In thread https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...ghlight=clutch
RB83L69 says:


"That doesn't make any difference. When you put the trans in, it will center the bearing all by itself, regardless of theshape of thespace in the fork. And when that happens, the bearing won't be "all the way" on the fork.

Don't worry about it."


Well, that describes what happened to me. When I went to install the tranny, I noticed that the throwout bearing wasn't centered over the pressure plate. In fact, it had to slide so far off the fork that the fingertips on the fork were centered on the halfway point of the bearing.

When I bolted everything back up and went to put the car in gear, it just grinded. The clutch won't disengage. Now I get to drop the tranny and see what's wrong. Everything on my clutch job went according to spec save for the throwout bearing. When I originally pulled the trans out, the old throwout bearing was inserted all the way onto the fork, just like the bottom famous pic on this forum. When installing the new throwout bearing, it had to move pretty far. Any ideas?

 

Yes...

Your fork isn't on the pivot ball correctly. It's too far into the BH.

It has a spring thing that's supposed to clip it onto the ball stud. Make sure it isn't broken, and that it's clipped correctly.

The "fingertips" of the fork are supposed to be just about exactly centered on the throwout bearing. That's where they belong. The throwout can slide all around on the fork; in the act of pulling your old trans, you may very well have simply knocked it a little bit one way or the other, such that it no longer is where it was when it was completely assembled. Pay no attention to what it looked like when it cam apart, in that area.

 

Well, obviously I can speculate all day and won't know jack till I get in there and look, but the fork (if installed incorrectly) would be not far enough IN the bell-housing. When looking at the assembly (as if you were the tranny) the fork and throwout were cocked down and to the LEFT of the pressure plate center. When I came at it with the tranny, it had to slide AWAY from the fork center, as if the fork was fixing to lose the bearing altogether. I assumed(ha) that since the bearing was still on the fork (albeit pulled away) that the trans-shaft would keep it lined up. If I don't see the problem after I tear it down, I will post some pics.