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Manual Tranny Z-bar Issue

dgc333
07-22-2005, 10:02 AM
I swapped the slant 6 in my 68 Barracuda to the 360 last weekend. I was under the believe that the z-bar ball pivot bracket that bolts to the bellhousing was the same for all A-bodies regardless of engine. Anyway, when I tried to bolt the bracket on it wanted to place the Z-bar at an angle up from the sub frame to the bellhousing.

I figured that they must be different for the \6 and went and ordered a new one from Mancini. Other than being beefier it still places the z-bar at an angle. I went ahead and assembled the rest of the clutch linkage and everything seems to work OK. The only concern is that the lever on the bottom of the z-bar for the cluch rod is very close to the starter but it does clear and the clutch action is smooth.

I am using a 73 A-body spool mount k-member. I am not sure of the vintage of the bellhousing but it does have the large 5.125 hole for the large bearing retainer required for the A833OD tranny I am using. This bellhousing has the same threaded holes for the screw in Ball pivot that is used on E & B bodies and those mounting points appear to be in the same vertical relation to the center line of the tranny mounting hole as the other small block bellhousing I had and the \6 bellhousing.

Anyone have any words of wisdom why the z-bar doesn't wind up being level?

dgc333
07-24-2005, 05:42 PM
Bump!

I got the car running Saturday and another peculiar thing happend. With the z-bar at an angle and all the slack adjusted out of the clutch the clutch fork will hit the pressure plate when the pedal pushed all the way to the floor.

Shifts fine and the clutch action is smooth otherwise. Any hints!

ta3834bbl
07-24-2005, 06:25 PM
I had an issue similar to this on my 383 roadrunner. I couldn't find the correct adapter for mine either, and found out I had to use the standard ball/thread stud without any adapter. It just screwed into one of the threaded holes of the bellhousing. Give that a try.

dgc333
07-24-2005, 06:51 PM
Thanks! That is certainly easy! :)

FASTBACK340
07-24-2005, 08:20 PM
Double check the lenght of your clutch fork. There's one for A bodies, and another for B&E. Same with the Z bar. Mine was very close to the starter so I massaged it with a torch and a vise. It worked, but I just went ahead and bought a new Z bar from Brewers.
http://www.brewersperformance.com/default.htm

And you can also try Passon
http://www.passonperformance.com/Welcome/Welcome.htm

dgc333
07-25-2005, 08:14 AM
The Clutch fork is the orignal one in the bellhousing of the 3spd that came with the car. I had a longer one with the 4spd but it pivoted on a ball vs the bracket of the orignal and the sb bell housing.

The z-bar from the slant 6 was to long to even fit between the bell housing and the sub-frame. Since the positioning of the lever from the clutch pedal had to stay relatively in the same position and the clutch fork defied the position of the lever to move it I just cut the excess off the end of the z-bar to get the correct length.

I am going to give ta3834bbl's suggestion a try and see how it goes. Otherwise I will modify one of the onces I have.

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