Clutch Fork Setup Help Needed?

[wrogers55]

I'm finishing up a new clutch install on a 418w, McLoud C&PP, scatter shield which is big, heavy and ugly, pivot ball on the passenger side, push type slave cylinder. I'm ready to put the throw out bearing and clutch fork in place and button it up.

All my experience is with open wheel transaxle cars and I need a little comfort here. I assume I want the throw our bearing to be just short of touching the PP fingers and the clutch fork arm to be parallel to the flywheel. Or maybe I should say, coming out of the exit hole in the shield straight, not leaning toward the front of the car or back.

Does it make sense to angle the fork very slightly toward the front, knowing the clutch is going to break in some and the PP fingers are going to back up some, moving the arm a bit backward? That makes mechanical sense to me, but maybe it's not necessary and is nonsense anyway.

I'm having to do this on jackstands under, so any help with technique would also be greatly appreciated. That shield bucket is stupid heavy.

It's finally 72 here today and I really need to get this done!

Thanks for all the help.

[blykins]

Most aftermarket throw out bearings are not made to ride the pressure plate, so back it up off the fingers a bit. Give it about .030-.060" of clearance. Yo may have to readjust once/twice a year, but a hydraulic clutch is not made to have the clearance that a cable/mechanical clutch has.

[blykins]

And yes, the McLeod/Lakewood bells are stupid heavy.

[wrogers55]

Thanks Brent and thanks for the clutch package. It arrived right on schedule, great price, helpful talking to you on the phone, looks super and is now in the car. I'm happy.

I lifted the shield bucket up and got it in place. I should have replaced that thing, it's just dumb to have something that large and heavy under there. Absolutely not necessary, there is much better technology available that can keep a nuclear explosion in place at half that weight.

I adjusted the passenger side pivot ball in quite a ways to get the arm straight across the face of the pressure plate. It all looks right to me now, geometry wise. So I guess I'm good to go.

Thanks,