[Walt Fricke]

A heavy clutch in an SC is often a sign that the omega (harp) spring back on the transmission is broken. The inner of the three leaves can crack in half, and that is hard to see. But that spring is not doing its magic to make depressing the clutch pretty easy. You ought to be able to depress the pedal by hand without having to struggle to do that.

If the crack is there, you can see it, maybe after a good cleaning.

Another cause of a hard pedal is binding on the vertical shaft which has the TOB fingers on its inside end, and the long lever system on its open, bottom end. About the only solution to that is to remove the transmission so you can get the shaft out, clean it, replace it if it happens to be all scored (not too likely), and clean the bushings - or replace them.

If you loosen the 8mm bolt which in essence joins the two pieces of the external lever, you should be able to wiggle the short arm. Not far, but there is some play in the throwout fork in its groove in the throwout bearing. So the short arm should rotate a bit freely.