Clutch Linkage Adjustment?

[cptstickfigure]

I'm trying to finish up the T5 swap on my '64 C10 and I just can't get the clutch adjusted properly. I've crawled under the truck and you can see the pressure plate disengaging, but it never completely releases the clutch disc. To make a long story short, I'm pretty sure I've just got too much play in my clutch linkage.

I'm using the original bellhousing, pressure plate, and throwout bearing (new, but same style as the original), so the pedal throw should be the same. I've rebuilt all the bushings and studs on the Z-bar and adjusted the throwout arm free play to about 1/4", but I've still got 6-8" of free pedal travel inside the cab before everything tightens up and starts to release the clutch. All the rods and the holes they fit in are pretty heavily worn, which may well be the problem.

Any suggestions?

[rodnok1]

Is the throw out bearing same as original? They make several diff one's.
If there is any slop in rods/holes I would weld them up so you have a tighter fit. I remember having problems with plate under dash that attaches to clutch pedal assembly where the rod attaches also, think it was turning/out of alignment(can't remember exactly).
Were you having any problems before change out?
I just remember this ...the bracket under dash that clutch stops against was bending and clutch went out of adjustment, make sure the bumper is intact also. I ended up welding a support onto the bracket to keep it from bending. Ugly welds...I was in a hurry and bad mood.

[cptstickfigure]

Originally Posted by rodnok1

Is the throw out bearing same as original? They make several diff one's.

Yep. I've also tried reusing the original.

Were you having any problems before change out?

Not really. It always jumped out of third gear (prompting the T5 swap), but the clutch always seemed to work. I've checked all the other possibilities (input shaft too long, pilot shaft bottoming out against crank, etc, etc.), but all of that seems to be okay. If fixing the slop doesn't work I'm going to put the old transmission back in just to test it out.

I'll check those bumpers you mentioned. I know the only reason the pedal stops now is because it's hitting the floor. It seems like adding a bumper would give me less pedal travel though. Wouldn't that make the problem worse?

Now that I think about it, that plate under the dash might be it. Right now the rod motion reminds me of somebody putting on a heavy backpack. There's kind of a loopy motion before it starts hauling up.

Thanks.

[cptstickfigure]

Just to follow up with some sort of closure, it turns out I had a few problems.
Number 1, my clutch linkage was a little worn.

A representative sample:


On top of that, I hadn't adjusted it properly. Until I really got under there with a flashlight, I didn't realize just how much pedal free play you get from a little extra space at the throwout bearing.

It turns out, however, that those weren't the real problems. The real problem was that I'd run out of spline on my input shaft, so the clutch disk ended up pinned to the flywheel.

I just installed a washer on each bolt between the transmission and bellhousing. Problem solved.