When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
.... a well-known fix for sloppy clutch pedal pushrod engagement.
Why is it that l can't find a single scrap of information on this for anything older than a 1987-up ZF5 transmission? Is there that much difference between the linkages from the T18 to the ZF5?
What is it I'm missing?
The kits for 87-up trucks run from <$10 up to over $35. I'm looking for a no-weld solution to a hogged-out pivot, and I'm willing to piece it together myself. But I'm very curious what the big difference is.
Starting around 84 trucks went to hydrolic clutch systems, no more linkage to ware out and why you may not be able to find anything.
That ZF5 should of been hydrolic and most when going from a linkage transmission to the later swap in the later clutch system and add the stiffner plate.
If you have linkage that had ware what I did was weld it up and grind & hand file back into shape to be used.
2 years later the motor side pivot broke and the new plastic bushings Installed were bad and had to replace them again, hope with something better, time will tell.
Dave ----
It's my son's 85 F250. He's having an issue with the clutch not releasing all the way. We've checked for firewall flex and the MC is full. Next step is too bleed it, but I've looked up under the dash and his pivot bushing is gone. A new replacement plastic bushing may fix it (for a while), but l was hoping to be the Dad who offers up a better solution.
I thought you said "linkage" and why I thought pre-juice clutch
So this plastic bushing is on the pedal side and it messed up the rod going thru the fire wall to the master?
Some have been known to find or make metal bushing out of bronze or brass.
I have linkage and the factory plastic bushings only lasted maybe 2 years.
This time I replaced them with thicker plastic bushings and hope they last.
If not I will either replace with bronze or brass bushings or juice clutch setup.
Dave ----
It's my son's 85 F250. He's having an issue with the clutch not releasing all the way. We've checked for firewall flex and the MC is full. Next step is too bleed it, but I've looked up under the dash and his pivot bushing is gone. A new replacement plastic bushing may fix it (for a while), but l was hoping to be the Dad who offers up a better solution.
On my 89, I made my own adjustable rod. I used the original end on it, but you could substitute the correct rod end also.
What I did was take the master off the firewall. I tried and tried to get the rod out of the master but couldn't get it. So I sat it on the aircleaner (line was still hooked up to it to the slave) and clamped the rod coming out of the master with a set of vise grips. While holding the vise grips, I took a hacksaw and cut the rod in half. I found the rod was 3/8, so I took a die and put threads on both pieces where I cut it. I then added one of these with a nut. This gave me the adjustment that I wanted.
I was unaware of the juice-clutch revolution at Ford. What was really throwing me off was that we both have 85s, but his is hydraulic and mine is mechanical.
He was messing with it yesterday and sent me a pic of the clutch pushrod;
It's pretty hashed, but hopefully not FUBAR. I told him to go ahead and get the plastic bushing for a temporary fix and we'll try to track down a replacement push rod (Rock Auto is out of stock) and find a bronze or brass bushing that will do the job.
Barring that, l may try to add some metal to the wallowed-out area to make it round again.
What's it made out of? Is it just regular steel? Will regular MIG wire or TiG filler rod take to it?
A little weld action, grinding and hand filling and good as new
Just took time was not hard to do.
Unbolt that part from the cross shaft to weld and file back into shape.
I think I would try and find metal bushing as you know the plastic will fail again like mine did.
Dave ----
Well... l booted that.
I didn't know what kind of clutch l had, haven't really dug into that part yet. Last night l took a quick look and didn't see a master cylinder so l figured it's mechanical.
Nope.
It's right there next to the brake MC.
duh.
Most manufacturers case hardened their linkages. This gives them better wear qualitys. They will last a long time but as soon as you do wear through the hardening, then it's regular steel and it doesn't take much time to wear out after that. You need a torch and this stuff to case harden the metal once you repaired it.
That cherry red hardening compound definitely will do the trick, in a pinch if you have a torch heat the end up to a low orange colour and then quench it in water. It's likely just mild steel but even mild will harden some with a water quench. It'll last longer that way.
That cherry red hardening compound definitely will do the trick, in a pinch if you have a torch heat the end up to a low orange colour and then quench it in water. It's likely just mild steel but even mild will harden some with a water quench. It'll last longer that way.
That's a good way to do it. The hardening compound is $50 vs a replacement piece which runs about $30-$35... if you can find one.
Mild steel doesn't have much carbon in it. So it won't get very hard, plus I would not want it to get brittle. That is what the powder does, it adds carbon to the steel to make it harden-able.
It gets "hard" but you don't need to worry about the brittle, we're not talking tool steel hard, just more rigid. Still the case hardening stuff is choice for this use case.
