'84 3.2 clutch lever questions

jhugh · 09:13 AM

I've never installed or adjusted a clutch before, so please bear with me. I have what I hope is a simple question.

Having successfully rebuilt my engine (!!!), I am now in the process of buttoning up the car so I can drive it. Time to hook the clutch back up and adjust it. I'm confident that I have installed the new clutch disc, pressure plate and throwout bearing properly. I personally watched the release fork slide right into position on the throwout bearing. It's all good. I have good pics & procedures of that stuff to look at in Bentley and in the Pelican tech articles. But now I'm to a step that is not thoroughly described anywhere... reinstalling the clutch levers.

The reason I'm confused is that I distinctly recall having had to pry the release lever forward in order to get it off. Don't I need to exert any pressure on that lever when I reinstall in order to get the two levers in the right positions relative to one another? Or do the release and positioner levers just slip on in the easiest, most perpendicular-to-the-driveline position, and then I adjust from there, adding the tension as the cable goes on and I adjust it?

Any tips would be much appreciated.

Cheers,

yelcab1 · 01-09-2003, 09:46 AM

This is how I remember I had to do it.

1. Install the small levers
2. Try and install the helper spring/second lever, and you do have to pry it into place.
3. Re-allign everything again, making sure that everything is still relatively in the right place. Else, pry it off and redo step 2.
4. Put the cable on, and start the adjustment process with the 2 nuts. Adjust it the the freeplay spec.

Good luck.

jhugh · 01-09-2003, 10:14 AM

Okay, but in what direction do I pry the release lever - backward or forward? It offers resistance/help in either direction. I'm thinking maybe load it backward so it would actually "help" when you use the clutch, which pulls it forward. But then, if it's loaded at all, what's the point of setting the gap between the two levers? If there's a gap, there's no load. It's just not making sense...

john walker's workshop · 01-09-2003, 10:46 AM

slip the long arm all the way on the shaft, angled a bit forward, and guide the horseshoe spring into it's position on it's pivot pin at the same time. i usually leave the clutch cable sheath nuts attached to the trans bracket and hook the cable loop to the hook on the long arm at this time. then use a stout screwdriver to pop the long arm to the rear of the car. the screwdriver is positioned just outside the curved spring, with the tip prying against the diff housing. when it's popped back, slip on the short arm, pry them apart to take up the slack, and adjust just a tiny bit of clearance between them. then the cable sheath length is adjusted to get the pedal in a decent position.

jhugh · 01-09-2003, 11:54 AM

Excellent, JW - thanks. I've noticed that the long arm pops backward (toward the rear of the car) and stays there after a certain amount of prying.. that's okay, right? I'm curious why you'd pop it out there, but not do anything once it's there(?) ..you're waiting to install the short arm after you've popped it back.

And when you pry the two arms apart, are you taking up slack in the clutch cable?

Thanks,

john walker's workshop · 12:22 PM

the long arm freewheels on the shaft. it's purpose is to pull the short arm. prying the arms apart just takes up the slack between the t/o bearing and release fork. you do that first, before adjusting the clearance between the two outer arms. the arms should be about 1/2" apart with a new clutch assembly, if you have the short one on the proper spline.
the freeplay in the cable itself is adjusted by moving the cable sheath forward or back until the pedal is in a comfortable operating position, but not so tight you run out of freeplay at the top of the pedal.

yelcab1 · 01-09-2003, 12:51 PM

Yup,

Sorry I remember it backwards. The long arm with the helper spring goes on first, and then the short one.