Im helping my buddy with the clutch linkage on his 55 Chevy 2door post and its becoming a nightmare. We put a 350 SBC with a BorgWarner T5 fivespeed behind it. He bought all the original clutch linkage components for this car and its just wasnt workink so we cut, welded and fabricated our own stuff and also using some of the original stuff and it just seems like the geometry of the bell crank and the other arms is completely off. First, we had the problem that the clutch wasnt disengaging so we did some research and found out that there are 2 types of throwout bearings:tall one and a short one. We swapped out the short one for the tall one hoping that would fix it but it still doesnt get the job done! Has anybody ever dealt with this? Is there a guideline (or equation) when making your own bellcrank and rods(pivot ratio?)? Does somebody sell a clutch linkage kit for this setup? any help would be greatly appreciated.friends dont let friends put automatic trannys in their cars.thanks.
pictures would help we might be able to spot the problem. Stock setup should work fine. What went wrong with it?
What bellhousing are u using? to use the 55 stuff you need the stock bellhousing or one that is compatible with the pibvot set up for a 55. It has half of the pivot for the z-bar bolted to it on a bracket. Is the frame side z-bar pivot welded in the correct place ? If the motor is not in the stock location also that will affect the clutch working if tring to use stock stuff. Tim
Obvious answer is hydraulic set-up , either throwout bearing or slave, but you probably don't want to hear that ! Last 55 I built, with 327, Muncie, and 55 belhousing ( I think), stock linkage worked fine , so I guess I'm also wondering what the issues are.
Back in the '60s I changed many automatic '55/'57 Chevys to four speeds and always used the stock pedal and linkage. The only welding was the frame pivot for the z-bar. The different length throwout bearings are determined by the pressure plate type, either B&B or diaphram. The stock setup works as designed. If you bought original type parts you should have no issues. Danchuck sells all the original parts. The FOGGER
One of the BIGGEST problems encountered with the tri-five Chevrolet clutch linkage occurs because of motor mounts. It's especially prevelent when 3/4" or 1" forward aftermarket mounts are used; it changes the angles/geometry and people don't realize it. The other thing is, there are some minor differences in the clutch linkage itself; especially with the cross shaft. It's best to get a tri-five vendor catalog and make sure the right linkage is being used. Be sure the linkage is then "not binding" in any way due to the engine being moved forward. Many times, the frame mounted pivot on a stick shift conversion, is'nt welded in the correct place. Get an aftermarket assembly manual for the year car, the measurements and assembly notes will help you ensure everything's correct. Butchy/56sedandelivery.
Not to hijack the thread but I am having trouble with my 56 linkage too. I put a new splined arm on the pedal and for the life of me I can't get it tight enough to allow the pedal to disengage the clutch. When I push on the clutch the splined arm moves on the shaft and wont allow the clutch to disengage. Any thoughts or tips???? HELP It got a hew pedal, new splined arm, new bushings - the whole shot. wont stay tight.
Yours is a very common problem. I have actually seen guys WELD the pieces you're talking about. It's probably NOT the bracket/lever that's stripped, but the shaft. However, William Classic Chevy is/has come out with a new replacement part that takes care of this problem. Google it or go over to ChevyTalk.org, 55-57 modified forum; they're a sponsor on that site. They even had a posting recently of their new product. Butch/56sedandelivery Correction:Go to Chevytalk.org, click "Supporting Sponsors Section", then click "Williams Classic Chassis", look for the clutch pedal upgrade posting. Butch/56sedandelivery.
I had that problem on my 55 Chevy. I fixed it by using an original splined arm, (I already had an original clutch pedal and shaft). I don't know for sure, but I suspect that the originals may be hardened, and the repros are not?
Alex - Set up all your linkage points so that the two pieces are at a 90 degree angle to each other when the linkage is at mid-stroke. 6inrow - Using a Centerforce brand clutch will help your problem greatly. They have an unbelievably low pressure spring set & yet are one of the smoothest & strongest holding clutch sets made.
thanks for all the info, my buddy just ordered all the right stuff from this guy that only deals with used trifive chebbie parts, like that were using the right bellhousing, the right bellcrank, the right shaft. etc, etc.... he gave up on trying to save our abortion and I dont blame'em, if we were working on something rare, well, thats one thing, but its a 55 chevy so its still pretty easy finding original parts and theres alot of people that only deal with these cars and are pretty knowledgeable...ill post the results
I also have a 55 chev clutch problem. I am building a 55 chevy. Installed a new 350. The z bar seems to be missing parts. Aren't there bushings or something in the z bar for the ball studs to ride on? I think I remember when I was a mechanic many years ago that there were some kind of bushings in the z bar. It looks as though the last owner just had the ball studs floating in the z bar very sloppy. I can't seem to find these bushings anywhere. Can anyone help me?
later models used bushings, but I don't think they did on the 55-57, they are not mentioned in the old Chevy parts book either.. Maybe you just need to replace the 3 pieces, and be done with it?
I just found that Yearone talks about a sleeve that goes into the Z bar maybe it has ends that receive the ball studs. Could it be?
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