I have a friend with a 69 Hemi Roadrunner 4 speed and another with a 70 440 Challenger 4 speed. They both have this strange (to me) two stage clutch pedal release action. There's an over-center assist spring that I guess is supposed to bring the pedal all the way back to rest - only it usually doesn't on either car. If you ease the clutch out it will just rest at the top to the first stage, about even with the brake pedal (power brakes). If you stick you foot under the pedal and give it a slight nudge, or release the clutch suddenly it will pop all the way up to rest on the pedal bumper stop and well above the brake pedal. So where do you adjust the free play on these? At the top of the last stage in the pedal coming up? Or at the top of the first stage in the pedal coming up? I've only owned GM and Ford 4 speeds so this clutch action is strange to me.
I was helping the guy with the Challenger sort out a few issues on his car and it was grinding on upshifts and downshifts to second. I knew it had nothing to do with this but I adjusted his Hurst shifter linkage (out of alignment) and put some shim washers under the shift rod G-clips to tighten up the linkage. But I was afraid to adjust his clutch as it seemed like his free play was beginning right at the top of the first stage of pedal release and if I tried to reduce free play to be sure he was getting full clutch disengagement and in that strange 2nd stage area where sometimes in pops all the way up and sometimes it doesn't. But he wasn't having any trouble getting into reverse so I figure the clutch is not his problem. Looks like he is going to need a gearbox rebuild as linkage adjustment made zero difference.
I was helping the guy with the Challenger sort out a few issues on his car and it was grinding on upshifts and downshifts to second. I knew it had nothing to do with this but I adjusted his Hurst shifter linkage (out of alignment) and put some shim washers under the shift rod G-clips to tighten up the linkage. But I was afraid to adjust his clutch as it seemed like his free play was beginning right at the top of the first stage of pedal release and if I tried to reduce free play to be sure he was getting full clutch disengagement and in that strange 2nd stage area where sometimes in pops all the way up and sometimes it doesn't. But he wasn't having any trouble getting into reverse so I figure the clutch is not his problem. Looks like he is going to need a gearbox rebuild as linkage adjustment made zero difference.