SREDMONDS51
Active Member
I am looking to adjust the clutch free play on a 440. Looking for some instructions.
Clutch Free Play adjustment
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Outsider
Well-Known Member
Got to have some or you'll wear out you throw out bearing and clutch disc; 1/4" at least. Plate departure, disc clearance with the pedal depressed, also really important; 0.050" worked well for most of my applications. On a race car I always put a pedal limiter.
69 hemibee
Well-Known Member
Adjust the nut on the rod that attaches to the z-bar to get the desired gap between the throw-out bearing and pressure plate fingers. I believe it's 5/32" per the FSM for a B body.
Make sure you have a return spring (not an over-center spring) on your clutch fork or it will sit and ride on the throw-out bearing.
Edited to specify which spring.
Make sure you have a return spring (not an over-center spring) on your clutch fork or it will sit and ride on the throw-out bearing.
Edited to specify which spring.
Last edited:
I remove the inspection cover and adjust the air gap between the throw out bearing and the clutch fingers. About 3/16", cycle the pedal and recheck.
It’ll feel different and have a bit more play with a borg and beck style as it uses the over center spring and gives you a bit more play. You can get real dialed in with the centerforce style diaphragm clutch as that spring is taken out so it’s a smooth retract for pedal play. About the same, but the diaphragm style typically let’s you adjust down a bit more without the 1” of pedal flop/spring back from the over center spring. Either style is quite simple like toolMan said above.
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The Factory Service Manual mandates:
"Adjust fork rod by turning self-locking adjusting nut to provide 5/32" free movement at end
of fork. This movement will provide the prescribed one-inch free play at pedal".
Also - make sure the fork return spring is in place on the clutch fork as well. That little rascal is more
important than one might imagine.
Finally - if you don't already have a Factory Service Manual, get one. They're invaluable and extremely
helpful!
"Adjust fork rod by turning self-locking adjusting nut to provide 5/32" free movement at end
of fork. This movement will provide the prescribed one-inch free play at pedal".
Also - make sure the fork return spring is in place on the clutch fork as well. That little rascal is more
important than one might imagine.
Finally - if you don't already have a Factory Service Manual, get one. They're invaluable and extremely
helpful!
- Local time
- 4:41 PM
- Joined
- May 14, 2011
- Messages
- 18,250
- Reaction score
- 35,617
- Location
- On the Ridge, TN
Wonder if @SREDMONDS51 ever saw the replies he got?
Adjust for 1" of free pedal travel. Done!
Nope, I did that once. The t/o bearing was riding on the pp fingers and the bearing seized and tore up the fingers. Blindly adjusting pedal free play is not the way to do it.
How can you have free play at the pedal but not at the pp ? If this is the case then something is binding between the two and that's what needs to be fixed.
Every piece of linkage has a bit of free play in it. All that play added together plus the gap between the t/o bearing and the PP fingers will equal the pedal free play. If you adjust just the pedal free play and don't pay attention to the t/o-p/p you can run into issues. There is no specific spec that says 1" at the top will get the proper clearance at the bottom. It could be caused by the difference in pressure plate set up and the finger height which is adjustable.
You set yours up however you like. I will continue to make sure the air gap down below is proper and the pedal free play will be whatever it is.
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