linkage on a 72 v-8 maverick with column shift? Trying to dicide if i want to buy a car but want to see if i can adjust the clutch first.. Later!! chris
To adjust the clutch you loosen the lock nut on the lever engagement rod and screw the adjusting nut out until it just contacts the clutch fork. Back the adjusting nut off .060" and tighten the lock nut to the adjusting nut making sure that you don't move the adjusting nut. check for 1" of free travel at the pedal. If necessary adjust the the engagement rod to give 1" of freeplay at the pedal. The clutch should completely disengage the clutch when fully depressed. If it doesn't then the clutch is worn and needs to be replaced. There is no difference between the column shift and floor shift as far as adjusting the clutch is concerned.
Great job of explaining it Paul - The only thing I would add, is to check the free travel with the engine running at a fast idle. With everything spinning down there you will get a better feel for engagement.
okay still a touch foggy, the clutch does not start to engage untill way up off the floor. It seems to disengage all the way when mashed. So this rod is under the car and is what contacts the clutch fork? And i should be able to move the pedal down one inch and the clutch still be in full engagement? Or come off the floor one inch and still be able to get it into gear? And what is that ablut the fast idle and checking free play? So is it normal for it to come off the floor aways before it starts pullin?? or should it start pullin a short ways off the floor.? I havent fooled with mechanical clutches much and just need to get the jist of how they work.. So thanks for bein patience. Later chris
Everyone can be a little different, depends upon ware, has the car been sitting for a long time? inside? outside? It won't feel like a newer car, if thats what your comparing it to.
it has sat for a while i would say less than a year maybe six months inside. If some one could just give me an over view of how the mechanical linkage works , and a little more detail on the free travel and adjusting i think i can figure this out. I just have no info on these old systems and need to get the jist so i can see if i need to adjust it or what. It might be normal but i dont know for sure, it just dont seem right, so i need to figure out if i am right or just not use to it. It just feels to me like it starts grabbin way to high.. Thanks for the help!! Chris
If you intend to keep the car, read voraciously on it. Find old manuals with info on your model and get specific manuals to your car. The older the manual, the more in depth it will be in my experience. They can teach you a lot. Not that you can't get that here, just that the manuals have no variance in opinions as well as having illustrations. Dave
Clutch pedal free play is with the pedal all the way up- no pressure on it. you should be able to depress it 1" before you feel much pressure. The clutch should disengage gradually as it gets closer to the floor. It will engage gradually as you let it come back up fully engaging just before it gets to the 1" down from the top. Does that help clear the fog?
The free travel is that movement when you first put your foot onto the pedal. It is the 1" of movement where you first push down and hit that "sweet spot" where the clutch begins to disengage. You want to check this distance while the engine is running not stopped. Actally I just looked at the specs and it should be checked at 3000 RPM and should have a free travel of between 7/8" and 1 1/8". As the others have said, depending on clutch wear, your foot may come up quite a bit away from the floor before you feel engagement start. that freeplay is very important to prevent clutch slippage and premature wear.
okay i got the free play adjustment part, mash the pesdal bout an inch and it shouldnt be dis engageing the clutch. Cant remember if it did that or not. And it sounds like it is engaging about right then. I just am use to my 87 ford f150 that starts to catch at the floor. But i dont get how to check the free play with the engine running. How about a little more info on that?? Thanks alot!!!! chris
You do this in the car by the pedals while the engine is running. Just reach down and push on the pedal with your hand while the engine is running. If you want to get perfect you can have a ruler down there to see how far the pedal is actually moving. When adjusted properly, you will push on it and you will feel the resistance at about 1 " of play (travel).
