Need Help>>Problems adjusting clutch ????

[Brewski*]

I had a new 12" HD clutch installed. We have adjusted it every way possible but it releases only about 1" off the floor. It is very difficult to get into gear low and reverse are especially hard. If we adjust it out any farther it slips when going down the road. Any help is much appreciated.

[Piston]

Are you saying it doesnt release until you push the pedal almost all the way down AND it doesn't engage until you release it all teh way to the top?

Thats pretty much the way I understand it, based on that your not going to like this answer.... The pressure plate is defective.

When you have a weak/defective diaphram spring inside the pressure plate its going to cause this exact complaint.
Make sure your pedal and underdash linkage is not flexing, also make sure the Z-bar doesnt have any cracks or is not bending. Usually though if the parts I've just listed are bending, you'll constantly be adjusting the assembly to take out slack.

[Brewski*]

No it is disengaging about an inch off the floor when you release the peddle, and you have to press the peddle all the way to the floor to get it to engage so. All the linkage is fine, no flex anywhere.

[Piston]

If its engaging the clutch and inch off the floor, how does the rest of the travel feel? is there any resistance (like its actually moving the pressure plate).

If you can adjust the pedal so it engages the clutch just before half way and you have 1" of free travel at teh very top, that is where it needs to be. If it slips, you would still have a problem in the pressure plate.

One question though, did you lube the throwout bearing snout?

[Brewski*]

It was installed by a local car repair place. The truck is still there. I think he is going to put another whole clutch, bearing, and pressure plate in it .

[midyearvet@aol.]

I had the same trouble when I tried to run a heavy duty clutch years ago. Clutch rod that runs through firewall will flex, also when i pushed down on the pedal, the body was moving back on the frame. I was not getting as much travel on the throw out arm for the amount of pedal travel. You could try a hydraulic clutch.
Good luck Rick Ca.

[Brad]

If your flywheel has been machined a couple times, this will severally affect the angles and such. I'm having the same "problem" but I'm just going to deal with it until I have to do the clutch again. I hear you can buy shims to move the flywheel out so the stock linkage will work correctly again. Or just make a longer linkage.

[Piston]

They do sell shims but after resurface or 2, the flywheel warps easily causing clutch chatter.

[crazy longhorn]

you would have to "skin " a bunch off the flywheel to have adjustment problems......at that point I would be afraid of the flywheel coming "unglued" @ high rpms! (YIKES) I think I would look at a different length clutch fork pivot ball, before adding shims behind the flywheel. There are a couple aftermarket fork balls, that are adjustable......try Lakewood,Hayes, or Centerforce for the adjustable unit. Good luck,crazyL

[Brewski*]

I beleive it has an adjustable clutch fork unit in it. They did some adjustments there but it did not help. They even made a longer push rod out of a jack handle to prevent bending, it only made it slip worse going down the road. In the Chassis Manual it says to reduce the size of the rubber bump stop to give the clutch peddle more travel. Has anyone tried this? What would this matter? Anyone ever heard of someone putting in a throw out bearing backwards and having similar problems???? Thanks for all the help.

[Piston]

Throwout bearing-
If they installed it backwards (which I don't believe it will even fit that way) they would have known it immediatly. nasty sound..
The thing is, if you have that much travel and it still slips? there is a problem with the pressure plate.

Ok, here's why I say this. If you have to push the pedal all the way to the floor to disengage the clutch AND let the pedal out all the way to engage it, there is a definate problem with the pressure plate. You've established that there are no bending parts, because this problem remains constant (your not having to keep readjusting to maintain a pedal).

again if you have free travel at the top of the pedal travel and its slipping.... demand a new clutch.

Here's a good test you can try, this will verify what im talking about. Adjust the clutch as best you can, then hop in and press the clutch pedal to the floor then release (engine off). Do you feel a break-over point? This should happen just after half way if the clutch is adjusted correctly. Break-over points will not exist if the pressure plate diaphram is bad or weak. You'll be able to feel pressure as your pushing the pedal down, then as the clutch releases you will feel a sudden "give" in the pedal. This is the break-over point.

There is the possibility of parts flexing but it will be very obvious to the person working on your truck when this happens. We're talking movement of 1/4" or more of flex. And as stated already, make sure the cab is not shifting back and forth.

By chance are they using a perfection hi-test clutch? If so, I wouldn't waste another minute. Ask for a LUK clutch.

[crazy longhorn]

I agree with everything Piston has listed. On the issue of cab movement, i saw that on my longhorn . For those who havent seen the pics, the truck has a steel tilt front clip ,leaving only 4 body bushings to handle the load. That cab was "squirming around on the frame every time the clutch was depressed......the d@mn thing never let up at the same spot !A set of urathane bushings took care of that problem. As far as clutches, I run them into the dirt, & spent the cash for a Centerforce dual friction set up(damn nice clutch!) for the throwout bearing......there are a couple different lenghts on the stock diaphragm(high cone diaphragm, or flat ). The 3 finger plate also takes a different throwout bearing....mix them, & you have problems. Good luck,crazyL

[Blue_71]

i think what he's saying is you have to push the pedel almost all the way to the floor before it will disengage, and it engages when you lift it about a inch off the floor? (sorry cant help, just clarifying)

[crazy longhorn]

Originally posted by Blue_71
i think what he's saying is you have to push the pedel almost all the way to the floor before it will disengage, and it engages when you lift it about a inch off the floor? (sorry cant help, just clarifying)

In that case, the throwout bearing may be too short.....depending on what clutch set up was installed, there are 3 different lenght bearings that I have seen

[Blue_71]

Originally posted by crazy longhorn
The 3 finger plate also takes a different throwout bearing....mix them, & you have problems. Good luck,crazyL

what excactly happens when you mix them? i had 2 different clutches (one with the 3 fingers? and one with like alot of peices going to the center.. yeah yeah i know sucky description :P)
i think i may have mixed mine

[crazy longhorn]

the lenghts arent too far off tween the high cone diaphragm, & the borg &beck(3 finger)..... maybe 3/16-1/4". The 2 diaphragm style "hats" there are quite a diff in the lenght of the throwout bearing. for a quick check, you can drop the inspection cover, & with the throwout bearing all the way back against the trans , you should see approx 3/8-1/2" clearance tween the front of the bearing & the fingers on the press plate. to work properly, all pcs need to match.......& should on a new 3 pc setup, but i have seen parts boxed wrong(yikes) that one will make you nuts crazyL

[Blue_71]

uh oh i need to get my 4x4s bell fixed then..... the ball wont hold the throwout fork so i have to keep it adjusted out far enough that the throwout bearing rides on the pressure plate all the time

[crazy longhorn]

if you are running the original cast iron bell, there should be a snap ring to hold the fork on the ball(the heavy fork). you sure dont want the bearing running on the fingers when the clutch is up. Good luck ,crazyL

[Brewski*]

Lotsa nice stuff. Much appreciated~! x2