Clutch Adjustment on New Kit Install -- does not seem to disengage -- HELP!

[mattfranklin]

I had my engine out for a rebuild. Tranny came out, too, but looked great inside so I just refreshed its gaskets.
When I put everything back together I slipped in a clutch kit:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/zzz-mu5505-1
I thought I'd followed directions in centering the disc, torquing, and so on.
It was a little tight when mating the engine and bellhousing.
There was no "ka-thunk" moment, just a slow steady pull with the bellhousing bolts.

Now I'm starting to check and adjust things before the motor's first startup.
How tight should the clutch linkage be?
I have set the rod length so I can just barely force the pin into the lower bellcrank arm. When I push in the pedal I cannot turn the back yoke of the tranny at all. I'm trying to turn it by hand. My driveshaft is still disconnected, so the yoke spins freely in neutral, but not when in gear with the clutch pressed in.

I have about 1/8" of adjustment left in the rod threads, but that has to be fiddled with under the truck with stuff in the way, so very slow going and scrapped up arms in making the adjustment.

The last clutch I adjusted was for a '54 Jeep M38-A1 and that was probably 35+ years ago. So I'm not sure how loose the linkage should feel. It's pretty wiggle free right now. Should I adjust it further?

Any ideas? I feel like I should be able to spin the rear tranny yoke by hand with the clutch pushed all the way in.

[Captainfab]

Are you certain that you installed the clutch disc facing the correct way?

[jeffahart]

Pushing the clutch in is not the same as being in neutral. You are over thinking and diagnosing a problem that does not yet exist. You could put a cheater bar on the yoke, but I wouldn't bother. I have never done that, I just put the clutch in and test drive. Run it, then see. Glad it came with the bronze pilot. I have a 1/2 inch over size nut before the outer nut on my rod to give me more mileage on the threads, been there for years, no big deal. For manual adjust to about 3/16 play then hook up the spring an cinch it down, run it then fine tune.


j

[rsavage]

Throw out bearing installed correctly? If it is backwards, you will not be able to disengage clutch or have enough adjustment. Also, was the throw out bearing the same size?

[cadillac_al]

It sounds like the trans didn't slide in easily. Did you use a centering tool (?) when you centered the disc?

[homemade87]

The trans should hit the bell housing with no force to pull it up . If you had the finish it up with the bolts there is infidelity something wrong .

My guess is that you may not have the pilot bearing in the crank far enough . This will cause the trans not to seat properly like you had trouble with . Also it will turn the input shaft when running like the clutch is engaged because it is pressing on the bearing and rotating the input . Also most likely why you cant turn the output when in gear and the clutch depressed . Input is in a bind .

I would pull it out .

[truckdude239]

sounds like input shaft stuck on the pilot bearing

[mattfranklin]

Thanks, guys, for all of the great replies. I was afraid of that. This weekend I hope to have some time to dig a little further.

[Jim Boy]

Originally Posted by rsavage

Throw out bearing installed correctly? If it is backwards, you will not be able to disengage clutch or have enough adjustment. Also, was the throw out bearing the same size?

I had same problem and turned out that the throwout bearing was a shade longer than the old one. I think it had to do with which clutch manufacturer you went with. I changed bearing and bingo on to next problem. Good luck.

[crazy longhorn]

Originally Posted by Jim Boy

I had same problem and turned out that the throwout bearing was a shade longer than the old one. I think it had to do with which clutch manufacturer you went with. I changed bearing and bingo on to next problem. Good luck.

This....there are 2 different clutches , for the diaphragm set up, and a different throw out bearing, for a 3 finger setup. I would check the clearance tween the throw out & the pressure plate fingers. You should find tween 1/4 to 3/8 " , with the bearing right next to the trans. If you find this, it should be adjustable? As Capt fab mentioned, if the disc is in backward.....no amount of adjustment , will fix it....replace the disc, its already bent longhorn

[mattfranklin]

Thanks again for all of the tips and warnings. I hate going backwards, but I'm afraid I'll have to pull it. I guess the nice thing is that the engine is already completely supported by the mounts and frame-mounted bellhousing. So I just have to get the frame high enough on jack stands to drop that monster tranny.

I was very careful to follow the "this side up" kinds of things, torque specs, center tool and so on. All the parts should be matched as they came in a sealed kit. It was the diaphragm style and not the three finger kind. The one additional concern I had when it was going together was that the plastic centering tool was kind of lame, loose, weak plastic. I'm wondering if the centering was just a little off and I wound up with a little misalignment and like one of the guys said maybe it plowed out a burr in the pilot bearing as it was going in. Now that $35-$75 for a spare proper steel input shaft for centering doesn't sound so expensive.

Now all I need is a free weekend and enough motivation to go backwards. :-)

[geezer#99]

Those plastic tools are close. Not perfect though.
Use the tool at first when you put the clutch in to align it.
Easy way to do it is hook up your clutch linkage and have someone step on the clutch pedal when you slide the tranny in. The disc will be loose that way and the tranny will slide in easily. Don’t step on the pedal too soon. Wait until the splines on the input shaft just slide into the splines on the disk. If you step too soon the disc can slide down too far.

To make it easier to slide that monster back in, make some long guide pins. Long bolts with the head cut off work good. Put them in the top two holes only. When you cut the head off cut a slot in the end. The slot makes it easy to unscrew the pins when you want to remove them for the normal bolts.

[mattfranklin]

Originally Posted by geezer#99

Those plastic tools are close. Not perfect though.
Use the tool at first when you put the clutch in to align it.
Easy way to do it is hook up your clutch linkage and have someone step on the clutch pedal when you slide the tranny in. The disc will be loose that way and the tranny will slide in easily. Don’t step on the pedal too soon. Wait until the splines on the input shaft just slide into the splines on the disk. If you step too soon the disc can slide down too far.

To make it easier to slide that monster back in, make some long guide pins. Long bolts with the head cut off work good. Put them in the top two holes only. When you cut the head off cut a slot in the end. The slot makes it easy to unscrew the pins when you want to remove them for the normal bolts.

Interesting tip on the guide pins. Thanks!

[geezer#99]

One more!
Leave the tranny in first gear or reverse while Sliding it back in.
Sometimes you need to rotate the input shaft a little to align the splines. A little twist is all you might need on the output shaft. It’ll only work in gear.

[mongocanfly]

I've used those plastic liner uppers for a long time...never had a issue with em...i also use the long bolts for keeping the tranny straight....

[crazy longhorn]

Just a couple more thoughts.....check to see that the clutch disc slides freely on the input shaft splines, & no grooves worn in the front bearing retainer (where the throw out bearing slides). Longhorn

[mattfranklin]

Originally Posted by jeffahart

Pushing the clutch in is not the same as being in neutral. You are over thinking and diagnosing a problem that does not yet exist. You could put a cheater bar on the yoke, but I wouldn't bother. I have never done that, I just put the clutch in and test drive. Run it, then see. Glad it came with the bronze pilot. I have a 1/2 inch over size nut before the outer nut on my rod to give me more mileage on the threads, been there for years, no big deal. For manual adjust to about 3/16 play then hook up the spring an cinch it down, run it then fine tune.


j

GOOD NEWS! Cheater bar was more than enough to move it. With no further adjustment to the linkage, the grab point of the clutch was with the pedal 1 1/2 to 2" off the floor. Thanks for all of the great pointers, guys!!! I was all set to use them. As it turned out it took less than 5 ft-lb (about 5 lbs on a 1 ft arm) to easily rotate the yoke so that gave me a lot more confidence that the clutch was good. BOTTOM LINE (for me): Just because it wasn't *as easy* for me to spin the yoke with the clutch pushed as it was in neutral didn't mean that the whole works was bound up.

Anyway, next time I install one I'll use this as a reference. And hopefully all of us adding our experiences in a thread like this will help someone else.