Clutch Adjustment

[cuda-cable]

Have a 340 - with 4 speed. Trans shifts thru all gears out of the car  and now also when the engine 's not running but with it started it appears the clutch plate is not releasing? since it won't go into gear,  however when i put it in gear ,engine stopped and turn it with the starter,car moves both forward and reverse with the pedal depressed.  Checked the cluct plate and with the pedal depressed can get approx  .040" feeler gage between the fly wheel and the clutch plate........how much gap is required. Also with this gap the throw out bearing moves about 3/4" to do this....would this appear to be correct? is there anyway to install the clutch plate WRONG  so as to create a problem as this. Don't want to pull the trans if not required to check?
ALSO  is there supposed to be a 'return spring" on the neutral/clutch pedal switch since it appears the pedal sort of holds the switch lever captive in a wire form and sort of has to push the switch lever as you depress the pedal. If I  adjust my clucth linkage too far i  can't make this switch , and then  can't start the engine? .......thx

[Chryco Psycho]

.040 is enough clearance
 there are 2 return springs for the clutch pedal , the huge overcenter sping under the dash that helps hold the pedal up int he top position & also help push the pedal down , also a return spring on the clutch fork to behousing
if the clutch disc is inserted backwards the center hub will drag on the flywheel bolts giving you no neutral , the other possibility is if the disc is a cheap one material rom the disc can transfer onto the flywheel surface causing the clutch to drag all the time 

[ShelbyDogg]

You need to adjust you Pressure plate finger height.  If you are using a Bor&Beck  pressure plate , it will be adjusted by the 3 thin looking shoulder bolts that hold the pivot points  for the release levers.  Adjust each on the same number of turns through the bottom bellhousing hole. Sometimes you only have to go 3/4s of a turn.
 If you are too far one way, your clutch won't release all of the way like your problem. If you are too far the other way, your clutch fingers will bottom out on the clutch disc springs and make a horrible noise and probably not release all of the way.  You also have to make sure that you leave enough adjustment for the disc to wear without the finger topping out at the pressure plate cover.

[cuda-cable]

Thx  for the input above, spent more time on adjusting my clutch to the point where now I can be in gear and car doesn't move BUT there is a 'noise' of metal hitting metal. I'm in process of pulling the trans/clutch out to see whats up in there. I did have the fly wheel refaced prior to re-ass'y and suspect that perhaps the crank/flywheel bolts could be sitting too proud relative to the clutch working surface? Does anybody know roughly how much below the flywheel surface these bolt heads have to be? If this is the case I'll have to grind the bolt heads down some minimal amount to get rid of the interference............thx

[ShelbyDogg]

BUT there is a 'noise' of metal hitting metal.

Did you read my post above?   If your three finger bolts are too tight (clockwise)  the fingers will bottom out on the clutch disc shock springs.

Does your noise only happen when the clutch is ALL THE WAY in?   It will not make it in neutral and only in any gear with the peday all the way in.

Rob

[cuda-cable]

I have a Borg& beck style of clutch, and on the face there is 3 hex 'nuts' with a threaded rod in them that's been swaged into place, if these are the adjusters i can give it a try. They appear locked of thou.......thx......

[ShelbyDogg]

Those are the nuts to ajdust the fingers. If you remember  tightening down the pressure plate, you saw the fingers drawing down into the cover as the bolts pulled in.  Adjust them all an equal amount.  Start by loosening the clutch linkage rod first, then start with a half a turn out on each nut.  This will raise the fingers UP out of the pressure plate more.  This will make your clutch disengage more when depressed but you don't want the fingers to top out on the cover or else it won't release fully. You also want to leave additional space in there for the clutch disc to wear without the fingers topping out. I use a box-ended wrench that I ground down a little on it's face so it isn't rounded on the edge anymore. After adjusting the fingers, adjust the clutch rod making sure that the throw-out bearing doesn't touch the fingers when the pedal is all the way up.

[cuda-cable]

Shelbydogg,  thanks for the instruction on setting the fingers since that's not in any articles or install info I've seen. A 1/2 turn moves those fingers considerably, so I'll fire it up tommorrow and see if (hopefully)  the issue is resolved. With the fingers up you can also see the throw out bearing contact point visually where before I could not so a lot easier to set the pedal...........thx

[ShelbyDogg]

Good Job.  Those instructions are usually in the service manual.    Just make sure that you don't go too far or the fingers will top-out and not allow the full release pressure on the clutch disc. You also have to allow for disc wear by leaving a little more of a gap between the fingers and cover.

[cuda-cable]

Shelbydogg,  Runs like a charm. you were right on the adjustment. Definitely was the problem and the clutch action is right on . Only other thing is that in order to have the 'reverse ' light on on my dash I have to hold the shifter to the left when in reverse, is there an adjustment as in do I adjust the reverse linkage to over come this? ....thx

[ShelbyDogg]

The reverse switches on the manuals have cheap contacts in them.  I've gone through many bad used ones.  If you adjust the linkage and know that it is pushing the switch all the way in and still have trouble,  go to Autozone and get a brand new one for about $8.00.  Don't get it from Brewers, They wanted about $15 at the Nationals.

Rob

[Chryco Psycho]

Mopoar has new switches as well & they are properly sealed so they do not leak like the originals