Bell crank and clutch rod ends

[rechinca]

As most things go with these, the more you pull apart someone else’s work, the more sketchy it gets. But at least I get to correct some things and do some things I have no epxoerience with. Such is this case.

No idea of the condition of the ball studs on the bell crank/ z-bar, but one bolt for the bracket to the block was gone. Just plain missing. Fixed that so I thought I would inspect all of the clutch and shift linkages. I have the rubber bushings for those on hand, but this thing has some wear on the bell crank at the pushrods. The holes look oversized or elongated. I do not see where there is any type of bushing, just push rod into the hole. The rod end looks okay, but what is your opinions on the bell crank? Thinking of just buying a new or used one and all new pieces to rebuild it.

[rechinca]

Hopefully tomorrow I can get some time to pop the rod end out for a closer inspection. But I also discovered there is no inspection plate, fork boot and the push rod boot at the firewall is FUBAR. The wife is just laughing every time I walk out the door to work on it because I always walk back in with a list of things to fix and parts to buy longer than the stuff I just worked on and parts I just replaced.

[rechinca]

Posted more info on my build thread, but I took the clutch rod out and bell crank assembly off for cleaning and rebuild. The local welding shop welded up the ends and ground them down for $15! Says he does it all the time in the old trucks. Now has anyone tried enlarging the hole on the bell crank and using a bronze bushing to help prevent this wear or is it not a good idea?

[notsolo]

Door hinge bushings are about the same size ID, drill larger hole like you said. Can measure if you need .

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by rechinca

Hopefully tomorrow I can get some time to pop the rod end out for a closer inspection. But I also discovered there is no inspection plate, fork boot and the push rod boot at the firewall is FUBAR. The wife is just laughing every time I walk out the door to work on it because I always walk back in with a list of things to fix and parts to buy longer than the stuff I just worked on and parts I just replaced.

Welcome to the addiction, I mean Hobby.
And yes, I have tried bronze soldering-on bronze bushings in places.
When the L6 Upper Clutch Rod became unavailable, [and the pot metal unable to be restored by any weld-on] a machinist recommended making an Upper rod with Heim joints [little ball joints] at the Clutch Lever junction and the Z-Bar junction. At both ends in other words.
Working fine for 14 years. Although one of the arms of the Z-Bar failed --in traffic and on the way to work -- but it had once been torch-heated to joggle the ends to clear headers on my 292. So I got towed home. My buddy rewelded the arm back on the Z-Bar and it was up and running in a few days.
The Heim Joint rod was bombproof.

[rechinca]

Solo that’s a interesting thought. I would definitely be interested in looking at that.

68Orange, I love the idea of the heim joint. I would just need someone to make the rod. I don’t have the skill to make the ones for the V8 with goofy bend in it.

[notsolo]

ID is .340....smaller than 3/8"....OD is .420...could work, no problem need correct drill size.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by rechinca

Solo that’s a interesting thought. I would definitely be interested in looking at that.

68Orange, I love the idea of the heim joint. I would just need someone to make the rod. I don’t have the skill to make the ones for the V8 with goofy bend in it.

It's definitly a pro-job-required part. My machinist put one together for me, and it's worked good ever since. He looked at the set-up, then said ''Hang on," and about 20 minutes later emerged from a corrogated tin shack shop with the completed new Upper Clutch Rod. It dropped right in.
He hardly charged me much, either -- can't remember exactly.

[rechinca]

‘68, I am going to look into it and see what I can get made up.. not that this is a bad setup but there is definitely some better engineering that could be done. Too bad no one had this commercially available already. With so many going to AOD’s, it’s a less popular choice so demand is so much less.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by rechinca

‘68, I am going to look into it and see what I can get made up.. not that this is a bad setup but there is definitely some better engineering that could be done. Too bad no one had this commercially available already. With so many going to AOD’s, it’s a less popular choice so demand is so much less.

Actually, I think LMC Truck has a Heim Joint U-C-R, but they want over $100 for it. You want a rod the same length as the shot stock one, then tap threading on both ends and screw on your Heim fittings. A machinist with a full shop and a welder can whip one together easy.

[rechinca]

I saw the one in LMC just was not sure how well it would work for the V8 with the dogleg bend is has in it. Research time.

['68OrangeSunshine]

I think their approach is 'one shape fits all'.
If you put a bend in it, you could not send it back.
Find a local machinist. Racers use these all the time, and not just for clutch rods.

[rechinca]

Received my rebuild parts from 4speedconversions.com (they were the only place online that had everything so only one shipping charge) and put the bellcrank back together. It’s all installed but I need a bushing for where the clutch rod goes in to the clutch pedal swing arm. I degreased, media blasted and then painted all of the bare metal parts with VHT high-temp satin clear. The hardest part was installing the clutch fork boot. What a complete PITA when the bellhousing is still in the vehicle!

[rechinca]

Couple more pics. While I was in there I also replaces all of the bushings on the shift rod trunnions and levers. And yes I found more undersized cotter pins that were broken and wire staples used for installing your backyard fence holding stuff in place.

[rechinca]

I’ll get the pic later, but the funny one was the homemade metal bushing in the one shift lever at the transmission. Instead of the nylon correct bushing it was a drilled out bolt. For all the work out into that he could have used the correct $1.00 bushings.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Yeah. I was in LA on a business trip. I'd only had my '71 Jimmy for 3 or 4 years. On the way back to my hotel, the 8 penny nail that was holding the end of the Upper Clutch Rod to the Clutch Lever under the dash broke. It was about 3AM. I had to change into coveralls, hook a ratchet strap to the clutch fork to pull back the tension on the ultra-sprung CenterForce clutch. Only another 8P nail would work with the PO's jury-rig.
A guy in a '72 Yellow-and-Black Blazer, stopped to check me out. I explained the problem. He returned 20 minutes later with the required 8p nail. When I got back to Tucson I put in the proper ''At Sign" (@) clip.
Even before this site came into existance, there was a comeraderie among '67-'72 Chevy Truck drivers.

[special-K]

I'm glad you are working it all out in this thread. Makes for a great reference. I haven't gone to put my set-up together yet... car 4spd and my truck is all used parts from various vehicles. Very likely I'll be referring to this thread. Thanx!

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

Even before this site came into existance, there was a comeraderie among '67-'72 Chevy Truck drivers.

Yep, decades before. In fact, way before computers and expanded TV programming brought the old car hobby to the masses, there was a comradery among most all old car people. If anything, computers have served to reduce that. I'm talking about real world, not online. In fact, my computer can't even spell comradery. Spellcheck says I misspelled, but ages old Merriam-Webster says I'm right. Yet, my computer has no problem with the word spellcheck, which is not a word, it's two! Right M-W?

[rechinca]

‘68 and Special-K, glad to be of service with these things. I always find that when looking for advice on something or pics/documentation of work I need to do, these threads are important. I did a lot when I rebuilt the wife and son’s ‘71 F250 and documented it on those forums. Never having tinkered with the older GM’s, some of it was similar but different enough I wanted advice or help putting something together that black and white drawings in assembly manuals just don’t quite convey.

‘68 that is one hell of a oh crap moment. Nothing like breaking down at 3am to make your day. I can see that is right where I was headed if I didn’t replace those items. It’s pet my hobby and fun, but some is necessity of worn out parts and part lunacy of what some people will rig up. It’s those small things you learn to look for when buying one of these trucks.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by special-K

I'm glad you are working it all out in this thread. Makes for a great reference. I haven't gone to put my set-up together yet... car 4spd and my truck is all used parts from various vehicles. Very likely I'll be referring to this thread. Thanx!



Yep, decades before. In fact, way before computers and expanded TV programming brought the old car hobby to the masses, there was a comradery among most all old car people. If anything, computers have served to reduce that. I'm talking about real world, not online. In fact, my computer can't even spell comradery. Spellcheck says I misspelled, but ages old Merriam-Webster says I'm right. Yet, my computer has no problem with the word spellcheck, which is not a word, it's two! Right M-W?

I may have spelled it the French way.
[Or misspelled it in French... Je ne c'est pas?]