I was having some clutch problems 7 months ago,
here and Here.

Since then I finally replaced the setup with a prebled hydro system from GM. Worked ok in the driveway, never drove it though due to other work needing to be done. Well I'm just about ready get it on the street again. Heres my new problem.

The clutch won't disengage all the time, the problem is that the fork will move up and down causing the tob to not put pressure on the pp evenly. If I hold the fork straight while someone else pushes the pedal, it frees up everytime.

What would cause the fork to travel up and down so much? The rubber boot from the bellhousing is missing but it has never been there even when the car was running just fine.

What can be done to make it so the fork stays straight and always pushes on the middle of the pp?

thanks,
Clint Melson

 

Is the transmission in the car while you're making this "test"?

If not, then that's why the TOB won't stay centered.... the clutch gear bearing retainer, which is the front-most part of the trans, holds it in its place.

 

The transmission was mounted when I first noticed the fork moving vertically, but then I dropped it to see if the fork had come off the pivot ball, or if something else was obviously wrong, but I found nothing.

If the diameter of the opening on the pressure plate is too big, could that make it easier for the TOB to find the path of least resistance?

It is a new clutch assembly; everything bolted up fine and looks aesthetically correct. Is there another pp that fits the same and just has a larger opening, or is something else causing it to move?

The input shaft has no play and neither does the bearing retainer, so that can't be the problem when it is installed.

I think I am just going to weld 2 rods to both sides of the fork on the bell housing, to make a straight path for the fork to travel. I would much rather fix it the correct way though, if I can just find out what that would be......

 

The "opening" in the pressure plate is not an issue. The thing that aligns everything, is the clutch gear bearing retainer; the TOB is supposed to fit fairly tight (~.025") to that. The fork should fit only slightly less tight into the TOB.

There's a possibility you have the wrong TOB.

I would not recommend any form of alternative engineering. There's way too many of these things in the world that work perfect. They're mass-produced. Yours is no different from any other. That's simply not the right approach to take.