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Clutch fork and pivot ball adjustment

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Old Feb 6, 2009 | 11:34 PM
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Default Clutch fork and pivot ball adjustment

This may be a stupid question but when the tranny is in and it's all said and done with, is the pivot ball backed out so that the end that takes an allen wrench is a quarter inch or so further out than the bellhousing?

It's a stock 4 speed setup from a '76 if that matters.

Last edited by TXredc3; Feb 6, 2009 at 11:55 PM.
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Old Feb 7, 2009 | 07:34 AM
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That don"t sound right, the transmission covers part of it, an would not seat against the bellhousing correctly if it was sticking out a 1/4 inch. Did you recently install a new clutch an having trouble adjusting it?
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Old Feb 7, 2009 | 08:15 AM
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Originally Posted by dmaaero
That don"t sound right, the transmission covers part of it, an would not seat against the bellhousing correctly if it was sticking out a 1/4 inch. Did you recently install a new clutch an having trouble adjusting it?
I recently installed a crate engine and mated the tranny to it. When driving, the the clutch pedal would rattle bad. Others said the throwout bearing was touching the fingers of the pressure plate. I took the tranny back out and noticed that the spring(?) on the fork (metal pieces that hold the pivot ball) was bent and was causing the fork to slip off the ball. The fork was kind of crooked in the bell housing. That's when I came up with the thought that maybe the pivot ball is supposed to be back off to hold the fork tight against the bell housing. Right now with the pivot ball flush against the outside of the housing the fork is loose in there.
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Old Feb 7, 2009 | 08:32 AM
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Originally Posted by dmaaero
That don"t sound right, the transmission covers part of it, an would not seat against the bellhousing correctly if it was sticking out a 1/4 inch. Did you recently install a new clutch an having trouble adjusting it?
You're exactly right. There's no way to mate the tranny to the housing if the pivot ball is sticking out. So you answered my question. However, this leads me to another question. Is the fork supposed to be loose on the pivot ball before putting everything (tranny, linkage, etc) and all. I have the housing and fork on my bench. The fork easily slides onto the pivot ball and there's a lot of play in it. Shouldn't it be a tight fit?
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Old Feb 7, 2009 | 09:19 AM
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the fork should be a tight clip fit. Kind of a PITA to put on sometimes.

Depending on the pressure plate type. Like mine is multi fingers. You want to end up with with a tiny gap between the throw out bearing and the fingers. Some bell housings have an inspection window to measure the gap.
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Old Feb 7, 2009 | 10:04 AM
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Originally Posted by gkull
the fork should be a tight clip fit. Kind of a PITA to put on sometimes.

Depending on the pressure plate type. Like mine is multi fingers. You want to end up with with a tiny gap between the throw out bearing and the fingers. Some bell housings have an inspection window to measure the gap.
It's not tight at all. I tried to beat/bend it to get a tight fit and it ended up getting better. Still not where it should be though. I think I'll just order a new clip from Zip for 6.50. I want to get this right and not have to pull the tranny again. Thanks for your help.
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Old Feb 7, 2009 | 10:08 AM
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(Kind of) is a under statement, that things a royal pita to get on without bending the spring clips. A dab off grease helps on the clutch pivot ball, doesen"t make it any easyier to get on but helps with wear. The fork is avalable at your local chevy dealer.
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Old Feb 7, 2009 | 10:18 AM
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Originally Posted by gkull
the fork should be a tight clip fit. Kind of a PITA to put on sometimes.

Depending on the pressure plate type. Like mine is multi fingers. You want to end up with with a tiny gap between the throw out bearing and the fingers. Some bell housings have an inspection window to measure the gap.

Didn't know you could get just the clip. Hows your riveting skills? I would bite the bullet and get the whole fork.

May or may not have anything to do with this, but I also notice zip sell the ball stud. It will fit that rather wide span of years, and it may function correctly, but they are different length studs. I was not able to use the longer length stud in my 70. I don't think anyone sells the shorter one
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Old Feb 7, 2009 | 10:39 AM
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Dennis is correct about the pivot ball, on my 74 there are 3 different pivot ***** in different lengths. Make darn sure if you replace the ball that it"s the exact length as your old one! Another gm dealer item.
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Old Feb 9, 2009 | 09:19 AM
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Originally Posted by TXredc3
It's not tight at all. I tried to beat/bend it to get a tight fit and it ended up getting better. Still not where it should be though. I think I'll just order a new clip from Zip for 6.50. I want to get this right and not have to pull the tranny again. Thanks for your help.
I'd probably just get the entire fork rather than mess with installation of the clip.
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Old Feb 9, 2009 | 09:55 PM
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You might want to consider a adjustable pivot ball stud. Expecially if you had your flywheel machined.
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