Clutch Pedal

cobraboy · June 7, 2011 at 11:15 AM

I have recently fitted a new clutch. It is a RAM clutch for the HiPo.

It has the stock long type 3 finger pressure plate.

It is incredibly heavy and I am not happy with it.

Two things :-

What height should the clutch pedal sit at ?.

When I got the car it was way above the brake pedal, so I lowered it a bit so it was more level by putting a bigger packer under the stop under the dash.

The pedal does not return very well at the last bit of freeplay. Sometimes the pedal comes up all the way and sometimes it sticks. I have just less than an inch of pedal freeplay as per the shop manual spec, and wondered if something is amiss.

I am going to re bush the EQ bar as there is a tiny bit of play in the apron end.

Anyone got any tips ? I am considering pulling the motor and putting the old pressure plate back in.

Thanks

Mark

65shelby_old · June 8, 2011 at 11:28 AM

Mark,

I just finished a rebuild on my drivetrain with a Ram 3-finger HiPo replacement. It's stiff, but that's the way they were.

Possible issues:

>> Clutch fork not properly seated on the t/o bearing

>> Possible gauling on the input bearing housing where the t/o bearing rides.

>> T/O bearing installed backwards

>> Make sure your bell crank assy. is lubed and the pivot bracket is properly adjusted with respect to your pivot ball on the engine block. Basically allowing minimal side-to-side play and definitely in-line. Also plastic bushings and felt washers are in good shape.

>> Have you replaced your clutch pedal bushings - could be worn??

>> I'd never pull the engine to change a clutch. Much easier to slide the trans. and bellhousing back from underneath. I have a lift (but no trans. jack) and still lowered it down to where I was on my back and maneuvered the trans. in place with my floor jack.

Good Luck!

Mark

C6ZZKGT · June 8, 2011 at 11:53 AM Official Post

Mark in England is just used to the fact that on a lot of old British sports cars it is necessary to pull the engine to change the clutch. Old habits just die hard. <img src=images/icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle>

-Fred-

cobraboy · June 8, 2011 at 1:13 PM

Mark

I just bought a rebuild kit for the EQ bar and wondered about the assy proceedure as I cant find much detail on CD manual I have.

The bar at the moment has a lot of side to side movement, has no felt washers or steel washers.

So am I right in thinking that you put a steel washer on the pins first, followed by a felt washer, followed by a plastic bushing, then the snap ring ?.

Fred you are dead right <img src=images/icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=images/icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle>

The thing is, I have an overhead hoist and pulling the motor initialy was a cinch. Now the thought of struggling with a trans underneath the car which is on axle stands, and with a toploader balanced on a trolley jack is not appealing.

So I reckon I will go for the motor if I want to change anything.

So what is the verdict on a suitable clutch pedal height ?

Mark

round2K_old · June 8, 2011 at 1:29 PM

You don't have to pull the motor to fix the equalizer assembly. It's pretty straightforward to access the parts and change them out. One thing to look out for is the correct HiPo pivot on the block - it is shorter than the standard piece and is available from NPD. If you have the longer version of the pivot it will bind. You can also drill and tap a hole for a zerk fitting so you can grease the z-bar as required in the future.

[Blocked Image: http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/2028/clutchreturnspring.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/8126/20080202clutchpivotcomp.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/8947/hipoclutchpivot.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://img857.imageshack.us/img857/6783/51f812.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/211/zbarfrombelow.jpg]

If you have a reasonable level of freeplay and all the parts properly installed the clutch pedal will sit higher than the brake.

Edited by - round2K on 06/08/2011 13:43:34

cobraboy · June 8, 2011 at 2:50 PM

Hey Dave

Thanks for the pics.

So the only pin that gets the steel washer is the one screwed into the block.

I do have the correct HiPo pin in the block.

So I will re set the pedal height to be higher and re - bush the bar and see if it makes any difference.

I am worried because the effort req is so strong that it will break something.

Will see how it goes.

Cheers

Mark

C6ZZKGT · June 8, 2011 at 10:45 PM Official Post

Mark, Do you have the heavy spring under the dash that connects to the upper part of the clutch pedal and the clutch pedal support bracket? This spring is setup so that at about 2/3 of the way to the floor it acts as an assist and makes pushing the pedal the rest of the way to the floor have less pressure. Above the 2/3 mark it acts as a return spring. It is not in Daves illustration as it is under the dash and not under the car with the equalizer (Z) bar.

-Fred-

cobraboy · June 9, 2011 at 1:23 AM

Fred

Yes I have the big spring. But I did not know that it functioned in the way you describe. So I wonder by having the clutch pedal set level with the brake pedal this spring is not operating in the 'range' that it is supposed to.

I will re set the stop so the pedal comes further up.

I did not like it coming up high as I found I was having to lift my leg up so high to get on the pedal, this did not make for relaxed driving.

Thanks

Mark

zray · June 9, 2011 at 7:33 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>

"......So I wonder by having the clutch pedal set level with the brake pedal this spring is not operating in the 'range' that it is supposed to........."

Mark

1) disconnect the clutch rod from the foot pedal.

2) Take the pedal in your hand.

3) Slowly move it toward the floor.

4) at about a little past 1/2 way in the travel it will want to go to the floor by itself. i.e., with the spring assist working. Don't let it pinch your hand to the floor.

5) if it does this, it is working fine.

Z.

cobraboy · June 9, 2011 at 2:56 PM

Well today I re bushed the Z bar. Not a nice job as the exhausts I have are not correct and run close to the bar. Anyhow I got all the felts and washers on, filled the bar up with grease and pushed the pins in the ends.

Ray I did the test, and boy does that thing go !!! so it is pulling down to the floor. But as I had it set it was in 'limbo' when up and not pulling up at all. So I removed a piece of packing under the stop, set the pedal about 1/2" above the brake, re did the clearance and now it pulls up OK.

The clutch is much smoother, and I think a tad lighter. And with the extra travel on the pedal nicer to use.

Thank you all for the help.

Mark

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