I don't know a lot about trucks, but I am having a problem with my 97 F-250 7.3 diesel. It seams the clutch pedal needs to be pressed to the floor before the truck will start. The clutch pedal can be pushed in a quarter of the way with just a finger before there seems to be any pressure on the pedal. I have read articles online where the plastic, star shaped bushing needed on the pedal push rod needed to be replaced. Ive replaced it with no success. I have also replaced the little black box on the clutch pedal as well with no success. There appears to be enough fluid in the master cylinder as well. No leaks that I can see around it either. Any suggestions?

 

I should add that gear shifting seems fine to me but my father in law drove it not too long ago and said it doesn't shift very well either.

 

Even a new bushing can work like cr@p; it's inherent in the design. Two options for improved function:

* Pop that pin (on the arm) out of the eyelet and remove the bushing. Inspect the eyelet on the pushrod. If it's egg-shaped (ovalized), that means it's been worn by use over time after the plastic bushing has worn completely through. Your best bet is to cut off that eyelet and replace it with a Heim joint. Just do a search here on "clutch heim" for too much information on the subject. There's an eBay kit available, but the component parts are available from McMaster-Carr or Fastenal or whatever for a lot less; you're basically paying extra for the convenience of the "kit" and some instructions.

* If the eyelet is not damaged in that way, you can fabricate an improved bushing / fastening system. Get a piece of 7/16"ID x 1/2"OD brass tubing and cut off a real short piece, just enough to put inside the eyelet. This will act as the bushing. Also get a 7/16" drill stop collar. Assemble with the brass bushing and the pin on the arm into the eyelet, and put the stop collar on the part of the pin that sticks through, and tighten the set screw on the stop collar. This will hold it in place with no/minimal play, but still allow smooth action.

The other wear point is the bushing set in the pedal box itself. Quick test - rest your right foot ever so lightly on the brake pedal (not enough to move it at all), and work the clutch pedal with your left foot. If you feel any "feedback" movement through your right foot on the brake pedal, the pedal box busings are shot. About $20 at the Ford dealer; the pedal box can be a PITA to remove, but no special tools needed.

Similar to the eyelet, if the pedal box bushings are shot REAL bad, there's metal-on-metal contact and the passage holes in the pedal box itself can be worn/expanded. In that case, it's time to scout down a replacement pedal box, preferably from a junkyard truck that was crashed or otherwise junked before this kind of wear occured.

 

No kick back feeling in the brake pedal when pushing the clutch pedal. The arm goes through the fire wall as soon as I push on the clutch pedal. However, I measured about 2 1/2 - 3 inches of distance, while pushing on the clutch pedal before there is any resistance to it (the feel that the pedal is actually actuating anything). Looking across the floor board. The clutch pedal seems to rest further away from the firewall than the brake pedal which rests closer to the firewall. Don't know if that is normal or an indicator something is off. So I just looked at the eyelet on the push rod. Yes it is oval shape, like a football. Not round. Also, should the push rod easily pull out of the firewall as it did or should there be some tightness or resistance?

 

So you can pull the pushrod out of the master cylinder without any tool? You shouldn't be able to do that. Once you snap it into the master cylinder for the first time, it should be locked in there unless you slide a release tool in there. And what's probably happening is that the pushrod isn't actually hitting the piston on the master until there's a significant amount of pedal movement.

But you may be in luck. If you can find one, you could buy just a replacement pushrod, use the brass bushing / drill stop collar solution above, and install it, and hopefully it will lock in.

 

Another question, when the pedal reaches the point where you get some resistance, is it "even" with the brake pedal, or below it?

 

The clutch pedal seems to be just below the brake pedal, maybe an inch if that, when it feels like there is resistance.

 

Most excellent explanation madpogue!

jrc

 

Thanks for all the info. This will be my weekend project.