What in the heck am I doing wrong!! Clutch issues

[Pman1961]

Vatdevil...where is the bleed port on the master cylinder or how do you access it? My reservoirs are mounted similar to the others but I'll take a look at the height tomorrow.

[akfish]

look inside the left front wheel well is there an inspection cover ? I haven't pulled mine off, but I bet you could gain access there.

[Pman1961]

Menace1...appreciate the link to Craig's Cobras. Dana...I'll take a look at the pedal adjustment tomorrow. My pedals are currently level. Jerry Clayton...One of the local Cobra guy's that installed his own and one others also did mine so I can't recall the tape usage yet there are no leaks that are visible. Clutch disk will only go one way onto the flywheel. Transmission was installed through interior of car. I was underneath aligning the input with the clutch/pilot bearing and my brother holding up the rear. I was conscious about not putting the weight of the tranny onto the clutch assembly.

[akfish]

well maybe.

Access to brake and clutch masters

[Jerry Clayton]

so you didn't use a trans jack to support the weight??? or long screw in dowel guides???

It is very easy to twist/warp the center of a clutch disc while manevering the trans to line up splines/pilot brg, etc

[jhv48]

Just a thought, my clutch fork has two holes/dents in it to attach the slave rod to.

Did you use the inside one or the outside one. If you use the outside hole, you won't have enough travel to fully disengage the clutch. Put it in the depression/hole nearest to the transmission.

A 7/8 MC will only move a 7/8 slave rod one inch, so yours is moving just about right. The only other culprit could be that the replacement clutch fork could be just a bit longer than your original one. Thus requiring a bit longer slave throw. The way to get that is to replace the master cylinder with either a 15/16ths or 1 inch master cyl. The one inch M/C will give you about a 1.34 inch slave rod travel with your current slave cylinder. An increase of .34 inches in travel. If you can, measure the length of the clutch fork and compare to your original.

[vatdevil]

The master cylinder bleed port is located topside at the very end of the master cylinder. It's possible to trap air in the end of the master cylinder and not get it out by bleeding the slave cylinder. I've had this happen to me. Wilwood reccomends bleeding the master cylinder FIRST and then bleeding the slave cylinder. You can access the master cylinder bleed port by removing the driver side wheel and taking off the access panel, there are four bolts holding it on. It's tight but can be done.

[Pman1961]

jhv...the clutch fork was replaced with a similar one that came off the car. My original bracket and slave cylinder use the outer hole. The bracket and slave cylinder I got from B2 Motorsports uses the inside hole. Either way it did not work. Looks like the first approach would be to bleed the master cylinder then the slave cylinder. If that doesn't work according to Craigs Cobras it looks as though I have the 7/8" slave cylinder. May look into putting a larger master cylinder but I really feel there is air in the system and since mine drained down it could be very possible.

[Pman1961]

Jerry. I mocked the engine/tranny setup on the ground prior to going in the car. We were being very careful as not to hang the tranny on the clutch splines and pilot bearing. The tranny slid right into position without any issues while in the car.

[vatdevil]

Part number for 7/8 master cylinder is 260-3376. 7/8 should be cast into the master cylinder body. Part number for 1 inch master cylinder is 260-3378.

[Pman1961]

With my buddy and I convinced the clutch was going to work after bleeding master cylinder and the slave cylinder, gravity bled the system and pushed the rod of the slave cylinder slowly in and out all the way with the reservoir cap off and no site of air bubbles anywhere. I raised the master cylinder push rod at the clutch pedal from the original full low position to the third and highest position to obtain more throw. Three other SPF's in my area the rod was in the middle hole. Measured the throw at the slave cylinder and was around 1 1/16". The feel of the clutch mimics my buddies where you feel pressure as the clutch begins to disengage and then the pressure eases within the last couple of inches from the floor. I thought the clutch issue was licked. Fired up the car, difficult to go in forward gears and all it would do is grind trying to go into reverse and this is with the wheels off the ground. Went to my buddies yesterday and he has around 1 3/16" throw at the clutch fork. However, he does not have to push the clutch pedal to the floor to pop gears in and out. My throwout bearing was set to have contact with the pressure plate and then backed off just a little. Fingers of the clutch all look fine. I have a Ram clutch assembly purchased through our good man Brent of B2. Does is seem as though the pressure plate is defective? Should I cut another piece of threaded rod and set it to where it has about the same throw as my buddies and just see if it will go in gear? Help!!!! I have this issue and one other I have posted to be up and running and I desperately want to get this thing together to enjoy the good weather.

[Varmit]

Originally Posted by Pman1961

With my buddy and I convinced the clutch was going to work after bleeding master cylinder and the slave cylinder, gravity bled the system and pushed the rod of the slave cylinder slowly in and out all the way with the reservoir cap off and no site of air bubbles anywhere. I raised the master cylinder push rod at the clutch pedal from the original full low position to the third and highest position to obtain more throw. Three other SPF's in my area the rod was in the middle hole. Measured the throw at the slave cylinder and was around 1 1/16". The feel of the clutch mimics my buddies where you feel pressure as the clutch begins to disengage and then the pressure eases within the last couple of inches from the floor. I thought the clutch issue was licked. Fired up the car, difficult to go in forward gears and all it would do is grind trying to go into reverse and this is with the wheels off the ground. Went to my buddies yesterday and he has around 1 3/16" throw at the clutch fork. However, he does not have to push the clutch pedal to the floor to pop gears in and out. My throwout bearing was set to have contact with the pressure plate and then backed off just a little. Fingers of the clutch all look fine. I have a Ram clutch assembly purchased through our good man Brent of B2. Does is seem as though the pressure plate is defective? Should I cut another piece of threaded rod and set it to where it has about the same throw as my buddies and just see if it will go in gear? Help!!!! I have this issue and one other I have posted to be up and running and I desperately want to get this thing together to enjoy the good weather.

Had the same exact issues when I installed a RAM, we were able to get it working by adjucting the throw in the clutch pedal. Now the pedal is about an inch higher than the brake pedal. Shifting is o.k.

[Pman1961]

Varmit. In my last post I indicated adjusting the clutch pedal by raising the pushrod to the upper hole. It raised the pedal an inch or more. I guess tomorrow I'm going to swap the threaded push rod with a longer unit and set to as if the clutch slave cylinder will yield a throw of about 1 1/4" then try to put in gear. If that works I may try swapping the master cylinder to a larger one that would give me more movement at the slave cylinder. Anybody can tell me how much increase in pushrod movement replacing the existing 7/8" bore master cylinder with a 1"?

[xlr8or]

Has this engine tranny combo ever worked together before? It's possible the input shaft is bottomed out on the crank or bearing causing drag so it won't release fully.

[Dana E.]

Perry,

On the clutch pushrod attachment at the pedal-the upper hole (closer to the pedal pivot point) will result in less pushrod travel (and more pushrod angle) at the master cylinder. Put the pushrod in the center hole (which should give you the least angle to the master cylinder), loosen the locknut on the clutch pushrod, and adjust the pedal so it sits and inch, or so, higher than the clutch pedal. Try adjusting the pedal this way. On the slave cylinder, adjust the threaded rod to bottom the piston in the bore, then back it out three or four turns. My Ram clutch releases cleanly but it does start to engage pretty close to the floor. I may try a different master or slave cylinder to see if i can make it work better. With my McLeod scattershield, I have to use the outer hole on a stock style release lever.

Dana

[Pman1961]

Wohooo!!!!! I have a clutch thanks to my good buddies on Club Cobra and determination. Put the push rod of the master cylinder at the middle hole as Dana suggested (local SPF's are installed this way) and loosened the locknut to the pushrod and extended the length. Will need to tighten things up and give her a test but I feel relieved!!