Clutch adjustment help needed!!!

[bluesuitah]

Just put in a new Mcloed DF clutch and fresh trans. Tried to adjust pedal for 1" freeplay and clutch really wasn't disengaging. I've run the adjustment almost all the way out, clutch feels great...pedal is high but grinding quite a bit getting into reverse because (in my opinion) the clutch isn't totally disengaged. Hard to put into gears off and on as well. I adjusted shifter rods per the manual...what am I doing wrong? What should I be checking? Thanks in advance...

 

[67Dart273]

New clutch discs sometimes "wear in" Frankly I'd set it for a minimal amount of free play and I bet you'll find you "gain" some in the coming weeks

 

[bluesuitah]

Is it normal to grind into gear a until these clutches wear in??? I just had they tranny rebuilt and new syncros...it kills me to hear metal on metal.

 

[bluesuitah]

Pulled the tranny and input shaft shows signs of slight scoring where the needle bearings slid over the shaft. Is itpossible that this pilot bearing from Passon possibly was too tight on the trans shaft when installed and input rotation to the trans even when clutch was engaged? I'm planning on pulling the pilot bearing and installing a pilot bushing in the end of the crank. Clutch is adjusted properly and trans shifts fine when removed. What gives?

 

[d55dave]

Yeah it is possible. Did you have to "pull in" the trans with the mounting bolts? Also possible is a bent input shaft, or the incorrect (too small) bearing retainer on the trans input allowing a misalignment on the trans to bell housing and therefore crankshaft. Did you do a run out check on the bell housing pilot diameter as per the factory service manual? As you may know excessive run out needs to be corrected with offset block dowels. There are many possibilities. If you still have the trans installed put it in gear and have a buddy depress the clutch, then try rotating the driveshaft (rear wheels off the ground). You should only feel a light drag through the transmission.

 

[bluesuitah]

I'm did the trans/clutch swap without pulling the bellhousing. I pulled the pilot bearing and installed an "automatic" pilot bushing. That seemed to seat good, but I had questions about whether it was in far enough especially since it fit nicely on the input shaft but not all the way to the splines. It was about 3/4 inch shy. (The shaft has a slightly raised area prior to the splines). Well guess what? The tranny slid in smooth to about 3/4 inch shy on touching the bellhousing. Pulling it again this morning. I'll get it right sooner or later. I really need a lift.

 

[nm9stheham]

It sounds like either the pilot bearing was in cocked at an angle or the input shaft is in at an angle or misaligned. That would cause the pilot bearing to 'grip' the input shaft and keep the input shaft turning even when the clutch was disengaged. That would explain both the scoring AND the fact that the gears were grinding; the engine and transmission were never really getting disengaged.

Possible problems: pilot bearing bushing, input shaft too long for crank recess/bellhousing, trannie not evenly bolted up to the bell housing, etc. It'll just take a lot of checking and measuring. I would first measure the distance from the trannie face to pilot area on the input shaft, and then measure the bellhousing surface to actual pilot location with everything apart, including bellhousing. Ditto for the end of the input shaft and the depth of the crank hole.

Make sure the trannie is being supported while the bolts are being drawn into the bellhousing and the trannie weight is not handing on the input shaft while being installed.

 

[bluesuitah]

You are exactly correct. The pilot bearing was a bit off. I took it out and went with a bushing instead. I won't mention the fact that I couldn't get the tranny back in because of too much grease in the crank...It's all better now. Still a little hard to find the gears sometimes under hard acceleration, but I'm leaning towards a weak tranny or engine mount.