Hydraluic Clutch help needed

[texas56]

Hello, we have a 1961 apache 6 cylinder 3 speed I wanted to see if someone could help with. We rebuilt the clutch master Clydr, adjusted it in the cab at the pedals, also on the trans, bled a bunch of times. The propblem Im having is It is very hard to get into 1st and reverse. Once in first and going down the road it shifts into 2nd and 3rd fine everytime. Of course if you kill it, the truck will go into 1st and rev with no problem. Any ideas

[markeb01]

It sounds like the clutch is not being released completely. This could be for a variety of reasons, and diagnosing might be easier depending on what caused you to rebuild the master cylinder in the first place.

If it was working fine before the rebuild, the problem is there is still air in the line, or a small leak, or air in the master cylinder, or the slave cylinder isn't up to the task. If there's any possibility it still has air in the line, try blocking the clutch fork and bleeding again. I've found at times immobilizing the fork helps complete the bleeding by increasing the pressure in the system.

For a quick check have someone push down on the clutch pedal and watch the slave cylinder/clutch fork to see if you get an equivalent amount of movement. If it doesn't provide full travel either the hydraulics are not working correctly or the pedal freeplay may be out of adjustment. If there is rubber hose in the system it may be old and expanding, and needs replacement.

If this has been an ongoing problem for a long time, it could be something mechanical like a bent clutch fork, or a worn or incorrect pivot ball in the bellhousing. Also make sure to check the condition and level of lubricant in the transmission. The lube needs to be clean and the right consistency.

Long ago I had a car that sat so long it actually peeled some of the friction material off the clutch plate that stuck to the flywheel making 1st gear shifts nearly impossible.

It's not surprising the 2nd and 3rd gears shift okay at speed, since it's not all that difficult to change gears in a manual transmission without the clutch at all if you carefully match the speed of the engine with the speed of the gear you select. I used to do it years ago just to show that I could.

[texas56]

that might be the issue. It sat for like 30 years I think before we got it.Then we had to rebuild all the brakes etc. About the only thing we havent done yet is tear clutch down.Thanks for the input! Ill try these!