Hey guys, Im trying to test out my transmission, and was wondering if y'all could help me out. After further research, I realized I have a 240, from 1969, with a t85n behind it. My question is, how does the clutch linkage work? And how do I test the clutch to see if it works? The motor is running, and I pulled the driveshaft. It would stand to reason that if I pulled on what appears to be the clutch arm coming out of the bellhousing, I should be able to shift without grinding the gears. Am I missing some other lever or something to actually disengage the clutch? Thanks for any insight.
with the driveshaft removed, there is nothing much to prevent all internal parts from rotating, at least some, due to internal 'friction', for lack of a better term. Is there any reason you can't reinstall the driveshaft, keep it stationary, and try you shifting test? Ray
Thanks for the reply, Getting in gear is no problem whatsoever, I can shift it with the motor off, but while it is running, I would just be slamming it into gear, because I can not figure out how the clutch linkage works. This trans is not original, and I never saw it installed in any truck but mine. The large "arm" for lack of a better word that sticks out of the side of the bellhousing seems to have no effect whatsoever, whether it is pushed towards the rear or pulled towards the front. Either way, it is not actually disengaging the clutch, it seems. Is there some other lever, or assembly I'm missing? Mike
You need to put the driveshaft back in or you will not be able to tell if the clutch is releasing. Moving the clutch fork toward the rear should release the clutch. It would be very hard to push it rearward by hand far enough to release the clutch. You need the clutch hooked up to the pedal to get enough leverage to overcome the springs in the pressure plate.
The clutch arm needs to be centered on it's pivot ball. How easily does the arm move? If you're just pushing on it with your hand to disengage the clutch it's not gonna happen, unless you've got an arm like a hydraulic cylinder.
Alright, so the clutch fork is moving easily with just my arm, but perhaps that's just extra play in it and I'm not actually disengaging the clutch? Would that make sense to you guys? Thanks again for the help Mike
Unless you're the Hulk,, you won't release the clutch by hand,,, if it's been awhile since last in operation, the disc may be stuck on the flywheel also.
I failed to hit 'post reply' a few hours ago, when I first typed the following. I gotta ask....are you sure there is a clutch inside the bell housing? Or, if a clutch is in there, is there a throw out bearing on the fork.......the transmission input shaft goes through the throw bearing on it's way to the clutch. To operate the lever (clutch release lever...aka throw out lever or fork), the outer end should move towards the rear (toward trans). Given it so easy to remove the trans, I would suggest you do that, and then take note of the contents of the bell housing. Not being a wiseguy
Thanks for the help guys, I managed to get the clutch to disengage with a big clamp on the clutch fork. There is a clutch and throw out bearing, with the clutch clamped in, the truck ran in first gear. Now I just have to get a hydraulic clutch setup and I'm ready to rock.
Even if you had the clutch linkage connected, it will be difficult to shift through the gears unless these's at least some internal forces at play. Synchros are designed to catch up/slow down the mainshaft, but without some forces upon it, it's still probably going to grind gears. Reinstall the driveshaft, get the tires off the ground, and go from there. JMO. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
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