Centerforce Dual Friction Clutch

[Cornpatch MO]

I'm all done under the car, clutch is adjusted so it engages about halfway up pedal travel. It feels great and so does the replacement 4 speed.

Still asking, though - how does one get the pedal to come all the way back up without the over-center spring engaged? Or is that even normal that it doesn't?

The " finger " springs within the pressure plate pushes your pedal back up. Just the opposite of when you push the pedal down. Another small spring attached to your clutch fork will pull the throw out bearing away from the " fingers"........MO

 

[moparedtn]

The " finger " springs within the pressure plate pushes your pedal back up. Just the opposite of when you push the pedal down. Another small spring attached to your clutch fork will pull the throw out bearing away from the " fingers"........MO

So I need to continue running the adjustment up on it until the pedal comes all the way up?

That would, of course, also raise the engagement point of the clutch, yes?

 

[Cornpatch MO]

So I need to continue running the adjustment up on it until the pedal comes all the way up?

That would, of course, also raise the engagement point of the clutch, yes?

No more adjustment . You have something else wrong. The adjustment is not supposed to be what brings your pedal to the rubber up stop. Since the over center spring has to be removed , you no longer have something to keep the pedal up. Therefor you have to put a coil spring down on the clutch fork. Centerforce does not tell you that. . See my post in the other thread............................MO

 

[Fran Blacker]

Ed I think you had the pedal not coming to the top before but the over center spring covered up the problem. You said the z bar was modified? If the arms on z bar aren't "clocked" right and a little off the return spring on fork won't bring it to the top. You probably should look into a new z bar or live with it for the driving season. Drive it.

 

[moparedtn]

Ed I think you had the pedal not coming to the top before but the over center spring covered up the problem. You said the z bar was modified? If the arms on z bar aren't "clocked" right and a little off the return spring on fork won't bring it to the top. You probably should look into a new z bar or live with it for the driving season. Drive it.

That's true of any "conventional" clutch, I think - there's the part of the pedal travel where the actual clutch engagement/disengagement takes place with any clutch, right?
As the clutch wears, that point of engagement moves higher in the pedal travel until you have to get under the car and make an adjustment to compensate for wear.
Folks have their preferences as to where in the pedal travel the clutch activates, but generally around halfway up or so.

That leaves the rest of the pedal travel above that clutch engagement point, where the pedal pretty much freewheels up to the stop for it.
On a conventional stock clutch, that is taken care of by the over-center spring, which pulls the pedal the rest of the way up without any movement or assistance of the actual clutch.

Well, we take the over-center spring off per Centerforce instructions when using this Dual Friction diaphragm clutch setup - leaving us with nothing to pull the clutch pedal the rest of the way up after clutch engagement.

That's what I'm asking about here - do I install a lighter spring under there just to do the "housework" of pulling the pedal the rest of the way up or do I even concern myself with it?
The conventional in me wants that pedal all the way up, both because it's what I'm used to AND it assures me that there's no undue pressure being exerted on the clutch by the pedal and linkage when it's not depressed.

Does that make sense?

By the way, this clutch feels fantastic. Half the pedal effort and it's very precise on the feel of engagement/disengagement. I think I'm gonna like it.

 

[moparedtn]

Update on my clutch pedal question:
I have just gotten off the phone with Centerforce Tech Support.
They confirm that what I'm experiencing with the pedal is perfectly normal
and to be expected when removing the over-center spring as they direct.
He allayed my fears of any undue wear happening to the throwout bearing/
pressure plate because of this.

He also repeated what we already know - that the small spring down on the
clutch fork right next to the adjustment rod is what keeps the throwout bearing
off the fingers of the pressure plate and as long as that is present in place,
there's no worries of the linkage/pedal prematurely wearing clutch components.

Basically, it boils down to whether I can live with where the clutch pedal rests
once the clutch has been properly adjusted.
If not, a light spring can be cobbled up on the pedal arm to return it to the top,
against the rubber stop, without undue harm to anything, if that makes me feel
better.

Mystery solved. Centerforce knows this happens and they're not worried about it.
In fact, when I asked why it wasn't mentioned in their instructions, he basically said they thought that this issue may be viewed negatively by potential customers and
would harm sales, so they just omitted it.
Well, at least they're honest.

 

[Fran Blacker]

I think you go with what you've got. The spring on the fork holds the throw out bearing away from the clutch fingers. As I said on one of the threads a light spring to pull pedal up might start pedal to the floor issues? I have a Center Force clutch in my 65 Dodge and pedal comes to the top. I had to modify the z bar. Bought a stock BB z bar from Passon and it was to long. I have a blow shield which is larger in diameter than stock.
Now it's my time to go in the garage for trans pull time, ugh.

 

[440+6]

I think everybody knows this, you are just a bit paranoid.
The most important thing is to not have to big of an air gap when the pedal is to the floor or you will be overextending the diaphragm fingers.
Personally I like the lower pedal, I don't have to lift my leg higher for no reason.
Like you where told the first time, just follow the instructions.

 

[moparedtn]

I think you go with what you've got. The spring on the fork holds the throw out bearing away from the clutch fingers. As I said on one of the threads a light spring to pull pedal up might start pedal to the floor issues? I have a Center Force clutch in my 65 Dodge and pedal comes to the top. I had to modify the z bar. Bought a stock BB z bar from Passon and it was to long. I have a blow shield which is larger in diameter than stock.
Now it's my time to go in the garage for trans pull time, ugh.

Oh man, I don't envy you one bit on that. I know if this one ever needs it again, it won't be me doing it (for obvious reasons).
Interesting note I didn't mention on my previous post about the conversation with Centerforce Tech - he brought up during the discussion on the over-center spring that I could go ahead and try the clutch with the over-center spring still connected and see if I had a problem with the pedal staying on the floor.
When I reminded him that their own literature specifically said not to do that, he said that they had found it was a "high RPM issue" and that it shouldn't actually happen on a street car - probably.
Oy.
When I told him I had already disconnected the over-center spring, he laughed and asked if I planned on re-connecting it.
I answered "oh HELL no!"

 

[moparedtn]

I think everybody knows this, you are just a bit paranoid.
The most important thing is to not have to big of an air gap when the pedal is to the floor or you will be overextending the diaphragm fingers.
Personally I like the lower pedal, I don't have to lift my leg higher for no reason.
Like you where told the first time, just follow the instructions.

No, not "everybody knows this" - which is why I asked the question, repeatedly, both before actually buying this clutch and during (and now after) installation.
Not one person yet has posted "hey, the pedal isn't going to come all the way up where it used to, don't be alarmed" - so yes, if you have never installed or driven a car with one of these clutches in it, you'd have no idea.

That the instructions say nothing about it doesn't help, either - but then, the instructions on this clutch are pretty sparse anyways; the Centerforce Tech fellow I spoke with not only confirmed this but actually told me why they don't mention it at all in their literature, as I mentioned in my other post.
They know folks are going to question why the pedal is different with these clutches. Their answer is to simply leave it out of the literature.

Finally, one can help others without being condescending.
Just saying.

 

[440+6]

Did not intend to sound condescending, sorry if I came off that way.
Good luck, hope it works out ok.