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- May 14, 2011
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I've been experiencing some noise in recent drives in Fred emanating from the
clutch area, specifically when I had the clutch pedal depressed.
In or out of gear didn't change it.... and when I let the clutch out, after a second
or two the noise typically hushed.
The sound was vaguely familiar - my memory told me it was probably a "dry"
throwout bearing (or a cheap one).
So...a couple days ago, under the car I went (yes, I used friggin jack stands)...
This was the first time I'd been specifically under there to inspect the clutch area
(and what the guy I had install the 18 spline and new at the time Ram B&B 11" clutch
had done under there last fall).
I didn't like what I saw with the linkage to clutch adjustment rod assembly - there
were a couple small parts missing (the snap clip and plastic washer, for example) and the rubber isolator (which was new when given to the guy) was chewed pretty badly also...
and I didn't like the angle the clutch adjusting rod was hitting the linkage from the pedal.
Seemed like to me those two should be pretty much dead parallel with one another, right?
Well, since the previous owner did the cobbled up job of converting the car to a 4 speed,
I figured the linkage wasn't exactly right down there (the z-bar doesn't come across from the frame ball pivot to the pivot on the bellhousing exactly square, for example) and was
probably throwing the geometry of things off a bit anyways...
BUT to those of you who have factory 4 speeds, are your clutch adjustment rods bent at what looks like a pretty good angle like the one in the Brewer's pic above?
Fortunately, I had a spare snap clip and plastic washer, but they weren't going on with the
mismatched angles of the adjustment rod and the z-bar lever - so I did the kind of thing
I usually do, namely took the adjustment rod out and over to the bench vise, where I beat hell out of it until that angle at the open end was gone.
(Took some doing - that rascal is TOUGH!)
I also verified the throwout bearing was spinning freely (and it freewheels quite a bit
when spun!) - but unfortunately, I didn't see any zerk on it for lubing and didn't think
it prudent to just spray some stuff up in there, for obvious reasons.
When I reassembled things down below, I first checked the throwout bearing to make sure
the spring for it was holding it off the clutch fingers (it was, by a comfortable margin).
With the newly-beaten adjustment rod, things now lined up really nicely and I was able to
reassemble the whole mess easier - AND install the missing washer and clip, too.
Got the wife up in the car, working the clutch while I made adjustments so I could make
DOUBLE sure I didn't take things too far and got things set so the pedal was about
halfway on engagement, like I like it - and still not forcing the throwout bearing against
the clutch fingers below (visible air gap between them).
As you all know, a little bit of adjustment makes a BIG difference at the pedal - and with
the butcher job of converting the PO did, that's probably amplified on Fred.
The results were seen today on a drive - the driving part was nice, shifting easy.
However, with time the noise returned - push the clutch in at low/stopped speeds and
there it was. Nothing screeching or blood-curdling, but noticeable just the same.
If I popped it into neutral and let out the clutch, within a couple seconds, it hushed.
So the question is:
Do I just resolve myself to having a noisy throwout bearing here?
Like I said, there's worse things - and I AM happy with how the thing works, anyways.
Thanks!
clutch area, specifically when I had the clutch pedal depressed.
In or out of gear didn't change it.... and when I let the clutch out, after a second
or two the noise typically hushed.
The sound was vaguely familiar - my memory told me it was probably a "dry"
throwout bearing (or a cheap one).
So...a couple days ago, under the car I went (yes, I used friggin jack stands)...
This was the first time I'd been specifically under there to inspect the clutch area
(and what the guy I had install the 18 spline and new at the time Ram B&B 11" clutch
had done under there last fall).
I didn't like what I saw with the linkage to clutch adjustment rod assembly - there
were a couple small parts missing (the snap clip and plastic washer, for example) and the rubber isolator (which was new when given to the guy) was chewed pretty badly also...
and I didn't like the angle the clutch adjusting rod was hitting the linkage from the pedal.
Seemed like to me those two should be pretty much dead parallel with one another, right?
Well, since the previous owner did the cobbled up job of converting the car to a 4 speed,
I figured the linkage wasn't exactly right down there (the z-bar doesn't come across from the frame ball pivot to the pivot on the bellhousing exactly square, for example) and was
probably throwing the geometry of things off a bit anyways...
BUT to those of you who have factory 4 speeds, are your clutch adjustment rods bent at what looks like a pretty good angle like the one in the Brewer's pic above?
Fortunately, I had a spare snap clip and plastic washer, but they weren't going on with the
mismatched angles of the adjustment rod and the z-bar lever - so I did the kind of thing
I usually do, namely took the adjustment rod out and over to the bench vise, where I beat hell out of it until that angle at the open end was gone.
(Took some doing - that rascal is TOUGH!)
I also verified the throwout bearing was spinning freely (and it freewheels quite a bit
when spun!) - but unfortunately, I didn't see any zerk on it for lubing and didn't think
it prudent to just spray some stuff up in there, for obvious reasons.
When I reassembled things down below, I first checked the throwout bearing to make sure
the spring for it was holding it off the clutch fingers (it was, by a comfortable margin).
With the newly-beaten adjustment rod, things now lined up really nicely and I was able to
reassemble the whole mess easier - AND install the missing washer and clip, too.
Got the wife up in the car, working the clutch while I made adjustments so I could make
DOUBLE sure I didn't take things too far and got things set so the pedal was about
halfway on engagement, like I like it - and still not forcing the throwout bearing against
the clutch fingers below (visible air gap between them).
As you all know, a little bit of adjustment makes a BIG difference at the pedal - and with
the butcher job of converting the PO did, that's probably amplified on Fred.
The results were seen today on a drive - the driving part was nice, shifting easy.
However, with time the noise returned - push the clutch in at low/stopped speeds and
there it was. Nothing screeching or blood-curdling, but noticeable just the same.
If I popped it into neutral and let out the clutch, within a couple seconds, it hushed.
So the question is:
Do I just resolve myself to having a noisy throwout bearing here?
Like I said, there's worse things - and I AM happy with how the thing works, anyways.
Thanks!
