That would explain why I don't remember it, if I don't have one (again, don't really remember). I went straight from the flexplate for the E4OD to the Valair single-mass flywheel. I never had a dual-mass flywheel.

Edit: Just curious because I didn't see this before, but perhaps I missed it. Why did you replace the clutch?

 

Everything had to come off to replace the leaking rear main seal. The flywheel had hot spots on it, and the clutch had a shudder when taking off. It was operable, but no way I was putting it back together with those parts.

I don't have a photo of the hotspots, and the flywheel has been out in my scrap pile collecting rust for a few rains. You can see the clutch above, it had some life left in it, but probably had oil contamination from the steady drip coming from the rear main.

I chose LUK because I've had great luck with them in my VW diesels, and in my Ranger.

 

Thanks for the context!

When you mentioned that the clutch hydraulics you got were for a gas burner, do you mean a 7.5L V8? I think that's the same as the one you would want for a 7.3L. Or, at least, LMC lists their replacements for 7.3/7.5 as the same part. It looks like the components for 4.9/5.0/5.8 are different. Not sure if that would cause your problem or not. It makes sense to me that 4.9L/5.0L/5.8L engines wouldn't need clutches as stiff, so might not need as robust hydraulics as 7.3L/7.5L engines might need.

 

The one on the truck had the line out of the clutch master going down out of the bottom of the cylinder. All the listing's I see for the 7.3 have it on the end going forward.

O'Reilly says the one with the downward outlet is for small block trucks. It's the one I got because that's what was on the truck. I thought it was working before, right? The forward/end outlet would require a new hydro line.

I saw somewhere the measurement for the amount of movement in the clutch fork. If the clutch fork is moving the proper amount, then the issue shouldn't be on the hydro side, but somewhere in the bellhousing?


Rockauto has both styles listed for a 7.3. Photos below. The second one is the one O'Reilly specs for the 7.3. It's described as HD below and says master and slave must both be changed. Maybe this one moves more fluid. If I got the "HD" slave and the non HD master, maybe the master isn't pushing enough fluid?

 

I'm sorry that I bring only questions and not answers. You mentioned finding the distance the clutch fork is supposed to travel. If you find that again and can measure yours, it seems like you could isolate the issue to either upstream or downstream of the clutch fork.

 

All good, the think tank method works for me.

Looks like the travel should be 1/2" to 9/16" at the end of the fork. I'll try to get a measurement on that.

I'm just haunted by the fact that it was working before, and somehow, I broke it.

 

AND it was working with an backwards TO bearing. So you really broke it. I'm just kidding this is a pain but it will get solved.

 

With the help of an assistant, I checked the travel on clutch fork. Mine moves 3/8". It should move 1/2" to 9/16 based on what I can find.

While I had a helper, we bled the clutch again. We bled for a bit, nothing but clean, bubble free fluid, and no change in pedal travel or reisistance. Pedal effort is very close if not identical to pre "repair". I read something about air getting in the system even when the clutch pedal is held to floor. To combat this possibility, I put the pressure bleeder on at 5 psi. That would ensure that if the pedal somehow leaves a pressure gap, the pressure bleeder will prevent air from getting in. Again we bled, again, no air, no change.

So, what will cause the clutch fork to not have enough travel? The way I see it, only 1 of 2 things. The slave cylinder either isn't traveling enough or there is an obstruction in the bellhousing.

I find an obstruction unlikely. At this point, I've put 2 quarts of fluid thru the system via a combination of gravity, pedal and pressure bleeding. I've got a Ranger with a manual transmission. I'm familiar with systems that are stubborn to bleed, and I don't see how the system could possibly still have air in it. And backing up to when I discovered the problem, the previously functioning hydro system was working before and had not been opened.

The master cylinder both pre and post replacement have been for gas small block trucks. Is it possible the small block master doesn't push enough fluid to satisfy the external slave? The small block slave is internal and a completely different design. I doubt the fluid demands are identical between the 2. Maybe the backwards throw out bearing was somehow taking up the slack? If I had nothing better to do, I'd flip the TO bearing just to see what happens. You know, for science.

Where I'm at right now is doing what I should have done from the get go, buying a pre-bled and matched master/slave clutch system. I just hate (and my wallet hates) doing this, as I have purchased a new master and slave already. I can't swap just the master, as the line will need to changed too. This also eliminates the possibility that I just suck at bleeding.

Know anyone that needs a gently used, never driven small block clutch master and/or a diesel slave? Located in N. GA, come get em.

 

Now, I'm not an expert or anything. I'm just this guy over here. But, when thinking about the possibility of some obstruction in the bellhousing, I wonder if you can develop a reasonable guess about what might be blocking it. Also, if that were occurring, wouldn't we expect for the pedal resistance to become stronger as the system struggles and fails to overcome the obstruction? If I take that information that the clutch fork is not traveling a sufficient distance in isolation from any other information in the thread, I would guess that the issue may be with either slop in the pedal assembly or a problem with the hydraulics. We know we're dealing with the incorrect clutch hydraulics. It's hard for me not to suspect that.

When I did mine, I got a pre-bled system. I think I got it from LMC. It worked pretty good and I did not have to worry about bleeding the clutch system. I did not have an existing clutch hydraulic system, though, because I was swapping in the manual transmission in place of the factory automatic transmission, so it made sense for me.

 

The truck will not take gear when running. When started in gear, it creeps forward, but the clutch is usable. It has a real engagement (as soon as it moves like 1/4" off the floor) and can be disengaged back to a creep. It's not completely disengaging, but it behaves like a clutch should. I think an obstruction would be obvious. It would have wonky engagement, binding, or something. This is why I think an obstruction is unlikely.

Since my master cylinder is an unknown quantity at this point, I think getting a matched and properly bled hydro system is the next logical step.

 

I'm jumping in late on this.

When you remove the DMF, there is a ring that comes off that acts like a full round washer on the face plate. I think some people assume its a spacer. there should be no spacer between the flywheel and the crank as everyone is saying.

 

Uhh, did ya'll not catch he has the ... oh forgot what its called now, i'm about due to replace mine.

It's in backwards mate. and you put WAY to much grease on it.

The bearing side faces the pressure plate.

Thats why your clutch isn't working, just dont have the thrust bearing installed correctly.

Wipe off some of that excess grease on there and make sure there is a good amount inside the sleeve, but any of the outside excess, get that wiped off there. Same when you do your input shaft.
Just a thin wipe down on it, otherwise you're going to start throwing grease all over your clutch and all that work was for nothing.

It takes expereince to really know how much to put on, but a dab will do ya, a gob will screw ya .

 

Don't over think it, I mean I posted what your issue was already.

Anyways. The clutch fork is probably fine.

If you have any "spacers" in on the flywheel, take them out. You did install a new flywheel I'm assuming? not just the Luk clutch disc?
Remember when installing the pressure plate, you need to work it down evenly as best you can then torque.

Dont forget to put in the alignment tool.

Put the bearing in the correct way, you can see it on your diagram on the first post. part 754B. Shows the correct orrientation.
But, basically, bearings to pressure plate.

I don't think the clutch fork is swapable with the trans in either. .. not to my knowledge anyways, if you have the trans out, its not a bad idea to replace it, but... again, its not your issue. just silly brain fart putting the thrust bearing back in. =)

 

Those pictures are from the old one that I removed.

My throw out is installed correctly. I posted the diagram and literally said that I installed the throw out bearing "like the diagram below."

The clutch fork can be removed with the transmission installed.

 

Everyone noticed the reversed TO bearing. Thats a picture of how it came out not how it went in. But the most intriguing part of the whole thing is that it worked with the backwards TO bearing and does not with the bearing put in correctly. Read the first post on the weirdness and Number 1. At least that is how I have understood this whole thing.