So I have driven this truck on and off for a couple of years and someone mentioned my throw out bearing was bad, anyway last summer as I pushed in my clutch I heard a loud snap sound. Now there is no resistance in the pedal and it doesn’t return from depressed position. A neighbor looked at it and told me I needed to do a clutch kit/ rebuild? Can anyone give me a lead on what parts I should be looking for? I’ve checked rock auto for a clutch rebuild kit $50-$80. Does this sound right?? Any help would be great as I want to get my truck back on the road. 83 Ford F-150 300i on a four speed 4wd.

 

It could be several things, but with an '83 300 you will have a mechanically operated clutch (non-hydraulic).......I would take a look under the dash at the linkages starting at your pedal & working through to the clutch fork.

Up at the pedal cross shaft under the dash, there is a pin that slowly wears through to the point of breaking......when that happens your clutch will still drive (if in gear), but you won't be able to operate it.

There are several of these wearing points with this system, but the good news is that it didn't cause cracked firewalls like the hydraulic version did.

PS If your throw out bearing is bad, it will have been noisy whenever you applied pressure to the clutch pedal (this is the only time it revolves), & silent when your foot was off the pedal...........assuming correct adjustment.

 

So where would this pin be? You said at the “cross”?? It did make a whining sound when the clutch was engaged. Could you also recommend a decent clutch rebuild kit? This truck will become my daily and camping truck once it’s back in the road... so I don’t want to spend money on crap parts that will fail prematurely.

 

Not cross, but cross-shaft.

The clutch pedal mounts on the left hand end of this shaft; on the right hand end is a short lever.......if you move the clutch pedal up & down, you will see the lever I'm referring to also moving.
The pin that wears out & breaks, is in the end of that short lever & is part of a rod that goes down through the firewall.

If that is where your problem is, it will all be evident from under the dash.

I would probably look at a Luk or Valeo kit. Your flywheel may or may not be drilled to take both 10" & 11" clutches.......I would use an 11" if it is.

 

The little flat looking part at the bottom is the lever he is talking of. If you look close the hole is not round.
The same to the rod on the left., hole not round. That bolt looking thing is the block side pivot for the cross shaft.

This rod goes down to the Z bar or cross shaft (frame to motor). The notch that should not be there is from that flat part.

I welded up all the parts and filed & drilled back into shape.
BTW that block side pivot in NLA. After I welded it, got the bushings in place just moving the truck the threads broke off the main body.

Took a bolt cut the threads off and welded it to the main part


On the first test drive years later it broke again pulling in the driveway with no brakes! Not a good start after a cab off frame rebuild.
I took that other bolt I had drilled it down the center and the main body of the pivot and drove in a roll pin and welded it up good this time.



So far it has held for about 4000 miles since Nov 2019.
As said you need to look over the whole linkage from pedals to the fork going into the bell housing.

On the clutch I got what ever the local Car Quest could get me and it is working great.
Good luck
Dave ----

 

Yeah if any part of your mechanical linkage comes off, your pedal is gonna hit the floor and stay there.

It's got a ton of parts. The pedal goes to a rod behind the dash, that rod has a keyed joint at the right side, which connected to a rod that pushes thru a hole in the floor, which connects to the equalizer bar that rotates between the frame and the engine block, which connects to the push rod, which might also have a little crayon-shaped piece on it, which pushes on the clutch fork at the bellhousing.

They all kinda wear through so you may have just worn through one of them or knocked a cotter pin off. Clutch is probably fine!

 

All the linkage moves through the dash and into into engine compartment, all linkage seems to move all the way down to the bell housing, so I’m assuming it’s within the housing itself. I haven’t gotten a chance to tear it apart. I would really like to order parts before tearing it apart but I don’t know if the fly wheel is drilled for a 10” or 11” clutch. What are the advantages/ disadvantages of using a 10” over an 11”?

 

11 inch has more disc area and the ability to transfer more power from the engine to the trans. More heavy duty. Some flywheels are drilled for both.

 

Had this typed up yesterday and forgot to hit send

You will have a little less disc to grip on the pressure plate and flywheel it all.
Some say the flywheels are drilled for both sizes.
I don't remember if my 300 six was drilled for both or not as I did not know they where when I was at that point in my build.
I have since measured my old disc and it was only a 10" and I am sure the new disc was the same size.
I am not worried of it being too small because if the factory made it for both sizes then I am good running the small size.
My truck will be used as a back up to pull my 21' open deck car trailer.
Dave ----