Just installed new clutch, pressure plate and throwout bearing along with having the flywheel re-surfaced in my 1951 F-1 with 226 flathead six. Purchased the parts from Mac's Auto Parts. Cannot get the clutch to dis-engage and tranny will grind when you try to put it in any gear. I have it adjusted as far as I can and now I have no free play in the pedal but still grinding. Pulled the small inspection cover on the tranny and and the pressure plate fingers are moving when the pedal is depressed but not enough to release the disc. Any suggestions? Anyone else purchase the clutch package from Mac's? Thanks.

 

Are you sure you installed the disc facing the right way? Did you replace the pilot bearing/bushing?

Test it by putting the rear axle up on jackstands, have someone push the clutch down all the way, and try to rotate the driveshaft. If you can't the clutch is not disengaging.

If the three bolts that the release bearing rides against on the pressure plate are misadjusted, the pedal will have to move too far to do any good. The manual has specs for their height. (Don't have it handy) I'm afraid the Chinese don't have a copy of the manual and this is a fairly common situation.

 

Disc is in correctly and new bronze pilot bushing installed. Didn't know I could adjust the tension on the pressure plate fingers, I will try to find the specs, Thanks.

 

Usually, the most that is needed on the finger bolts is to even them out, while the clutch assembly is installed, so that they all hit at the same time on the release bearing. You almost need a dummy shaft or some kind of dial indicator to do that. There isn't a huge amount of adjustment available.

I looked high and low in the shop manual and I don't see the finger height spec. Can you take a picture of your PP fingers? This is the only picture I could find offhand. It is taken from the engine side.

Did you use any grease on the disc splines?

 

Have you inspected the clutch pedal mount under the dash? The pedal assembly can deform with time and not have full travel for the bellcrank to release the clutch plate. In extreme cases the clutch pedal assembly will fail to the extent the pedal will not return at all (boo, hiss). The Ford Parts guy will know all about this.

 

Used a little grease on the spline, I plan on pulling the tranny tomorrow to get at the clutch, as I think back I had some trouble bolting the pressure plate on as I could barely get the bolts to catch the threads but once I did it tightened down okay I figured it was tight because it was new. I called Mac's and they said they had sold 65 of these clutch sets within the past year and have had 11 customers call with issues, not really a good average. I would be willing to buy a new clutch setup but do not know where to get quality parts that fit.

 

When I purchased the truck it had a 226 flathead in it that smoked pretty bad but the truck ran and shifted without any problems. Replaced the engine with a good 226 and used the same tranny but figured while it was apart I would install new clutch setup.Matched the pressure plate and disc to the old ones and everything seemed fine.