Clutch Adjustment?

Hayes clutches have been the best I have ever used. I have a Hayes 11" Borg & Beck outfit in my 4-speed Pro Street Demon. I also have a 4-speed 340 '72 Demon. In that car, I had unwittingly installed a pressure plate that had "roller assist". Those damned things may be good in some truck but they have no place whatever in anything you want to power shift. Every time I would wind it up to 7,000, the clutch pedal felt like it was hitting a wall! The centrifugal rollers fly out and wedge between the pressure plate cover and the plate itself and will not release! It's hell on your engine when you are power shifting at 7,000 and it doesn't make it to the next gear!
moparhead sounds like a really savvy 4-speed guy, covering all bases. I've seen the front bearing retainers that the TO rides on broken off causing the growling and release problems. I'm glad that didn't happen to you. By all means, pull the side cover off your 4-speed and see that the shift forks are not bent. This happens and usually they break off. It can cause poor engagement or no engagement if they are bent and will cause noise. If your 4-speed is OK, I would replace the pressure plate making sure it is non-roller. In a Borg&Beck style 3-finger pressure plate, the fingers are attached to what is called an "eye bolt". I had one of these pop in my Hemi Roadrunner. These eyebolts carry all the spring pressure load. If one breaks, the clutch will not release. The offending part can be readily seen because the finger will be loose and the height out of wack with the other 2-fingers. Check the center hub of your clutch disc as well for loose springs or damage to the marcel washer. You can set the release travel by having someone push in the clutch while you check with a .060 feeler gauge between the clutch disc and the flywheel. Of course with the Lakewood can, you have no access hole. I made a very neat cut-out in the bottom of mine so I could do this. I have never had a diaphram pressure plate that was worth a hoot. But then again, I'm old school and maybe a little set in my ways. I'm sure someone makes a good one nowadays! Good luck.
Pat