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I feel like I'm going to cry. Still can't get my clutch wor


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I think I finally got it bled. I removed the whole system and bench bled everything and now it is super smooth, I am 100% positive that I got all the air out. However, the car still won't go into gear and this is the only thing keeping my car from being a running car. I have a T5 with the JTR setup -3 line and plastic slave cylinder. The master cylinder is a 7/8" Howe. With full travel, I'm only getting the slave cylinder pushing about 3/4" or maybe 1". At any rate, it's not enough to disengage the clutch and I can't figure out what I need to do. I have the correct sizes for the cylinders, I have it perfectly bled... What could the problem be? I am 95% sure that I assembled the flywheel/clutch/transmission properly.... could it be an actual mechanical problem? The clutch I'm using was peiced together by a local shop to withstand 400+ horses and be streetably light and smooth so I don't think it has a monster spring or anything.... I just don't get it. This is so frustrating. This is the ONE THING keeping me from being able to move my car again under its own power after about ten months.

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Guest MarksM

Ahh, I wasn't sure if you still had the fork or had gone to a complete hydraulic setup.

 

"Disclaimer here.. I'm more familiar with the hydraulic throw out bearings than the clutch fork type"

 

Is there an adjustment rod on the slave cylinder so you can move the bearing a bit closer to the fingers, or is it at the recommended distance already.

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Guest MarksM

Since the clutch, etc, is not an off the shelf piece. I'm guessing you may have to take some measurements and shim the throw out bearing. It sounds like the pressure plate is thinner than the JTR setup is designed for.

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Hmm sounds lovely... I'm really hoping I won't have to pull the engine, transmission, or both. I have a couple of thoughts... the pivot ball under the fork, is that adjustable? Might that help at all? Also, a couple of people mentioned in a post that I found that they removed the bumpstop from under the clutch pedal to get full throw. My best friend has a Z with the stock motor that had this done for some reason or another and it's kind of a pain with the pedal always going to the carpet.. I don't want to cut this bumpstop out unless I'm positive it will cure my problem once and for all.

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Do you have the right throwout bearing? That would be one of the most likely culprits. There is a short bearing and a long bearing and one of the characteristic of the wrong one is you can never get the clutch to release if you have the short one but need the long one, and if you have the long one and need the short one, it won't always engage.

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I would look for your problem inside the bellhousing. I know you didn't want to hear that. frown.gif You have the right hydralic parts, as you mentioned, and 3/4" to 1" throw on the slave sounds about right. The "pieced together" clutch makes me nervious. Not that the parts are not quality, this may be a real killer clutch once it's working. It's just that you have too many variables there. Mike C's reply sounds the most plausable. I would pull it apart (I know, :mad: ) and measure everything and compare it to an off the shelf stock clutch kit.

 

Don't cut off your bump stop yet. It might seen like a quick fix but think about it, is that extra 1" of master travel really going to translate into enough slave travel to make any difference? Not likely unless the clutch is mostly disingaging now. And from the way you talk it doesn't sound like it.

 

Bite the bullet and get out the hoist. frown.gif

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A little bit of a stretch here, but there is supposed to be a nylon bushing between the pushrod and the clutch arm, attached with a "zip-tie" sort of arrangement. On my application it had fallen out and was squished beyond recognition. If I hadn't seen it illustrated on the dealer's parts computer I wouldn't know it was supposed to be there. It appeared to (at one time) be fairly thick - perhaps as much as 3/16" or so? It's mentioned in the shop manual just as "bushing", though it doesn't show up in any of the illustrations. I have seen several cars where it has simply fallen off, and you wouldn't guess by looking that it was ever supposed to be there.

 

Also, the shop manual sez "With the clutch pedal pushed fully to the floor, the actuator pushrod should extend a minimum of 14.5mm (0.57 inch) for the V-8," which suggests to me that you're getting reasonable travel out of your system (assuming it's free of air).

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Guest Anonymous

3/4 to 1" should be enough unless theres alot of free pedal before it even hits the clutch diaphram. Once all the slack it out, it doesn't require much at all (.5 inch if that) to actually disengage the clutch disk if you look at the diaphram if you push it much farther than that it'll go past center. I'd look to lengthen the pushrod somehow to take out some of the freepedal so your actually pushing in the clutch and not just moving the clutch throwout bearing up to the diaphram fingers. Good luck with it.

 

Regards,

 

Lone

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Man, I feel for ya, but no sympathy from me :D (just kidding). I'm R&Ring my tranny for the second time in a month chasing a leak in the front (bearing retainer to case). I have some super duper RTV on the parts and bolts now - I hope that does it. But I know what you mean - My Tremec is nearly as heavy as the T56, and it's a bear to R&R with just a floor jack.

 

Have you tried adjusting the bumpstop at the top of the pedal travel?

 

How much free play do you have? Have you adjusted as much as possible out to see if you can get enough travel?

 

Are you sure it's bleed well?

 

Just some thoughts for ya.

 

Good luck,

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