I think somethings wrong

[FAT TONY]

Alright well lately ive been having issues with my truck, first off it only hits 50 mph from first to second it normally does get some speed change but when i hit third gear the speed stays the same as it was in second but the rpms are still going up, i drove her today and she was having trouble taking off, at stop signs i would be in first and it would be barely moving like if i was trying to move it in a higher gear so that worried me a little, i drove it around the block a couple minutes and it started smelling a little bit burnt so i went back home open the hood and checked if the smell was coming from there but it was coming from the back i was looking to see if there was any smoke coming out the tail pipe but nothing then i saw a leak on the floor and noticed oil coming from were my drive shaft connects to the differential , I dont know what that means but i know it is nothing good so if any one could shine any light on my situation id really like to know whats wrong i also noticed there was oil all over my transmission but i did not find a leak any were ill keep looking though

[jchav62]

Burnt clutch. There's some adjustment on the clutch rod. The rod may be too long and engaging the clutch completely... or it's already burnt. Thus the smell. With a standard transmission, if your hear the RPM's go up, and you do not gain speed, that's bad news.

[FAT TONY]

well alot of people have told me that the clutch pedal is a little bit to high for normal but i honestly didnt know that had to do with it, any way to check if the clutch is burnt?

[jchav62]

Give it gas while driving. If the RPM's without going faster, it's slipping. You can crawl under the truck, take the dust cover off of the lower part of the bellhousing and see the clutch set. Also, try messing with the clutch rod. It may buy you some time. You want to adjust the two nuts to 'shorten' the rod.

[FAT TONY]

should there be oil inside the clutch set?

[FAT TONY]

I test drove it after adjusting the clutch rod but it didn't change much..... also i went on the highway again and noticed that when i go into third gear and reach the maximum speed of about 45 mph i start smelling like a sweet burning smell, not much of rubber any more but like sweet of some sort, it was also the same smell i got when i open up the bell housing dust cover, i really would like an explanation of how a clutch gets burnt?

[chopper john]

clutch

[FAT TONY]

so more than likely once i change the clutch , my speed will be better? ........ and what causes clutch burning " for future reference "

[chopper john]

wear and tear. to many miles, not adjusted corectly, so it doesnt apply the pwer th the trans just spins. the you get the burn smell ant the truck goes nowhere

[FAT TONY]

around how long should a clutch normally last in good working condition without any problems if used correctly, what are the major parts i will need to buy to change the clutch "low budget" and how hard is it to change the clutch, for a first timer?

[Slow Build]

Originally Posted by FAT TONY

should there be oil inside the clutch set?

Probably rear main seal leaking. Better inspect it when you do the clutch.

[TopFuel1966]

If there's oil on the clutch assy it's in all probability coming from the rear main bearing seal which is causing the clutch to slip and burn itself up. Replace the entire clutch assy, throwout bearing and the rear main seal. Also check the flywheel for cracks in the disc surface. if the flywheel shows no cracks it would still be a good idea to have it surfaced so that you're sure it's not warped.

[CRGRS 66]

Hey FT, sorry to hear about your mechanical woes, nice truck though, take good care of her. I drove a 57 short step when i was in high school (long time ago mister, my oldest kids are your age). Nice to see a young guy like yourself getting into these old girls.
Craigerr

[CRGRS 66]

Trucks... Old trucks (we old guys must watch what we say)

[FAT TONY]

to do that would i have to remove the engine and transmission from the truck? also any machine shop should be able to surface it rite?

[FAT TONY]

Thanks craigerr, and its ok. only way to learn is by fixing it and only way of fixing it is if it breaks so im not to mad about it, pretty excited actually , its gonna be my first time changing a clutch hopefully for a while...... kinda wished i had a bigger budget though. hope they are as interested in old school rides as well . it feels good to drive around in something you built yourself... and yea keeps me outta trouble if you know what i mean, its ether time with the girl or time with the truck "truck nags less"........ hopefully after years of working on her she'll be as much a beauty as the one you have "the truck not the girl"

[chevy_mike]

The clutch is wasted. Make sure when you replace the clutch and pressure plate assembly, make sure you resurface or replace the flywheel. Do NOT just put a new clutch setup in without doing that, otherwise you are likely to end up with clutch problems much sooner than you should.

Oil could be rear main or trans input shaft seal. Figure out which one and fix (or do both now, since you will have it torn apart anyways).

Good luck.

[TopFuel1966]

Originally Posted by FAT TONY

to do that would i have to remove the engine and transmission from the truck? also any machine shop should be able to surface it rite?

You gotta take out the transmission and the bell housing to get to the clutch and flywheel.

[FAT TONY]

well seeing as im gonna have the tranny out how much would it cost me to rebuild it my self? cost of kit if they have one?

[Slow Build]

Are you sure you have the ability to rebuild it. I wouldn't jump into a tranny rebuild without knowing exactly what I was doing, and I don't.

[FAT TONY]

well i was planning on taking it to a local shop i go help out at nd hopefully they would help me if i needed any help

[Jeff La]

Find a good book on the trans and read it a few times before you attempt it. If you think you can do it, try, especially if you have someone who can help if you can't get it done.

[markeb01]

If you’re still running a 3 speed standard transmission, you’ll never find an easier example to learn transmission rebuilding. I started out on 49-54 Chevy passenger car transmissions when I was about 15, depending on nothing but a Motor’s Manual for tech advice.

For the first timer, another tip is to fabricate some transmission to bellhousing alignment pins for sliding the transmission back in place. No matter how well aligned the clutch is, there always seems to be a problem getting the pilot shaft to slip all the way in on the first pass. These pins keep the strain off the clutch plate when your arms get tired and there’s a temptation to let the pilot shaft rest in the clutch. This is the easiest way to bend the clutch plate before it ever gets back together.

They can be made by simply cutting the heads off long bolts of the correct thread size, the cutting a slot in the end for installation and removal. I find a Dremel tool with a cut off wheel the easiest way to modify the bolts, although years ago I made them with a hacksaw. 4 bolts are the best option, but 2 will do if there isn’t room for the transmission with all 4 in place. Here’s a photo of my 350 when the transmission was going in. Lens curvature makes them look crooked, but they indeed all point straight to the rear:

[losthope]

Diabolical!!!! Mark that is ingenious!! Never thought of that and so simple man those could have helped me a few times......Im stealing that fo-sho! Now only if I remember to make them next time im doing a clutch...

[markeb01]

I have the same problem, so I made them up ahead of time and keep them in a ziplock bag with the plastic clutch alignment tool.