[DeTomaso] Well, new problem, cant get it into gear, clutch problem.

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/29/09 14 06 57, rimov at charter.net writes:


> The clutch pedal feels normal, the slave is moving, it looks like the 
> clutch plate is disengaging but I can not get it in to gear to drive. When I 
> engage the clutch and try to move the stick shift it just won't engage and I 
> can hear and feel the gears grinding if I push much.
> 

The only explanation for that is that the clutch is not releasing enough.   
While you may have proper movement of the slave cylinder pushrod, which in 
turn is actuating the outside lever, which in turn is actuating the fork 
inside the bellhousing, if the at-rest position of that fork is incorrect, it's 
quite possible that the first half of your clutch pedal travel is consumed 
moving the fork through free space, before the fingers finally touch the 
throwout bearing, which in turn starts to release the clutch.

In that case, you're only actually moving the clutch half as much as you 
should.

Disconnect the external spring from the slave cylinder bracket.   Very 
slowly depress the clutch pedal with the engine off.   The pedal should move no 
more than 1/4 to 1/2 inch before you feel a distinct increase in pressure as 
the fingers of the clutch fork touch the throwout bearing.

(There is a spring inside the clutch master cylinder, and there is also a 
spring on the clutch pedal itself (often broken by now) which will provide 
resistance, but the clutch spring provides much greater resistance and can 
easily be felt.   The external spring on the slave cylinder is strong enough to 
mask the difference between the two, which is why it's absolutely necessary 
to remove it when adjusting the system).

You don't want the fork touching all the time, for that will burn up the 
bearing in short order.   And you don't want it touching almost instantly, 
because as the clutch disc wears, the fingers of the clutch pressure plate are 
positioned further back, which consumes a portion of the available 
freespace.   That means that if you barely have clearance when it's new, as the 
clutch wears you'll have negative clearance (touching all the time) so the 
throwout bearing will get chewed up and/or the clutch will be slipping.

There should be no need to reposition the arm on the splined shaft; there 
is normally more than enough adjustablity in the pushrod to enable you to 
find the happy spot.

Let us know what you find out?

Mike


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