79 Vette Clutch Adjustment
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Twin Cities Minnesota
79 Vette Clutch Adjustment
I have a 79 vette with a 4 speed. I have found that I need to adjust the clutch in it. I'm just looking to see if anyone else out there has done it before and if so some pointers and just if you found it to be difficult and how time consuming it is. Also just a general guild line of how you did it. I have a Chiltons service manual and it only has about 4 sentences about it with no pictures so I'm kinda lost as to where I should start.
Thank YOu
Thank YOu
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,575
Likes: 1
From: Tuttle OK
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
The adjustment point is under the hood and under the master cylinder. One nut on front and one on the rear of the adjustment point. Looks kinda like this...
click to enlarge
It's a pretty straight forward job that can be done under the hood in about 5 minutes. Good luck...
click to enlarge
It's a pretty straight forward job that can be done under the hood in about 5 minutes. Good luck...
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
Likes: 53
From: Dayton, Ohio
I agree its very easy but what is the reason you feel you need to adjust the clutch?The adjustment is basically a one time adjustment when the clutch is put in the car.Its only a pedal free play adjustment.You need a little free play at the top of the pedal so the throwout bearing is not spinning all the time.If the clutch was OK before and now you have some grinding going into gear you should be looking for linkage issues first.Tell us what its doing or not doing.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Twin Cities Minnesota
Well. Its extremly hard to shift gears at all unless the car is shut off and I mean impossible to shift. Like I cant pull it out of gear when it is already in gear. Most the time I have to shut it off and put it in gear but it's not like it just pops right into gear with the car being off. I still have to fight it a little. The things that tells me that it needs adjustment besides the whole gear deal is when I do have it in 1st or reverse, the clutch pushed all the way in and i start it up the car moves forward or backwards just depending on the gear. I have to use the break to keep the car still. This tells me that pushing in the clutch its not fully making it into the pressure plate and releasing the clutch from the flywheel. I believe this happened bacause I did a complete rebuild on it and when I did I put in a new clutch, etc along with a new throughout bearing. I'm guessing that when I put the bearing and fork back on the shaft in the bellhousing that it was probably set just a pinch to far back on the shaft which is why its not fully disengageing. I did check over the linkage, but it all appears to be in good order.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 22,195
Likes: 4,180
From: Kannapolis NC
If the adjustment is the problem, you should have a lot more than the suggested 1-1/2 inches of free play at the top. I'd adjust the rod so it's a little longer and see if it helps. If you don't have any free play at the top, or if adjusting doesn't help, you may have a problem with your assembly of the new clutch/pressure plate/throwout bearing.
