Technical Ford clutch help for a Chevrolet guy

Guys- Need some advice here. Working on a 390 Ford FE for a friend. I'm a Chevy guy and I'm getting my butt kicked. The clutch will not engage. I can put it in gear and it only has a slight change in RPM when the clutch is released but does nothing. When I installed the clutch it seemed like there was minimal pressure versus what I was used to (yes a red flag). The clutch is made by Zoom performance and I could not find installation details on it.

My question is- The three bolts circled in red....do they need to be removed after installation? It seems like they depressing the fingers not allowing the levers to come out and allow the clutch to engage. Thoughts??

 

Been awhile since I have played with a clutch but from what I remember those bolts are for adjusting the height of the individual fingers which then adjusts the amount of pressure applied to the clutch disc. I don't ever recall having to remove them and they are usually set by the manufacturer of the pressure plate so the height of the fingers is the same on all three. Was this install done using all the same clutch linkage parts that came out of the car or a mix and match to get something that would work? To me it sounds like when the clutch is let out there is still pressure against the throw out bearing, which is then allowing the clutch disc to slip. I'd start by checking all the linkage and see if there is any free play between the throw out bearing and pressure plate fingers.

 

Sounds like you had some experience with VWs, and the 'installation wedges' the pressure plates came with when new.
The Ford bolts are as @GordonC explained, and should never be removed, adjusted, or changed from their setting, (which was indexed and set by dial indicator)
Examine height of throwout brg., and double check fulcrum of release fork.
There is specific geometry there, so look for an unusual angle of fork, or anything physical that would prevent regression of throwout bearing.

 

The only items that were replaced was the clutch. Everything else is the same. There is about 3 inches of pedal play before the bearing contacts the pressure plate. That much play should make it harder to get it in gear versus not allowing the clutch to engage. Thanks for the reply

 

Yeah I'm an old VW guy and that is exactly what I was hoping for.

Thanks for the advice on the other things to check. I guess it's time to tear into it.

 

Everything else being equal, meaning the clutch disc and pressure plate are correct, and all linkage is correct, I would look at the throw out bearing to make sure it is the correct one.

 

Pedal play don't mean you have clutch disc pressure. Sounds like you may have a Tall bearing retainer in the place a Short one should be.

 

Were you able to fully seat the Trans case against the bell housing face by hand? If you had to use the bolts to pull it up tight you were probably also releasing disc pressure.

 

You may also want to check the bearing fork and make sure the step in it is seated correctly on the fulcrum.

 

Make SURE you have the clutch disc "aimed" the right direction. Some have 'to engine'/'to flywheel' stamped on them. The clutch can be installed either way.
Hummmmmm..wonder why I would know this???
6sally6

 

Isn’t the retainers a Chevy thing? The replacement bearing had the fork groove built in.


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I think that’s what I need to look at next.


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Yes, Chevy does have 2 different ones for same years pending style of Pressure plate. Ford has an early one that covered most all post 49 but also has a late I believe 66 up that is different. By all means compare to what you had to start with. If the disc is backwards in a Ford the center will be jammed against the Flywheel bolts and don't release. Probably not your issue.

 

Just to clarify things for anyone reading this that may have trouble with a Long style pressure plate in the future, there is no adjustment available from those bolts the OP circled. The clutch release fingers pivot on pins in yokes that are held to the clutch cover stamping. The only way to affect the height of a finger is to either place a shim between the yoke and clutch cover, or disassemble the pp so you can mill the yoke. Shimming the yoke will lower the finger, milling will raise it, but keep in mind there is no direct relationship, you must take the finger ratio into account if you really wanted to do this and it only applies to Long style pp’s.
BITD the fingers had hardened, threaded pads at the throw out contact surface to allow for small adjustments but the threads were staked after assembly they were not meant to be adjusted again. With today’s fingers if all three were milled on the same setup with the same cutter, drilled with the same accuracy and the yokes meet the same standards then they should (hopefully) be in tolerance for finger height.

 

Thanks for the explanation fordors.

It looks like something failed with the clutch disc or pressure plate. I can spin the driveshaft and watch the disc spin freely with the clutch released. Out comes the trans.


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Sorry to hear that, keep us informed. What your describing don't make any sense. I'd like to know what you find.

 

Will do....it will be a few weeks until I get to it.

 

Can you provide a photo at that point in time of the other side of clutch (engine side) with disc laying on pressure plate to see how much disc comes up over the flange of pressure plate. Also a photo of flywheel face.

 

Yes once the trans out. I'm suspecting that the mainshaft to disc interface had some type of issue.....

 

Can you shake the clutch fork back and forth when the clutch is ingauged if not throw out bearing maybe the wrong one. A truck bellhousing is 6 3/4 deep a car 6 1/4".

 

I'm interested in what you wrote on opening of this thread > "When I installed the clutch it seemed like there was minimal pressure versus what I was used to (yes a red flag)." I'm reading that when you were tightening the pressure plate to flywheel there wasn't much of a gap to sandwich? Is it possible the pressure plate is designed for a stepped cut flywheel?

 

That’s exactly what I meant. When the pressure plate was against the disc there was only about 1/4” that needed to be brawn down before the morning ring contacted the flywheel. It seems like I’m used to somewhere closer to a 1/2”.

I’m not sure about it being for a stepped flywheel. I guess I could be.


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Wouldn't that mean the step be where the P.P. makes contact to the flywheel or raised surface for disc. I've only ever seen a recess for the Disc.

 

Is there an inspection plate on the bottom of the bell housing? If so pull it and look inside and see if the pressure plate is in contact with the clutch disc.

 

If plate was reversed normal the springs hit on the flywheel retaining bolts . This would stop the disc from spinning freely . I suspect the incorrect release fork . Ford is funny about this stuff , most are specific to engine and trans attached to them . Meaning a 6 cyl bell will fit a 302 but the fork is different , between 6 and 8 . This is just an example , I don’t know bellhousings will exchange . Just be sure you have correct parts . Did it work before you changed the guts ?

 

At even only 1/4" it should grip. How about when you bolt trans to bell housing. Did you have to draw it in with bolts because it wouldn't seat? If yes then it's back to throw out bearing (too long in this case) as mentioned by other members earlier.

 

Thanks everyone for the help. I will get to in in a week or so and then report back.

 

Sometimes it's the easy stuff that kicks your ass. It looks like when my friend installed the engine it had to be drawn in (first red flag ) and I did not have that info. I was stuck on something didn't seem right with the pressure plate so down that rabbit hole I went.

In the end it looks like the throw out bearing was not sliding correctly on the sleeve and was held up at the end, depressing the clutch. After messing with it for a while the bearing slid back on the sleeve and the clutch engaged.

Moral of the story? K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid. Thanks to everyone for the insight.

 

Can you unsimplify "messing with it" so we all can better idea as to what the issue was?