[Matt Meaney]

where did you get those grade 8 flywheel bolts? the head looks too thick to me. if it is, it will hit the springs in the disc and not let it release.

ok, found these on ebay. notice the thickness of the heads.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/55-79-Chevro...fc0242&vxp=mtr

[HWYSTR455]

Ok, you look good, all the photos show you're doing it right. The bolt heads for the flywheel don't go above the surface of the flywheel, and the Mr Gasket ones usually are fine.

The pilot bushing/bearing looks a little funky, but think it's the pic.

Remove the shifter and shift rods from the trans when you stab it back in. After the trans is in you can install the shifter. You need the adjustment pin or you can use a drill bit, to make the shifter adjustments. Period.

The shift tabs need to be vertical for it to be in neutral. All should face/point up when properly assembled. Maybe take a shot of that and post.

When you align the disc with the tool, take your time and do your best to make sure it's as centered as possible.

The throw out bearing looks like the right one by the way.

Not sure how you were checking to see if the clutch was working the first time, but if the shifter has the internals locked up, because of adjustment, it's never going to disengage.

Stab the trans back in and try to take a pic of the fork angle from below. That will show if the throw out is the correct length, and everything else can then be done with the trans in place.

.

[rtanner]

Originally Posted by JSPONT

You could not have bolted the pressure plate up if the clutch was backwards. Is there more to this thread I am missing?? Make sure you have the right fork and ball in the bellhousing.

BS!!! ive seen many back yarders put the disc in backwards and yes the nose cone on trans will hit and it will have to be pulled up last little bit w bolts, and it jams the input shaft!!!!

[HWYSTR455]

Our host carried an alignment tool for Hurst shifter for 5 bucks...(part number on attached pic)

.

[pugslyx234]

Originally Posted by Formula8

I did a clutch swap recently and found out the hard way there is a lot more to this than simply bolting everything in and calling it good. Although that is exactly what I did the first time. I simply had the flywheel machined and put in a Centerforce clutch. I threw it back together and I had to smash the clutch into the floor to get it to shift.

Turns out, the flywheel machining meant the pivot ball needed to be replaced with an adjustible pivot. The CF clutch I chose was .250 shorter than my earlier Ram clutch so I ended up using a McLoed adjustible height throwout bearing to make up the difference. I also used adjustible dowel pins to dial in my bellhousing to .001 (which took forever BTW) but my trans now goes in like butter and shifts like it too.

You know I never thought about that and next time I,m gonna measure the flywheel thickness before its machined then compare.

[BB70]

Make sure that the clutch pedal -where the pushrod attatches isn't bent. You can lose valuable travel length if it is. I've had to straighten and weld a brace on mine.
John

[HWYSTR455]

Flywheels have specs for thickness just like brake rotors do, and like I said, no way you can cut a flywheel enough to impact geometry. Most common reason folks need to use an adjustable pivot ball in the bell housing is a block plate.

The threaded rod portion of the pushrod that contacts the fork is prone to heat fatigue, and they do bend, especially with higher pedal pressure pressure plates. I think Moroso used to make a beefier one, but they were cut to length. Rods that were really prone to bending were the setups that used that brass square with a threaded hole, the rod had little support.

There's a couple places that make spherical end rod setups that fix this issue, or you can make your own.

http://www.speeddirect.com/index.php...ucts/rod-links

Another trick is to drill another hole in the z bar so the mechanical throw is increased. That way you can limit the pedal movement, make the pedal lower, and almost even with the brake pedal.

.

[Formula8]

Sorry, but I thought my posting was pretty clear. My set up worked perfectly. I swapped out the stock type clutch for a DFII. No other changes than that and cutting the flywheel. Clutch had to go to the floor. I took it apart, measured everything and needed a longer pivot to meet the stock spec. I also measured the distance to the tip of the fingers and there was a .250 difference. Sooooo......to get me back where I was, I needed a .250 taller T/O bearing. Simple as that. My point is check to make sure you get what you need.

[F ROCK]

thanks again guys.
I've got it all back together with the same result.

about the shifter: I've noticed that the cotter pins that hold the rods to the shifter, are actually bent nails and they are part of the problem. It's possible that the linkage was bent a bit during the war, causing the nails to contact one another too, so here's a good time to put real pins in there huh?

so the real issue here is that the pedal goes to the floor and all that I feel is the springs.
yes; I need to get someone over here to push the pedal so I can observe; but tell me if this picture looks right?
is that the edge of my clutch pad that I see sandwinched there and should it be visible? could it be too big? I think I ordered the 10.4".
I noticed, as I was installing the cover (pressure plate?)...as the bolts were almost tightened completely, with every turn of the wrench, the tines moved inward, and the cone shape decreased.

[JSPONT]

Originally Posted by rtanner

BS!!! ive seen many back yarders put the disc in backwards and yes the nose cone on trans will hit and it will have to be pulled up last little bit w bolts, and it jams the input shaft!!!!

The hub and springs will hit the flywheel, how do you bolt the pressure plate to the flywheel?? And if you have 1/2 a brain while you are trying to bolt it you would realize somthing is wrong. Then you try and pull the tranny in with the bolts?
If you have ever done this I beg you to stop working on cars with stick shifts.

[JSPONT]

where did you get the clutch fork? yours looks straight, mine is curved. Do you have the short or long ball also. Where do you live?

[salem1912]

Yes it is the disc you see and is correct. And as you tighten the pressure plate down to the flywheel the tines will move. Your problem has to be in the z bar or pedal linkage. How did you mount the tap on the frame side that the z bar bolts to? By saying you only feel the springs do you mean the return spring on the Z bar? From under the car by hand push the clutch fork rearward now is there alot of play in the z bar? Deal with the shifter later.

[F ROCK]

thanks Tom, for confirming.
the frame mount, I believe is installed correctly, using the two holes, already drilled in the frame. the z bar is mounted correctly, and is nice and straight. do you have any tips on tightening that nut on the frame end? mine is not as tight as i'd like it to be and i'm sure that's worth a little bit of slack. how tight should it be?
and how do you lubricate the zbar? the one in my 66 was full of grease..that was pretty messy. are you supposed to use grease? I didn't notice a grease fitting.

[salem1912]

Yes that has to be tight no play is it possible to get a pair of needle nose vise grip on the back side of the ball stud? And it you have no grease fitting pack chassis grease around both ball studs. If you have PY catolog look at the clutch parts section as these '68-'72 have a lot more parts than the '66-'67. You really need someone to push the pedal while you watch from underneath.

[wrenchmen]

Just to confirm that you have checked a possible problem that has been mentioned several times but you have not clearly stated you checked this;
the flywheel bolts that hold the flywheel to the crankshaft can sometimes make contact with the springs in the clutch disc, as those springs protrude into the recessed area of the flywheel when the clutch disc is in place.

[F ROCK]

yes, I used the "mr gasket" flywheel bolts. they have the low profile heads and said "for Pontiac" right on the package.

[F ROCK]

I briefly had someone to press the pedal.
I could see the z bar was nice and tight.
the fork seems to have excessive play before the throwout bearing moves.

[JSPONT]

Check your fork, like I said yours looks straight, it should be curved. The earlier years are different from the later. Take a photo of the end coming out of the bellhousing, I'll compare it to mine.

[F ROCK]

mine has the curve.
I really think something is wrong with the pressure plate, or the way I have installed it.
I will disassemble and start again in the morning.

[hada76]

aint cars fun