The vehicle is a 55 Fairlane, with a 272 Y block, Y block flywheel and bellhousing, and bolted to that is a 3-speed toploader out of a 67 Ranchero. Im pretty sure that the clutch and pressure plate are specific to the Ranchero. They were new from NAPA about 2 ½ years ago. The problem is that the last few times Ive driven it, Ive noticed, especially when stopping on a hill, that the clutch will slip, even with the pedal all the way out, and sometimes you get that funky clutch smell. The rear end gears are 2.90:1, and it has always taken a lot more slipping of the clutch to get moving with these gears, than when I had the 3.89:1 set in there. Now, my question is, is there a way to adjust it to hold "tighter," or should I just get a new clutch disk? How do I keep this from happening again? Should I look for some kind of heavy duty pressure plate? Thanks.
You can adjust the clutch linkage to make it engage sooner (lower in the pedal travel), but if that doesnt help, you probably smoked the clutch...
Clutch should be adjusted for a minimum of an inch free play at the top ... an 11" clutch from a 312 may fit your flywheel - some were drilled for 2 different pressure ass'ys. That steep axle ratio must be a pain ! Slipping the clutch to get it moving will cause it to need constant adjustment. Also, make sure all the clutch linkage has been installed correctly if it's originally a Fordomatic car converted to manual trans. 302
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