Lost 3/4 of clutch peddle

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340 swinger

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Hi, I have a 70 dart with 833 and it always worked fine and today when I shifted in to first 3/4 of my clutch peddle is gone. Everything seems to be hooked up and I do have tension on the clutch but only the last quarter. I hobbled home with the car and it doesn't seem to be slipping or anything, just only have a little clutch and the peddle stays toward the bottom, (about 1/4 the way up.)

Any suggestions?
 
It sounds like you some how lost your adjustment. Hopefully '64 cuda will chime in. He seems to know a lot about manual transmissions.
 
Check the bushing at the fork end of the linkage. They are rubber with a metal cap on the side the linkage rod first passes through. Sounds like the rod has pushed through the bushing. If it has, there will be a gap between the clutch fork and the adjuster nut.
 
I agree, I had that happen on my 67 Cuda, way back in High School. I had a real heavy pressure plate and while I was holding the clutch in it kinda popped. the next time I pushed it in I only had a little peddle left, just enough to dissengage the clutch. When I got home the cone shaped rubber block was gone, Joe.
 
Can you put your foot under the peddle and pull up?Mine also did this,while the clutch worked fine!Maybe the return spring?
 
My money would be either on the rubber piece mentioned above or a split in the Z bar tube.

Before I bought my car it had the exact same problem. The Z bar had split & was spreading along the split. This kept the arms from traveling the full distance. The PO took it to a shop where they welded up the Z bar. Unfortunately the guy managed to melt all of the nylon bushings in the tube. This caused a misalignment of the Z bar & it split again. I ended up using a big washer slipped over the outside of the tube & welded on to reinforce the Z bar until I could get a new one. Eventually had to replace all 4 of the nylon pieces & both of the rubber seals in the tube. Told the PO about it & he went down to the shop & chewed out the guy who did the work for him.
 
grumpuscreature said:
Check the bushing at the fork end of the linkage. They are rubber with a metal cap on the side the linkage rod first passes through. Sounds like the rod has pushed through the bushing. If it has, there will be a gap between the clutch fork and the adjuster nut.
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So is this fix simple or does the trans need to come out? Can these bushing be sourced locally or do I need to find some 833 magicians? Sorry all my previous cars were 727's
 
I would jack the car up get under there and look everything over.

No you will not have to remove the transmission.
 
This happened to me. If you have a Borg & Beck style clutch you may have snapped the pivot pin on one (or more) of the three levers.

Just one other possibility.
 
mullinax95 said:
I would jack the car up get under there and look everything over.

No you will not have to remove the transmission.
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Jacked up the car and noticed that the fork was only seated on one side of the two tabs that push in on the bearing. I took it all apart and for the life of me I can't get the flat pivot spring to slip far enough though the hole to make the fork contact with the two ears where it should be seated. What am I doing wrong?
 
My peddle would not return on me one time. The Z bar had pulled mostly away from the inner fender. It wa at a bad angle and taking up most of the ajustment. Just some info for you.

Good luck.
 
340 swinger said:
Jacked up the car and noticed that the fork was only seated on one side of the two tabs that push in on the bearing. I took it all apart and for the life of me I can't get the flat pivot spring to slip far enough though the hole to make the fork contact with the two ears where it should be seated. What am I doing wrong?
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You probably not doing anything wrong... it's a royal ***** to get the thing in there and properly seated. If you have a aftermarket scattershield it is even worse than that. When I had the motor and transmission out and was putting everything together I zip tied the clutch fork back so that sucker would not slip off until I had the rods on installed to keep pressure on it ... then cut the zip tie.
 
mullinax95 said:
You probably not a thing wrong... it's a royal ***** to get the thing in there and properly seated. If you have a aftermarket scattershield it is even worse than that. When I had the motor and transmission out and was putting everything together I zip tied the clutch fork back so that sucker would not slip off until I had the rods on installed to keep pressure on it ... then cut the zip tie.
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You said to tie the fork back with a zip tie. I can't see how this would help my particular situation because it just wont go in far enough to seat on the tabs. If there was a way to get the bearing to move forward a half inch or so then it would go in. In other words I can slip the clutch fork in easily if I angle it toward the motor and honestly it slides in with ease but when I angle it back to catch the ears it is about 3/8" too short from seating. It seems to be that flat pivot spring is binding up and holding the whole thing back. I then tried tapping it with a hammer then the damn bearing turns just enough that only one ear seats and the other is completely out of place. Is this a two person process to somehow hold the bearing while another person wiggles it in place? It's real fustrating because it really is a simple linkage set up and while being under the car 500 times trying to make this work I fully understand the whole concept of it all. If I had the flat pivot spring removed then it would do exactly what I wanted (seating) but I'm pretty sure it needs that to make a pivot point. There must be some sort of trick that I am overlooking.
 
mullinax95 said:
You probably not a thing wrong... it's a royal ***** to get the thing in there and properly seated. If you have a aftermarket scattershield it is even worse than that. When I had the motor and transmission out and was putting everything together I zip tied the clutch fork back so that sucker would not slip off until I had the rods on installed to keep pressure on it ... then cut the zip tie.
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I just got off the phone with a guy that knows about 4 speeds (more than me) and he said that it is practicaly impossible to seat the clutch fork in the bearing without removing the transmission. Is this really so?
 
340 swinger said:
I just got off the phone with a guy that knows about 4 speeds (more than me) and he said that it is practicaly impossible to seat the clutch fork in the bearing without removing the transmission. Is this really so?
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Untrue!I have a lakewood scattershield,try putting the fork on the throwout bearing with one of these?It can be done on factory b.housing alot easier!If you can,t get it on(the fork)then you have other issues?My 2 cents
 
pettybludart said:
Untrue!I have a lakewood scattershield,try putting the fork on the throwout bearing with one of these?It can be done on factory b.housing alot easier!If you can,t get it on(the fork)then you have other issues?My 2 cents
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I hate to modify anything but if I cut a 1/4 inch off the lenth of the pivot spring then I think it would go up where I want it to go. For sure the problem is the flat spring in binding against the transmission after it goes through the hole bracket that is bolted to the tranny. I'm trying to locate another clutch fork before I do this just in case.
 
On your fork there is a piece(forget the name)that sits in a little bracket on your b.housing,this has to be in the bracket so the fork pivots correctly.Is this all assembled properly?Just trying to help pinpoint your problem!Also where are you located,I have spare fork!
 
hi guys. why did it come apart in the first place.
is something warn in there??
will this happen to him again???
 
I don't have a pivot spring. On the clutch fork there is a tab that slides into a bracket that is mounted to the scattershield... that's where my clutch fork pivots. The pressure plate and a return spring keeps it all togther.

I would find out why it came apart in the first place instead of re-installing everything and most likely come apart again.... much less cut or modify something. The reason I say this is because it worked for a while like it is intended but then something gave up.... whatever gave up needs addressed wouldn't think?
 
pettybludart said:
On your fork there is a piece(forget the name)that sits in a little bracket on your b.housing,this has to be in the bracket so the fork pivots correctly.Is this all assembled properly?Just trying to help pinpoint your problem!Also where are you located,I have spare fork!
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I finally got to the bottom of the problem. It was the pivot bracket that was bent. Somebody welded it up at some point previous to me and it was at a wrong angle. Once I changed it then the fork slid right in with ease. I have a centerforce clutch and pressure plate and it pushes real hard. Will the new pivot bracket bend or should a gusset be welded to it to strengthen it up?
 
340 swinger said:
I finally got to the bottom of the problem. It was the pivot bracket that was bent. Somebody welded it up at some point previous to me and it was at a wrong angle. Once I changed it then the fork slid right in with ease. I have a centerforce clutch and pressure plate and it pushes real hard. Will the new pivot bracket bend or should a gusset be welded to it to strengthen it up?
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Some pressure plates require you to remove the over center spring. This might relieve some of the pressure. Check with Brewers transmission and ask them if you need to remove it.
 
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