Clutch pedal will not come back

You probably have a 6 cyl. or late cutch pedal they are totally different then a early or 340 pedal or V-8's. They have a baby spring on them. because they only have a 5 1/4 pin spread. There is also an extra brace to hold the stronger spring on the early 340 pedals.
If your going to make sure of anything make sure you have the correct pedal assembly for the fork your using. Short throw pedals short fork. long throw pedals long fork. I have them out if you need pictures

another thing is this...

The z bar is a body permanent , so a shorter fork would have the rod at a funky angle.

readhttp://www.brewersperformance.com/products.asp?cat=102

And the fork length kinda gravitates around the body style

If you look at the info on this site you'll see no diff fork/pedal combo with 67-72 cars, They sell one fork for all.

fwiw a lot of vans use the same a body fork and pivot.