Clutch Z bar installation question

[AcampoDave]

My pivot ball broke off in the block so it was easy to pull the Z bar out of there. The busted thread shank came right out of the hole in the block with only my fingers too. I had another ball in my junk bin and it is a matches the dimensions of the old one. But I can't get the Z bar back in again. I tried with the ball in the z bar first, and then the ball in the block first but unless I'm missing a trick here, it looks like I need to raise the motor on that side to angle it all in there. Do you really have to do that? Seems like Chevy would have thought of a better way than that.

[cwcarpenter98]

There should be a nut on the frame side that you can loosen and then move along the slot in the frame bracket until it comes out. That's what I remember doing when I did my engine swap

[AcampoDave]

Thanks CW, but I got it out easy because the threaded stud broke off the ball, but how the heck do I wrangle the z bar back in there with a new ball stud? It seems like no angle works. Almost like I have to raise the motor, slip the z bar tube onto the ball and lower everything until the z bar drops in. The way it is now, the z bar tube wedges itself on the ball before there is enough clearance to slip the frame side in. If I put the ball into the tube first, it won't go far enough in for the threaded stud to clear the block.

[cwcarpenter98]

I don't remember having an issue like that when I did my engine swap. How far does the z bar need to go towards the block when the ball stud is screwed all the way in to the block?

[MT65]

I think the bracket on the frame is slotted to allow that side to drop in, has been on other vehicles I’ve worked on….

[88Stanger]

I hope i am not stepping outside what you are looking to do, but i too had some issues as to what to do with my own issues, which is that I did not have the place to set the Z-Bar too, so I found an alternative to the Z-Bar, and that is to run a hydraulic clutch. Speedway is where I got the clutch and cables, and then i got with CaptainFab for his kit. Cheap, no, but solves issues i was having.

[AcampoDave]

Sure enough, I had to raise the motor a bit on that side and it went right in. Thanks for the replies.

[cwcarpenter98]

Hey, at least you got it fixed. Don't forget to grease it

[AcampoDave]

Originally Posted by cwcarpenter98

Hey, at least you got it fixed. Don't forget to grease it

I smeared some in there, but I suppose I should pop the gun on that zerk and pump that z bar tube full up. In case anyone finds this thread in the future, you have to completely remove the motor mount pin bolt, then back off (but not remove) the long bell housing saddle bolt on the same side so as to give it an inch or so of freedom. Then a bottle jack and a 2x4 block under the oil pan. Oh yeah, and I had to disconnect my exhaust pipe flange from the manifold too. Raise the motor an inch or two... and "boom" in she goes.

[88Stanger]

nice work!