The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Clutch pedal free travel after clutch replacement

I needed to have the clutch swapped on my '53 3100. After getting it back from the shop, the pedal only returns
to about 2/3 of the total range, in other words there are several inches of free travel. This has never been
the case in the 50+ years I have been driving this truck. The adjustment
(nuts A and B as described in the shop manual) is all the way forward. When I adjusted the nuts further
down the linkage threads, it resulted in the pedal being at rest even closer to the floorboard (i.e., even more "free travel).

Any thoughts on what happened here? Did the shop use the wrong clutch kit? Could there be something mis-installed?
I will check in with the shop next week, but I'm sure people in this forum have more experience with these trucks.

PM

Could be wrong clutch or release bearing.

adjust it the other way

Moving the nuts toward the rear decreases free pedal travel. Normal free pedal is about 3/4" to 1". As the clutch lining wears and free pedal decreases, adjust the nuts further toward the front.
Jerry

The nuts are as far as they can be toward the rear of the truck, and there is still several inches of free travel. So something seems fundamentally wrong.

I realize I wrote "all the way forward" originally above. That was wrong, relative to the front and rear of the truck. Sorry about that...

PM

Long or short throwout bearing? Chevy used the same clutch fork and clutch adjusting rod for a long time.
Take a pic of clutch fork

I don't know, I'll have to ask. The shop bought the clutch kit; I didn't see it.
Looking around, I think you are referring to the 1 1/4" vs 1 7/8" tall versions I see on parts websites?
Would one or the other of this cause way too much free travel?

Thanks

Maybe in the bill breakdown it was listed long or short. or what kit was used.
I`ve gotten kits that come with both versions. Yeah, I 100% get you if its not right and not like it has been all those years

In that case, the shop must have used the wrong throwout bearing carrier. The bearings are all the same- - - -there are two different lengths of the collar it fits.
Jerry

Here is the best picture I could easily get of the throwout bearing fork linkage, while installed. Note how the
nuts are at the rearmost position.

and your return spring is in position? That would hook to the clutch rod and somewhere forward.

Well, this is embarassing, but just to save someone who might face a similar issue in the future:

There should be a brake return spring (plus extension) and a clutch return spring in the vicinity of the clutch linkage.
After returning from the shop, the brake return spring is hooked to the hole where the clutch
spring should go (per the factory assembly manual), and the clutch return spring is .... missing!!!

Will order all new springs and install myself this time. I'm sure that will resolve the issue.

Thanks to Guitplayer, BC59, and Hot Rod Lincoln, for all your help!

PM

All good. It was a great discussion point that we all learn from.

From your pic, I could see no spring on the rod

Yep, that would explain a lot.. The spring should be fairly easy to find, Jim Carter, Classic Parts, you may even to able to find on to work at your FLAPS..