340 4 speed duster throwout bearing arm rod ?

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flathead31coupe

flathead31coupe

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I noticed that the clutch rod for the throwout bearing arm. Has an adjusting nut that it looks to be a castle nut. My question is, which way does the nut go I would think the flat end would go against the rubber piece but other pictures that I've seen shows at the other way around.

Screenshot_20240217_152242_Chrome.jpg
 
That special nut is supposed to be a self-locking nut, and if there is a big fat washer on the engine side of that washer, then the flat side of the nut should face the washer, and the second nut should not be there.
After so many years, the self-locking feature may have died and the second nut is there to keep the adjustment.

But guess what! with headers that system is darn near impossible to unlock, adjust, and re-lock, and with the rubber business in there, it will not hold it's adjustment for long.
Soooooo, instead, I ordered a steel hemispherical ball and installed it on there with one non self-locking nut on each side of it. Then I use a deep-socket on a rathet, with as much extension as it takes to reach in there , and unlock the nut from the rear-end side, then reach in there with my fingers to adjust the free-play with the engine-side nut, then torque the rear-side nut back up with the ratchet. If I can find a star washer, I install that between the ball and the front nut.
Then I drill the pushrod for a cotterpin, in case the rear nut comes loose. I lost a nut one time three days from home, and adjusting that thing three times a day with hot headers and no jack, is a rear pleasure; NOT!
No, I don't remember where I got the steel half-ball, probably out of the Direct-Connection Catalog.


BTW if that is a washer welded onto the pushrod, I doubt that will last very long
 
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AJ/FormS said:
That special nut is supposed to be a self-locking nut, and if there is a big fat washer on the engine side of that washer, then the flat side of the nut should face the washer, and the second nut should not be there.
After so many years, the self-locking feature may have died and the second nut is there to keep the adjustment.

But guess what! with headers that system is darn near impossible to unlock, adjust, and re-lock, and with the rubber business in there, it will not hold it's adjustment for long.
Soooooo, instead, I ordered a steel hemispherical ball and installed it on there with one non self-locking nut on each side of it. Then I use a deep-socket on a rathet, with as much extension as it takes to reach in there , and unlock the nut from the rear-end side, then reach in there with my fingers to adjust the free-play with the engine-side nut, then torque the rear-side nut back up with the ratchet. If I can find a star washer, I install that between the ball and the front nut.
Then I drill the pushrod for a cotterpin, in case the rear nut comes loose. I lost a nut one time three days from home, and adjusting that thing three times a day with hot headers and no jack, is a rear pleasure; NOT!
No, I don't remember where I got the steel half-ball, probably out of the Direct-Connection Catalog.


BTW if that is a washer welded onto the pushrod, I doubt that will last
Click to expand...

M198651169.png
 
If your going do work on these old girls, you need a factory service Manuel. It shows all the details your looking for, and a whole lot more.
 
if you get the steel ball from a truck clutch installation
you can replace the flat washer and rubber insulator
they work with the exact same nut
the lumpy locking bit fits into the back of the steel ball which has a cone shaped recess that locks the nut.

you then don't have rubber insulator softening due to header heat

its all spelled out by Mr E.Berg here Mopar Clutch Linkage Solid Steel Swivel A833 340 440 Dart Coronet GTX R/T Cuda | eBay

issue with this is...
1) you must get the push rod on the right way. the D shaped loop is offset
2) the set up is less forgving if your z bar is not quite right i.e the lower fork is twisted
3) it will not work if the Z bar Half moon bush retaining U clamp style clip is broken and the Z bar has slumped in towards the bellhousing

Other than that top upgrade

or use an australian one with the much fatter round rod, 2 lock nuts and unique to Oz washer its a bit more robust. still suffers heat soak in certain circumstances but original rubber doesn't seem to mind .
 
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