clutch pedal binding?

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HemiDenny

HDK Suspension
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looking for help.....as I get 10 minutes or so into a normal drive, the pedal starts feeling like something is sticking somewhere in the pedal / linkage. If I disconnect the linkage, everything independently moves perfect. It appears as the drive line warms up, it starts to creak/ groan and feels sticky, like something is not happy. When it sits overnight...like brand new again and I can pump the pedal 100 times and it feels perfect.

Borg and Beck w/ clutch overspring.

engine running or not makes no difference. still sticky and as it sits (and cools) it gets better.

any ideas?
 
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Just speculating Denny,
Clearance inside throwout bearing too tight? As shaft gets warm it is expanding and reducing inside clearance to a point it is causing interference.
 
A couple items I might look at..........
A PP plate finger low, cocking the release bearing?
Worn bearing retainer tube?
Loose or worn bell crank / linkage / pivot components?
New grease in cleaned out bell crank?

Then maybe......
Pedal bushings worn?
OC spring lubed?
Engine and trans mounts?
 
no noise from throwout.....it acts and sounds like a worn or no pedal bushing, but everything is new / fresh including new brass pedal bushings.....and why would they be effected by heat?....... they are in the cabin under the dash?

thanks for the replies
 
Just speculating Denny,
Clearance inside throwout bearing too tight? As shaft gets warm it is expanding and reducing inside clearance to a point it is causing interference.

This makes the most sense....but I can reach it and thought it had all kinds of slop.

I'll get a helper to activate the pedal while I watch they the inspection opening from the underside.

Gotta be something that a wee bit of expansion from heat is causing the stickiness
 
It's not so much as it being "the" fail. You can rule out items that may contribute. At least that is my thinking. I my experience from using tight tolerance tooling, just a bit of heat can cause galling.
 
It's not so much as it being "the" fail. You can rule out items that may contribute. At least that is my thinking. I my experience from using tight tolerance tooling, just a bit of heat can cause galling.

I agree....you would think once gulled....it would stay galled.

whatever it is, it must be very slight...as it cools it goes away, overnight and it is completely gone.
 
Borg and Beck with the 340 / 5-5/8" mod HD / 340 return spring on the pedal
 
If the clutch itself is functioning fine but the pedal does not return I would suspect the pedal shaft bearing.
The pedal itself should return because it is not fastened to the fork.
 
If the clutch itself is functioning fine but the pedal does not return I would suspect the pedal shaft bearing.
The pedal itself should return because it is not fastened to the fork.

clutch function is great, linkage feels sticky when driveline gets heat....unhooked from the clutch fork / arm...smooth as silk even when hot. no noise.... nothing.
 
I'd call McLeod on this one personally. Even if you don't have their clutch, it's worth a chat. Or Brewer's.
 
It sounds to me like the clutch doesn't have enough free play or the disc itself or throw out bearing is faulty.
Another possibility is the fork is bent slightly (twisted) and when everything heats up, there goes your free play/disc departure.
The first thing I would do would be put it on a lift and go under the car while someone moves the pedal from inside.
That should give you the source of where the noise is coming from, and in that area is the problem. (of course)
I'll take it for granted that you checked the centering of the bell housing with the crank when you installed it........
If that doesn't solve the problem, I would phone McCloud or Brewers for advice.

Let us know how it turns out/or is fixed so we all can learn from this!
@Dan Brewer
 
you guys have all given me great food for thought.

first step will be remove the inspection cover to observe operation and fitment...cold
second step....same thing but after I drive it around a bunch

I'm still suspicious of the clutch pedal shaft simply because it seemed to me that was where the (squeak) noise seemed to be coming from.

Thanks again,
Denny.
 
How about the release bearing tight on the bearing retainer due to heat? If you remove the last rod on the pedal linkage, does the fork move back and forth on the retainer? When it is hot.
 
How about the release bearing tight on the bearing retainer due to heat? If you remove the last rod on the pedal linkage, does the fork move back and forth on the retainer? When it is hot.

A-Ok cold, I can even get a small wiggle out of the throw-out.....next step is with heat after a drive and while it is still "sticky" .Cannot imagine it could swell enough to cause an issue...but I have been wrong before (just ask my wife)

thanks
 
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I've narrowed it down to the throw-out bearing likely NFG. Was hoping for a "easier" fix, but I have come to the conclusion as the throw-out bearing builts heat, it begins to stick on the input shaft.

to replace the throw-out, I like to replace the transmission bolts with long studs that allow me to slide the trans rearward enough to remove the throw-out bearing and polish out any defects I might find on the shaft.

Looks like I need to order a quality throw-out bearing

Thanks for all the help, I'll report back on the out-come
 
Another thought Denny...

When you remove the old throw-out bearing, if you can, check to see if the inside of the bearing is more oval shaped than round. If the interior circumference is out of round , that could explain the interference when the shaft heats up.

looking forward to the follow up on this one!

Cheers!
 
Another thought Denny...

When you remove the old throw-out bearing, if you can, check to see if the inside of the bearing is more oval shaped than round. If the interior circumference is out of round , that could explain the interference when the shaft heats up.

looking forward to the follow up on this one!

Cheers!

will do
 
Denny hope it all works out! Remember you can probably have butch run it through the gears a few times and nothing will be sticking!! Lol
 
I've narrowed it down to the throw-out bearing likely NFG. Was hoping for a "easier" fix, but I have come to the conclusion as the throw-out bearing builts heat, it begins to stick on the input shaft.

to replace the throw-out, I like to replace the transmission bolts with long studs that allow me to slide the trans rearward enough to remove the throw-out bearing and polish out any defects I might find on the shaft.




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I did exactly that ....
 
Hey Denny,

Any update on the problem with your Clutch linkage problem ??

Very curious on this one LoL!!
 
After lowering the Hemi about 2" (as far as I could without major disassembly) I was able to slide the trans w/ GV od unit rearward about 5-1/2" before it would not go any further but still needed at least another inch to get the throw-out bearing off, so I decided to do the best I could with what I had.

Upon close inspection I noticed the input bearing housing had some light rub marks which I polished off with Scotchbrite. Then I smeared on a lite coating of never-seize. As I started to re-assemble, I could get at an angle where I noticed the top of the throw-out bearing was NOT clipped on the clutch arm. I'm not 100% sure if I did not knock it off during disassembly or inspection, but no more sticky.

My thinking the sticky was caused by the unclipped throw-out bearing......next time, if there is one, I might have to use a mirror to verify the throw-out bearing is 100% on.

Thanks for all the input,
Denny
 
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