Clutch pedal return ??

[Yote]

‘72 Demon 340,4 speed, B & B 3 finger clutch plate, Lakewood bell housing.

Pedal will not return fully, need to lift with toe final 1/2”. Z bar is parallel and level, arms are straight. New bushings & lubed. Adjusted to best of my knowledge, return spring very strong. Have even added under dash spring (which I know I shouldn’t need). Do not want throw out bearing running, should I forget to toe up pedal.

Does anyone have any suggestions to correct this ???

Yote

 

[Yote]

Clutch rod not rubbing at firewall.

 

[RustyRatRod]

If nothing is binding anywhere, I suggest you smoke back over the free travel adjustment. Having too much free travel will cause it.

 

[Dartnut]

Make sure that you have the spring that goes between the release fork and hooks onto the bellhousing.
That could easily be your problem.
It keeps the release bearing away from the pressure plate fingers until the linkage is moved by your foot...

 

[dadsbee]

Pedal full up... grab the fork end and it should only have about 3/16 play until the throw out bearing hits the pressure plate fingers. Nothing more to it than that, unless your over center spring has been removed! That bell housing to fork spring is mainly there to keep the fork and rod end from rattling...

 

[Yote]

Over center spring is in.
Spring on release arm is in and strong.
Yote

 

[Daves69]

How about posting some pictures of the components as installed?

Engine and trans mounts secured (nothing shifting/rolling)?

Did you add a block plate and face the FW by chance?

 

[Yote]

All mounts are secure. I added nothing not visible,not sure what previous owner did. Am good at nuts and bolts, not so much on technical.

 

[toolmanmike]

‘72 Demon 340,4 speed, B & B 3 finger clutch plate, Lakewood bell housing.

Pedal will not return fully, need to lift with toe final 1/2”. Z bar is parallel and level, arms are straight. New bushings & lubed. Adjusted to best of my knowledge, return spring very strong. Have even added under dash spring (which I know I shouldn’t need). Do not want throw out bearing running, should I forget to toe up pedal.

Does anyone have any suggestions to correct this ???

Yote

I had that with the replacement clutch on my 66 (that I no longer own). The clutch worked fine. Try adjusting the clutch so that it releases closer to the floor and see what happens. (more space between the TO bearing and the PP fingers)

 

[Yote]

Thanks guys, Unless one of you with more knowledge than I stops by, it looks like playing with the adjustment is my go to trial and error.
Thanks again,
Yote

 

[dadsbee]

All mounts are secure. I added nothing not visible,not sure what previous owner did. Am good at nuts and bolts, not so much on technical.

View attachment 1716488726

View attachment 1716488727

Man that's a heavy spring.. if that's not throwing it back then your push rod adjustment is totally out to lunch !

 

[dano]

View attachment 1716488727

The return spring mounts to a location on the bell housing and not a wire mount as shown. Could be your issue as its not loaded enough.

 

[Yote]

No place on Lakewood bell housing to hook spring that’s why I fashioned loop. Spring has a lot of tension on it.
Yote

 

[CRUZE 418]

As long as the throwout bearing is off the pp fingers, it's fine. My pedal has never come up all the way, doesn't mean a thing.

 

[moparmarks]

Pedal should return all the way to the bump stop. Do you have both return springs installed?
One between the arm and crank and one between the arm and bell housing.

 

[CRUZE 418]

Here we go again.

 

[moparmarks]

Where are we going?

 

[Yote]

Pedal should return all the way to the bump stop. Do you have both return springs installed?
One between the arm and crank and one between the arm and bell housing.

View attachment 1716489008Was ne

Was never aware of a second spring. In referencing the service manual the only spring shown near the second location seems to be on a six cylinder.
Yote

 

[moparmarks]

I've seen them on V8's. My 73 W200 360 4-spd that my dad bought new has 2 springs as do all of my other manual transmissions cars.
Also the big spring under the dash is an assist spring, not a return spring.

 

[Newbomb Turk]

Make sure that you have the spring that goes between the release fork and hooks onto the bellhousing.
That could easily be your problem.
It keeps the release bearing away from the pressure plate fingers until the linkage is moved by your foot...

This^^^.

There are pictures out there that show the return spring hooking to the clutch fork on one end and the other end to the bell crank.

This is WRONG and I don’t care who published that **** or if it’s in the FSM.

The end of the spring not hooked to the clutch fork must be hooked to something fixed.

If you hook it to something that moves with the clutch fork it’s WRONG.

 

[Newbomb Turk]

Was never aware of a second spring. In referencing the service manual the only spring shown near the second location seems to be on a six cylinder.
Yote

You don’t need the spring from the clutch fork to the bell crank.

I have no clue when that **** started but I’ve never seen a virgin stick car with that set up or two springs.

One spring, hooked to the clutch fork and the other end to something fixed.

Some guys make **** hard and complicated for reasons I’ll never comprehend.

 

[Newbomb Turk]

I've seen them on V8's. My 73 W200 360 4-spd that my dad bought new has 2 springs as do all of my other manual transmissions cars.
Also the big spring under the dash is an assist spring, not a return spring.

I can’t speak to trucks but I’ve never ever seen two springs on a car.

Absolutely needless.

 

[moparmarks]

So why is there a spring hole in the bell crank? And yes, the FPM shows a spring between the arm and crank for a reason.
And yes, the pedal should return to the bump stop like it did when it left the factory. No reason why it shouldn't.

 

[Newbomb Turk]

So why is there a spring hole in the bell crank? And yes, the FPM shows a spring between the arm and crank for a reason.
And yes, the pedal should return to the bump stop like it did when it left the factory. No reason why it shouldn't.

The FSM is WRONG.

I’ve never seen an untouched factory stick car have the spring hooked to the bell crank, and I’m old enough to say I have seen probably over 100 factory stick cars.

Please explain what the spring from the bell crank to the clutch fork does.

 

[moparmarks]

Ya your an old fart like me. I too have owned a lot of manual shift cars over the last 50 years and have done a lot of 4-spd conversions for my customers.
The spring between the arm and crank just tightens up the slop between the two and keeps the crank tight to the arm. The hole in the rod is D shaped.
Also forgot to mention that the bell housing has a knotch with a hole for the return spring to go between the housing and block as shown in my pic.
So you guys screw up your **** the way you want and I'll screw up my **** the way I want.
All of my pedals return to the bump stop and have nice smooth, full travel doing it this way.