Jughead

I re-installed the Z-bar, linkage and the spring just as I removed it. Now the clutch pedal is on the floor. Seems like there's another spring needed to pull the Z-bar?

Am I missing something?

Fevre

Do you have the spring between the fire wall and z-bar? Is the z-bar getting hung up on anything? Also need to adj the pivot back up on the main clutch rod coming out the fire wall to get the tension on the clutch pedle.

Jughead

Yeah, I remembered the spring from the firewall to the z-bar. How tight does the ball stud in the block need to be?

Here's a couple pictures:






Is this the main clutch rod on the right coming thru the firewall and attached to the bar? I need to adjust that?

Fevre

If you adj the pivot point down on the rod it will force the clutch pedal up. Did you change clutches? Mine adjusted down on the rod after putting in my center force clutch and then again when I changed pivot *****. Believe you wanted about 1/4" free play in the pedal.

PRNDL

geez, everything down at the bottom looks so nice and shiny! but, yes, for starters you can try moving those rusty old nuts closer to the end of the clutch rod. The adjustment procedure is in the service manual (and many other places) but the general idea is moving the nuts closer to the end will raise the engagement point of the clutch. If you run out of room at the end of the rod you have other problems, but start with those nuts!

Jughead

Yes, I changed to a Centerforce DF.

Jughead

[QUOTE=PRND21]geez, everything down at the bottom looks so nice and shiny! but, yes, for starters you can try moving those rusty old nuts closer to the end of the clutch rod. /QUOTE]


That's because just about everything you see is new or has been polished & painted.

PRNDL

whoops.. that is a critical piece of info. we have discussed this one a lot. (try the search- you will find my posts, I had the same problem) You normally need a longer clutch fork ball stud when you switch to a centerforce clutch. But you at least appear to have some adjustment left on your upper clutch rod. I would try that first.

Fevre

Believe he installed a longer GM stud. I have the pivot almost all the way out on the clutch pedal rod

Jughead

Thanks.

I tried the 1.75 inch ball stud, but that pushed the clutchfork too far into the clutch and caused the fork to come very close to the bellhousing where the fork exits.

I'm using the ball stud in this picture second from the left. The 3rd from the left is theone measuring 1.75 inches. The one I used was about 1.55in.

PRNDL

that's quite an assortment of pygmy sextoys!

Jughead

The search function is still screwed up. Didn't you have a post where you cut the rod?

Jughead

I found some old posts in my own archives, that fortunately, I happened to print out. One post was from Clink69, but he hasn't been around in a while. His post stated that he got a new clutch rod that was 1.5 inches longer than the stock rod. He got it from Tony's Corvette's in MD.

The other thread was by PRND21, gee that name looks familiar , and he cut the clutch rod in half and threaded both ends. He then used a threaded fixture from a hardware store into which the two clutch rod halves would crew into. The clutch rod would then have a variety of different lengths.

I went to one store but couldn't find anything as small as he found. I found one about 4 inches long but think that's a little too long.

Fevre

I had a 'modified' lower clutch rod that has an 1" or so welded to it in the car when I bought it, I bought a new clutch rod only to find it too short so I have been using the modified.

Might check out this for ideas on a better clutch linkage since you have to fix it any ways (or get a speed direct set up):

http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/te...878/index.html

Jughead

Thanks for the link. Now more stuff to buy!



I think I'll remove the current rod and compare to a used one I got with an old Corvette Z-bar. I'm going to try to lenghten it using PRND231's method.

Fevre

No problem, love to spend other people's $.

I was thinking of try to do it with the pre fabed alum rod ends that you can order by the inch since I do not have a welder. They are pretty cheap and so are the heim joints. Prolly only cost $20 - $30 for the lower end and I was also think if cutting the upper rod and using a female heim joint on it, just need to stick a bolt through the z-bar hole. Then maybe cut and tap the other end to put another female heim joint on that end that way you can still use the stock firewall boot.

BTW I got up under the dash and noticed the pivot point under there was well worn so I put a thin washer to slide the contact point over enough to be on an unworn portion of the stud, temp fix but best I could come up with at the time.

Jughead

Here's what I found. I bought a Z-bar and clutch bar a long time ago. Turns out I need it anyway. Someone had already welded in a 2.25 inch piece. I think that's a little too long, but it'll work for now. I'll take a wire wheel to it and paint it up.

Now I can't get the shifter linkage wokring right.

Hitch

Does anyone know why this is so common. When I put my Keisler in I had to the same issue. I bought a new rod and it would not work had to reinstall my original with the extra length just like you one in the top of you picture. Dave..

Bullshark

Len, I can't help but believe you have the short throwout bearing !!! But that is water under the bridge. Be carefull when you install that longer clutch rod that you don't bottom out by pushing the clutch fork into your fiberglass driverside floor board. Been there done that. I punched a hole in my floor board way back when.

Bullshark

Jughead

I'll try to take a picture later of the longer clutch rod in place.