Clutch free play driving me nuts

[Lamar Wadsworth]

Ozelle the '55 Ford, Fairlane Town Sedan, 3 on the tree. I am pulling my hair out getting the clutch adjustment right. No matter how I adjust the spring tension up under the dash or the adjustment on the push rod where it meets the clutch fork, the pedal goes to the floor and stays there. I have a shop manual that is not any help. I've dropped the trans out to make sure there was no issue with the throwout bearing and the fork was on the pivot ball correctly. I used a stiffer than original return spring from the end of the fork to the hook on the frame. Pulling my hair out.

[oldbugger]

Stock pressure plate?

[Lamar Wadsworth]

Yes, stock pressure plate. Everything is stock.

[fordor41]

check the front brg retainer on the tranny.. If it is worn badly, the T.O. brg can catch. I had a '66 Fairlane the hung up so bad that it sheared the rivets in the pivot. replaced the brg retainer and solved my problem

[Lamar Wadsworth]

I hate to have to drop the trans again, but it looks like I may need to.

[dmsfrr]

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Are there ball stud bushings in each end of the clutch pedal Z bar?
If one is missing, esp on the right-hand end, that can keep the pedal from coming up.

[Lamar Wadsworth]

Originally Posted by dmsfrr

Are there ball stud bushings in each end of the clutch pedal Z bar?
If one is missing, esp on the right-hand end, that can keep the pedal from coming up.

I will check those bushings before I drop the trans again. There is a difference between dropping a trans when you're 71 and doing it when you're 31 or 41.

[miker98038]

I lost half the ball stud once like dmsfrr mention, it causes weird things to happen. You said “drop the trans again”. Did you just have it out, and what did you do. Just some more backgrounds for us to think about.

I hear you about the transmission. I’m 73, and a T-86 weighs as much as a T-85 used to.

[dmsfrr]

Originally Posted by Lamar Wadsworth

I will check those bushings before I drop the trans again. There is a difference between dropping a trans when you're 71 and doing it when you're 31 or 41.

Pretty sure the clutch pedal cross-shaft / Z bar can be removed without dropping the transmission.
My '57 is made that way.

Originally Posted by miker98038

I lost half the ball stud once like dmsfrr mention, it causes weird things to happen. ...

Yep that's why I mentioned it. For a brief moment I wasn't sure how I was going to get home.
.

[58Yeoman]

Drive it home w/o a clutch, if it's highway driving. Wouldn't want to do it in town. I agree on doing things when you get older. I'm 73 also.

[dmsfrr]

Originally Posted by 58Yeoman

Drive it home w/o a clutch, if it's highway driving. Wouldn't want to do it in town. I agree on doing things when you get older. I'm 73 also.

Done that before, but it was 35 years ago in a newer daily driver vehicle with a much better transmission. Doing things? not so much lately, 71 here.
.

[Lamar Wadsworth]

All I did with the trans was take it out to make sure I had the clutch fork on the pivot ball correctly and had the throwout bearing in right, then put it back in. Going to take a look at that Z bar tomorrow.

[Flathead Fever]

Something is definitely not right, wrong part something broken put together backwards. I have never done a '55 Ford but I've done hundreds of clutches at work, and they are all the same as far as the travel and pedal adjustment. When did this start. after a clutch was installed or was it working with the parts it has? Does the pedal have resistance without the return spring. Even with no return spring I don't think the pedal should be staying on the floor. The Mustangs had another big spring up under the dash besides the return spring down on the fork, not sure if yours had one of those. The one on the fork is mostly there just to keep the linkage up against the fork so it doesn't fall out of the fork.

Grab the fork at the trans and see how much travel it has. If you can, pry the fork back against the clutches' spring tension like the linkage was pushing on it, as far as it goes until it hit either hits the bellhousing or stops and see if its releasing, will the car roll in gear. If not the problem is inside the bellhousing and not your linkage. "DO NOT" try to start it in gear or it could take off on you if it's not releasing the clutch. Jack the rear wheels off the ground if you are going to do that. Parts can get bent, forks and Z-bars can break, clutch discs can be installed backwards. parts can be boxed wrong and sold to you. Never ever give up your original parts as cores until the project is done. You need them to compare to the new parts. You need them if something goes wrong to figure out what the problem is.

I had a Mustang break the fork pivot riveted to the bellhousing and the pedal went to the floor and stayed there, Had to drive it home with no clutch pedal, I had to start it in gear after stopping for red lights and shift it without the clutch, but you should have seen a broken fork of pivot when you pulled the trans. You can put a bore scope in the fork hole and see if you can see what's going on. They sale them dirt cheap, one that uses your phone as the screen, $30.00 an Amazon. I just had to do that on my daughters Scion TC. The clutch pedal felt fine, but it would not release absolutely would not go into gear. If I put it in gear with the clutch pedal down and started it, it lurched forward. It was gear all of the time. I was trying to figure out if it was the clutch hydraulics not pushing the fork far enough of somethiung else. I used a porta power to push the fork back all of the way until it hit the bellhousing, further than the pedal would have ever pushed it and the cluth was still engaged. Then I new it had to be something inside the bellhousing, 40-years of doping this and I never saw one break like this one. After 140,000 miles on the original clutch, one of the springs in the clutch disc came out and it got stuck between a flywheel bolt and the disc. The disc was always turning with the flywheel.

[CrownVic55]

I feel for all you youngsters. I know what you mean about the transmission weights. I'm 82 and need to replace my T86/R10 with a T85/R11. Fortunately my son who lives nearby has a lift. Going to wait until my other son comes up from Florida to get both of them involved so I can sit on a stool and supervise. The T86 jumps out of second gear under engine braking. Rather replace it than repair it.
Ben

[fordor41]

For you older guys that don't want to lift a tranny, I used my sons motorcycle lift to replace my fordomatic in our '60. worked like a champ. just pump and raise. BTW I'm 80!

[ventport]

Any updates to what was wrong? And what the fix was?

[Lamar Wadsworth]

Problem solved. Bushings on the pivot ball for the Z-bar.

[miker98038]

Glad it’s solved. Those da— little things that shouldn’t happen are a PITA.

Enjoy the ride