the Hays you have a three finger type? If not, you can remove the spring and use a small helper spring somewhere on the linkage to help its return.

 

[67GTCOUPE]

Thanks

It is a hays 3 finger (long) PP.

Perhaps my return spring is shot???? it really does not pull the pedal back up, in fact I had a habit of lifting the pedal slightly with my foot after shifting.

Tell me..............DO you need to have the clutch pedal so that it returns fully to the stop (closest to drivers seat)? Or can you set the pedal to be in between the stop and the floor???????

I had it so the pedal height was just higher than the brake pedal.

 

[gjz30075]

I don't think the three finger clutch is strong enough to return the pedal to the upstop and I think it needs to be there to get the TO bearing off the pp. Maybe the upstop is really worn or totally missing the rubber, then the pedal would be really high. Check the upstop.