Clutch problems

[pinball73]

well this past winter I removed the transmission too find a noise in it & did! I completely rebuilt it now it works fine. after got it back in the car the clutch has started acting up. I have about one inch or so free travel at the top! as it should be, but it is not completely releasing, it wants to grind the gears when you shift from first to second & second to third. setting still you can shift it with no grinding, it is the same clutch & pressure plate & throw out bearing that was in the car, nothing was changed on the clutch to cause this. the only thing I can see that is different it the clutch pedal is two thirds the way out before it starts to engage! it used to engage about half way out. It don't make any sense to me? any body got any ideas?

[Joe K]

You obviously changed the oil in the transmission. What did you refill with?

Seems unrelated to your question but if you used a "modern" oil, they're not the same necessarily as the original 600W. Heck, I'm not sure todays 600W is the same - if you can find it.

I refilled in the 1980s with the then 600W. I noticed afterwards the need to double clutch usually between 1st and 2nd, and less frequently between 2nd and 3rd. This is when I started experimenting with STP as an additive.

Joe K

[Bob from Northport]

Did you check the clutch finger settings from the face of the clutch to make sure they were 5/8" clearance??
Throw out bearing in backwards??

[Jacksonlll]

Take a good look at the lever on the clutch shaft. Yours may be cracked and not giving you full travel. Those levers break quite often. Our club has been putting on the new, stronger version of it. not too hard to change.

[BillCNC]

I'm not convinced oil would do that. I rebuilt mine and used 100% STP oil Treatment with no issues at all. Later I replaced that with 600w oil and didn't find any noticeable difference.

I had this happen on a 1961 Dodge truck. I removed everything and did a reinstall and it worked just fine. Not sure what I did to correct the issue, but it was corrected.

Perhaps if your up to it, you might try the same. Double check everything on the way in and on the way out. You might find what the issue is, or accidentally fix it like I did.

Regards
Bill

[ryanheacox]

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Originally Posted by Jacksonlll

Take a good look at the lever on the clutch shaft. Yours may be cracked and not giving you full travel. Those levers break quite often. Our club has been putting on the new, stronger version of it. not too hard to change.

x2 Seen them fail first hand. If that's good check your pressure plate fingers.

[Purdy Swoft]

If I wasn't ready to go ahead with a clutch replacement I would first try adjusting the clutch and see if it helped . One inch of travel at the top may be a recommendation but isn't an absolute necessity . The most important thing is that the throw out bearing isn't completely contacting the fingers of the pressure plate . Adjusting the fingers of the pressure plate may well solve the problem . I usually just replace the pressure plate rather than trying to adjust the fingers .

[rocket1]

Did you actually find a problem in the trans? might be a flywheel pilot bearing seizing turning the trans input shaft enough to cause gear clashing when the clutch is disengaged.

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by Jacksonlll

Take a good look at the lever on the clutch shaft. Yours may be cracked and not giving you full travel. Those levers break quite often. Our club has been putting on the new, stronger version of it. not too hard to change.

Mine did that a couple of years ago, I had to drive home in second gear as the clutch would not disengage. Not fun when I had to stop for a traffic light. Easy to check.

[RonC]

More than likely it’s your transmission top.

[pinball73]

Originally Posted by Joe K

You obviously changed the oil in the transmission. What did you refill with?

Seems unrelated to your question but if you used a "modern" oil, they're not the same necessarily as the original 600W. Heck, I'm not sure todays 600W is the same - if you can find it.

I refilled in the 1980s with the then 600W. I noticed afterwards the need to double clutch usually between 1st and 2nd, and less frequently between 2nd and 3rd. This is when I started experimenting with STP as an additive.

Joe K

Well I filled it with 600 weight that I bought from Snyder's & I added some Lucas to it! I am a firm believer in the Lucas oil additive! double clutching it helps to a extent! but it just seems like the clutch is not releasing all the way.

[pinball73]

Originally Posted by Bob from Northport

Did you check the clutch finger settings from the face of the clutch to make sure they were 5/8" clearance??
Throw out bearing in backwards??

This is the one thing I did not do! I did not check the clutch fingers setting but it was fine before I removed the transmission though & I did not do anything to the clutch, didn't remove it or anything. The throw out bearing is in right

[pinball73]

Originally Posted by Jacksonlll

Take a good look at the lever on the clutch shaft. Yours may be cracked and not giving you full travel. Those levers break quite often. Our club has been putting on the new, stronger version of it. not too hard to change.

This is a thought! I will Shure do this, thanks

[pinball73]

Originally Posted by rocket1

Did you actually find a problem in the trans? might be a flywheel pilot bearing seizing turning the trans input shaft enough to cause gear clashing when the clutch is disengaged.

Yes I found gears flaking off that was causing the noise I was hearing, replaced all the questionable gears, new bearings, 600 weight oil & new pilot bearing

[pinball73]

Originally Posted by RonC

More than likely it’s your transmission top.

What could be wrong with the top? the shifting forks are in good shape & not bent or worn as far as I can see! the shifting fork pin or rods fit tight in the case & the shifting forks fit on them tight & that I can tell the shift lever fits tight in the tower, not a lot of slack or anything like that

[RonC]

If the top is not right due to wear it will cause that. You have to be completely out of one gear before going to next. Make sure first it’s installed correctly I.e. the forks are hitting the gear groves correctly. If still grinding try borrowing a good known top to verify.

[Jerry in Shasta]

How about the splines on the input shaft? they
clean? I use a LITTLE light oil, like 3-in-1.
JB

[pinball73]

Originally Posted by RonC

If the top is not right due to wear it will cause that. You have to be completely out of one gear before going to next. Make sure first it’s installed correctly I.e. the forks are hitting the gear groves correctly. If still grinding try borrowing a good known top to verify.

I find it hard to believe that there could be a problem in the top/shifting forks! before I removed the transmission I didn't have this problem & it looked to be ok when I looked it over before reinstalling it. to me it seems to be in the clutch! be for removing the transmission the clutch would engage about half way out & now it has to be 2/3 the way out to start to engage! I did not remove the clutch or do ant thing to it

[katy]

Did you check the lever on the clutch shaft as JacksonIII suggested?

[pinball73]

Originally Posted by katy

Did you check the lever on the clutch shaft as JacksonIII suggested?

Ok guys I have got another question! can you check & or adjust the pressure plate fingers by going thru the access plate that you remove to grease the throw out bearing! or do you have to remove the transmission, which I really don't want to do at this point.