The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts clutch linkage

we ran into a puzzle, made worse by shop manuals with dark unreadable pictures of the clutch linkage.

We installed our clutch plate and pressure plate, and we were dropping in the tranny this weekend on a '48 GMC FC300 (248 engine/muncie sm420 tranny)

We couldn't get the transmission to push into the pilot bearing, so my dad decided we could hook up the clutch pedal and maybe press it down to let us wiggle things enough to get the tranny shaft into the pilot bearing.

That's when he realized the linkage he had wouldn't connect from the fork to the pedal. We realized later we were probably missing another part. It looks like the two are here: http://www.truckandcarshop.com/trucks47_59/t47_057.html

but.. how do these fit together? the manual's pictures weren't quite clear enough....

and, heck, maybe somebody's got another suggestion on getting the tranny in. It's hoisted from above. we don't have a transmission jack.

Hy turpentyne, the short rod with the 90 degree bend on one end and the small loop on the other end connects from the pedal linkage to the throwout bearing arm. the loop slips over the throwout bearing arm and rests between two raised small flanges formed into the arm, you will have to turn it around until you find the spot that allows you to slip it over the arm, the other end goes through the hole on the pedal linkage and is retained by a cotter pin, I hope thats understandable and that it helps

Pushing in the clutch is probably only gonna make the clutch plate fall down and make it more difficult to install the tranny. The best advice I can say is to have everything line up as best as possible and wiggle that SOB and try and work the tranny onto the clutch splines. It could help to put the tranny in gear and turn the tranny over from the yoke to line up the splines with the clutch, once it gets close enough it will require a little play with the hoist to keep the tranny level. Then you can install the bolts and start tightening her down to suck up the slack. If you have to force it to far something is still misaligned. When I reinstalled mine it sucked up pretty close so that it was on the splines, but had to be raised and lowered a little before finally getting settled properly into place.

Hope that helps.

Jeff

We'll try that.. I think he said the splines went in fine, but no further. But then, I wasn't the one down there looking at it.

I hope that clutch plate stays put. eek! I don't wanna have to get back under there and redo all those bolts in the clutch assembly!

Thanks!

Ive always used the push in the clutch system & it has worked for me. The clutch disc is on the trans shaft. It can,t get away. You don,t want to wiggle the trans too much or you can damage the center of the disc.

If you don't have the disc properly aligned with the crankshaft, the transmission shaft will engage the disc but the pilot surface will bump into the pilot bushing or the crankshaft. It sounds like that situation is what you have. If you don't have the proper alignment tool to position everything properly, you can slide the clutch shaft into the clutch assembly as far as it will go, then loosen the pressure plate so the disc is loose enough to move around, then push, shove, and wiggle the transmission until the clutch shaft slides into the pilot bushing. Secure the transmission, then tighten the pressure plate bolts- evenly, each one on the diameter from the previous one. If the transmission case doesn't slide fully up the the bell housing, don't tighten the case bolts hoping to pull it into place- you are likely to break something.

You should be able to rent a clutch alignment tool from a local auto supply. Its worth the couple of dollars.

Also, it does help to put the transmission in the direct gear for all this, but a lower one won't hurt anything- its just harder to turn the tail shaft if you put the transmission in a reduction gear.

Harvester