getting more clutch lever throw, one approach Options

[worn]

I was having a lot of trouble with my clutch not disengaging. It turned out I had more than one shifting issue. The transmission hanger bolts were coming loose. I needed to rework the bronze bushing I had machined for the rear part of the linkage. I also needed to tweak the rear shift rod that I had made from the original side shifter rod. All of that helped enormously.

Nonetheless, the information from a KEP fax that came with my clutch kit (dated from 2002) indicated I should be needing more throw than the pedal could deliver. More confusing is that the sheet said I might need to *remove* the washer under the ball inside the bell housing. And although I got through the gears OK, it was evident that the clutch was still not completely released at full pedal travel. That made shifting from a standstill impossible without some grinding.

There may be some fundamental problem inside the tunnel, but here is what I did. It may help someone down the road with some project.



I turned an aluminum disc with a grove for the cable. The hole for the pivot is eccentric, so it delivers more cable movement at the transmission than is input from the pedal. The screw is to keep the cable from shifting position on the pulley, and positioned so that the screw never adds strain to the cable. As the pulley turns, the screw is always on the backside. The aluminum is scrap, melted in our charcoal foundry and poured into a soup can. Not the best source, but convenient.

[porschetub]

How old is the cable ? my new one stretched a couple of times,I did cut a small amount of thread from the pedal end as it was too long.
Also get someone to depress the pedal fully and check to see the clutch arm isn't touching the case of the gearbox,I didn't have a helper but didn't need one as I could see a contact mark on the clutch release arm.
Fixed the issue by removing the box and putting a thin washer under the pivot ball bolt.
Good luck.

[worn]

How old is the cable ? my new one stretched a couple of times,I did cut a small amount of thread from the pedal end as it was too long.
Also get someone to depress the pedal fully and check to see the clutch arm isn't touching the case of the gearbox,I didn't have a helper but didn't need one as I could see a contact mark on the clutch release arm.
Fixed the issue by removing the box and putting a thin washer under the pivot ball bolt.
Good luck.

I did those things. The issue is that if I start out with a taut cable, and then press the pedal to the floor, there is more travel left in the clutch arm. The clutch pedal is going all the way to the pedal stop at it's fullest setting. Pretty much to the wall. The cable may have stretched some, but I don't want to run it with pressure on the throwout bearing all of the time. No sound of movement in the tunnel. Tightened bolts holding pedal assembly. Newly rebuilt pedal assembly working fine.

The biggest unknown is that I bought the clutch kit used but uninstalled. I did not order from KEP or a distributor. Maybe I bought a prototype. They will engineer to solve a problem as I understand it, so it may not be what other folks have.

I am not saying this is a cure for things that should be fixed and fixed better. I just had not seen this approach on the forum before and thought it might be of interest.

[dr914@autoatlanta.com]

broken clutch tube not a hard repair if let to continue, will finally rip the clutch tube out of the tunnel in three places and will be a much harder fix

[worn]

broken clutch tube not a hard repair if let to continue, will finally rip the clutch tube out of the tunnel in three places and will be a much harder fix

Thing is, i already welded it in the tunnel and at the firewall. I don’t think it has cut loose again. Certainly not in the back. I will probably scope the tunnel, but careful listen and feel shows no evidence of a recurrence. Am i the only one who has ever approached a desire for more travel this way?

[porschetub]

Has that offset cable roller always been on there ? has the clutch previously worked well or never that good ?
So reading what you have said I assume if you adjust the cable further to get more clutch arm movement you loose your pedal free play...correct?.
Could be a long shot but could the pressure plate be recessed too far into the flywheel and screwing up the geometry of the release arm...just asking,cheers and good luck.

[76-914]

broken clutch tube not a hard repair if let to continue, will finally rip the clutch tube out of the tunnel in three places and will be a much harder fix

Thing is, i already welded it in the tunnel and at the firewall. I don’t think it has cut loose again. Certainly not in the back. I will probably scope the tunnel, but careful listen and feel shows no evidence of a recurrence. Am i the only one who has ever approached a desire for more travel this way?

On my '70 V8 the clutch tube broke loose at the center attach point. Upon 1st inspection the tube looked flush to the flange. However, once pressure was applied to the pedal I could see the clutch tube bowing towards the center of the tunnel. Correcting this was all that was necessary to correct the the shifting problem that I experienced. My pressure plate is beefy and requires more force than the stock so it did not require much clutch tube movement in order to screw things up. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)