Clutch problem, pedal lower and lower

[Dennis/CT]

A little history on this problem. I had my engine rebuilt, found real good clutch and brake pedals that were not worn, rebuilt the trans and trans bell housing with new shafts and other hardware, installed a new ( maybe rebuilt ) pressure plate and disc and throw out bearing. 350 miles on all the parts listed above. Here is the problem, my clutch pedal got lower and lower to a point I can't get it into gear when the car is running.( The adjustment rod did not move. ) I inspected the pressure plate and found that the finger adjustment nuts were loose and almost to the end of the bolt. Now, is there a way to adjust these without taking the trans out ? If so, what is the procedure and what is the measurement and where to measure from ? The Les Andrews book tells you that it should 5/8 of inch from the face, this is when you just put the clutch on the flywheel with no trans. Also will a little Lock- tight do the trick so these don't loosen up again ? Thanks to all that can help me. Dennis/CT

[700rpm]

You can do it without removing the engine or trans; in fact I have done it. It's clumsy and awkward, but it beats tearing the car apart. I used instructions I found here with a search. The adjusting screws have jam nuts on them, and I use those and a little locktite just to make sure.

[Tom Wesenberg]

This picture isn't quite accurate because the pressure plate and disc need to be bolted to the flywheel to make the adjustment, but this will show you how to measure the 6 release arms.

[Patrick L.]

Sure you could do this while its in the vehicle, but, what a PITA it is. Personally I remove them [ I prefer removing rear end] and set them on the bench. The fingers need to be set within .002". I use a piece of 5/8" round stock and set each to an equal slight amount of drag on the round stock.
If there is a problem of a chatter and and a few fingers are off then setting them equal to one finger that makes first contact using a feeler strip while in the vehicle isn't too bad a job.

[Tom Endy]

It is not a fun job, but it can be done without tearing the car apart. I had a friend make up a tool for me. It works well with the flywheel in the car or laying on a work bench. The tool can be set for a depth of 5\8" or 3\4" by moving it to either end of the stop. I like to set it in the middle at 11\16".

Take the inspection cover off the bell housing and rotate the engine to adjust each finger. Lay the long part across the back of the clutch pressure plate and adjust each finger so it just touches the end of the short part.

After adjusting each of the fingers apply a drop of lock-tight to the threads.

Tom Endy

[Tom Endy]

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The photo did not show up in the earlier post. Try again.

Tom Endy

[PC/SR]

You can adjust it in the car, it just takes a few hours.

1.Get a 6" or so length of bailing wire, about .100 diameter. This will be your "feeler gauge." Crimp and tie about 3' of string securely to one end. The string is so you can retrieve the wire when (not if) you drop it.
2. Looking through the inspection plate, turn the engine by crank so one finger and its locking nut can be seen. Mark this with a magic marker or something so you know when it comes back. There are 6 fingers.
3. Loosen the jam nut, and adjust the screw so the finger comes out to the wire gauge between the throw-out bearing and the finger. The clearance between the finger and the throw-out bearing is the wire width. Do not tighten the jam nut yet. Rotate the engine by hand to the next finger and repeat all the way around.
4. Rotate the engine through 3 revolutions so you make 3 adjustments on each finger. Each adjustment will be smaller and smaller, but the pressure plate will get "cocked" on the first time around so you need to do it 2-3 times, or more if there is too much adjustment remaining after 3 times. Now tighten the jam nuts on the third pass. (Use the marked nut as the index.)
5. Start the engine and see if the clutch is in the right position and works properly. You may have to adjust the trunion nut as well to get 1" of clutch free play.
It goes much faster if you have a pal at the front of the engine turning the crank.

[Patrick L.]

Yep to what PS/SR said. It takes several trips around it to get and keep all fingers the same regardless of how you do it.

[Dennis/CT]

PC/SR I sent a PM to you

[PC/SR]

Addendum to Post #7 above which I should have included:
The method described has worked for me and others, and the fingers should end up close to 5/8" from the top of the pressure plate as shown in Tom's photo. (About 1/16" varience is OK due to wear if the clutch disc is not new.) However, if the adjustment trunion has been taken up (shortened)substantially over time, that will move the TO bearing forward and the adjustment described may leave the fingers depressed too much and start to disengage the disc. Conversely, if the trunion has been loosened substantially over time, the clutch may not fully disengage. In an abundance of caution, the position of the fingers should be checked after making the adjustment to be sure they are within 1/16" of 5/8" from the top. I am sorry if this confuses or misled anyone.