'31 clutch adjustment

[woodrow]

The clutch in our '31 doesn't engage until well off the floor and I'd like to make the adjustment so it would engage sooner. I see the gizmo that needs to be screwed either in or out but I'm not sure which way to go. Should I screw the gizmo in to make it shorter or out to make it longer. Hope the question makes sense. Thanks for your help.

[Patrick L.]

How much free-play does it have now ? It should about 1.5". If less than that, bring it to that number. A little more free-play than that wouldn't hurt either.

[woodrow]

Didn't measure the free play but it's way more than 1.5 inches

[Patrick L.]

Originally Posted by woodrow

Didn't measure the free play but it's way more than 1.5 inches

Well, it won't really hurt anything to use more free-play as long as the clutch will still fully release when depressed.

You could remove the pressure plate and re-set the finger height, but, thats a lot of work.

[woodrow]

Can't the clutch free play be adjusted by adjusting the linkage outside the transmission? If the tranny has to be pulled I'll just live with it.

[jax55]

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Yes, the clutch can be adjusted without removing the trans.
I can't tell you exactly, but I would suggest moving the part on the threaded rod down and see if that takes the free play out..if it is worse, move it the other way.
Patrick was talking ab out adjusting the fingers on the pressure plate.. that WOULD reauire pulling the transmission.

[woodrow]

Thanks, that's what I was lookin' for.

[Patrick L.]

Yes, the external adjustment is for the free-play.

If you wish to change the engagement point more than the free-play adjustment allows, then it may be able to do it with changing the height of the pressure plate fingers which requires removing the clutch.

[Tom Endy]

There are two adjustments that can be made to the clutch. Quite often people confuse the two.

The first adjustment is made to the length of the rod attached to the clutch pedal. This adjusts the distance between the throw out bearing and the fingers on the clutch pressure plate. The adjustment should be made so there is a nominal 3\4" - 1" play in the clutch pedal from the at rest position to where the throw out bearing is just touching the fingers of the pressure plate. You can do this by feel or remove the inspection plate from the bell housing and you can see what you are trying to achieve. You do not want the throw out bearing so close that it rides on the clutch, or you will soon wear it out.

The second adjustment is done to the six fingers on the pressure plate. Many people will tell you not to mess with this adjustment as they come from the factory already adjusted. I have found this to not be true. The pressure plates I have encountered were usually found way out of adjustment. It is best to make this adjustment when the flywheel is out of the car sitting on a work bench. However it can easily be done in the car with the transmission removed. It can also be done, not so easily, through the inspection window on the bell housing with the transmission installed.

This adjustment will determine where in the pedal stroke the clutch engages. You need a tool such as the one shown in the photo, This one is adjustable between 3/4" and 5/8", with 11\16 being in the middle.

The tool is laid against the back side of the pressure plate and extends down to each finger to be adjusted.

There is a complete description of the use of this tool available. Go to the web site of the Santa Anita A's of Arcadia, California at santaanitaas.org. On the home page put your cursor on "Technical Reference", my name will appear below, click on it and a menu will come up. Scroll to Pressure Plate Adjustment

You are welcome to down load the article and print it out.

Tom Endy

[CarlG]

You could get one of these that makes it a little easier to adjust the clutch linkage:

[woodrow]

Got under the A and turned the clutch adjustment link OUT/down 2 1/2 turns, put the clevis pin back in and now the clutch engages much sooner. Thanks for your help Ford Barn folks. That helped.

[Mitch//pa]

yep that will affect the height of the pedal engasgement also. the finger adjustment on the pressure plate mainly allows for even disc engagement against the flywheel..
glad you got it worked out..