Thanks for the compliments! I have been a bit busy, but I will track down the numbers soon. I hope before the weekend, I'll measure my rod length too.

Just a short story on "clutchless" shifting. I used to work on a WA state summer fire crew and I worked late into the fall one year. I was helping grass seed roads on a fire with a sprayer mounted on the back of a one ton flatbed. It was just beginning to snow and my boss had stopped so I could get in and warm up while we moved to another road when he said "Hey, whats wrong with this?" I looked over and the clutch pedal was on the floor but it was still engaged. About then smoke started coming from under the hood, so I jumped out with the fire extinguisher and put out the small blaze under the hood. The HYDRAULIC clutch line had been pushed against the exhaust pipe and melted!! We were on top of a mountain in a snowstorm with lousy roads and no clutch. So he says "You can drive now!!". I somehow managed to slip my way down off that mountain in 4WD low without a clutch. It was 50 miles back to the office and I got fairly good by the time I got there!!

 

The Dorman catalog lists the top joint I used as a spherical rod end-ball joint the one I used is part number 116-103. The lower clevis is a brake yoke part number 125-004 with a clevis pin part number 120-010 (I think). One cotter key to hold the clevis pin in place and you have all the pieces. It's snowing and dark now, so I don't have a rod measurement but it is adjustable when you are done so it is not too critical.

Oh yea two 3/8" nuts to lock the adjustment too!!

Best of luck!!!

 

Did you get the rod from Doorman as well? Thanks so much for this great idea!

 

The rod is the original rod without the 90* ends. I simply cut it to the length needed and threaded the ends with a die. A 3/8" sae(fine) thread die worked perfectly. If you don't have the oe rod, then any chunk of 3/8" steel rod would work.

 

Hey Putt, do you use any bushing in your setup? I have not found out for sure if the 65-66's had a bushing. I dont like knowing that those critical parts are down there operating with no bushing. I would feel ok about a factory rod if it had bushings. My Ford dealer told me they were only listed for 68 and up.

Anybody out there know the part # for clutch rod bushings (pedal to equalizer bar)? If there is one....

 

There are no bushings on the pedal rod that I know of. The equalizer bar bushings were available in the Dorman line at the time I fixed mine. They are prolly still in their books. You could use shift linkage bushings(Mr. Gasket), if you drilled the hole at the pedal and equalizer larger.

 

Putt,

I think GregTruck wanted to know if the heim joint used bushings. GregTruck, the setup Putt uses has this special ball bearing end which he threads onto the end of the clutch rod linkage. Inside the joint are ball bearings and a sleeve which a bolt goes through and fastens to the clutch pedal. The bolt that fastens the heim joint to the clutch pedal contacts the inner part or sleeve of the heim joint and keeps it firmly pressed (stationary) to the clutch pedal assembly. The bearings allow the rest of the joint to rotate freely and therefore there are no bushings ever needed again. These joints are really tough and should outlast all of the other linkage combined.

 

Yes, there's a bushing at both ends of the clutch rod. It's part number B7AZ 2471-A. They look like a top hat with out the top. They started with this setup in 1965. If your rod doesn't have the bushings, they've worn out and fell out.I probably have sold a million of them for trucks when worked Ford parts. They may still be available from Ford. Some of the repo sellers have them also.

Barry

 

Thanks everyone! My questions are answered. Now I know that as long as I have a stock rod I NEED to find bushings. As far as Putts invention I could see that up at the top there was a rotating joint but I thought at the bottom was a clevis and pin, which would need a bushing like any other rod.

I wish it had not got so cold down here in Ol Virginie. Man I mean its CCCOLD! I would really like to get this right because I dont care for the thought of the clutch suddenly dumping at a stoplight behind someone, or anywhere else for the sake of my much loved T89-N tranny. They say its gonna warm back up around Christmas. If Ford can get them for me I could get it done on Christmas day. The Ford place got me a clutch rod that they say was for a later model but looks the same to me. Maybe there is a difference in length. You can do a heck of a lot of compensation between the pedal height adjustment and the freetravel adjustment down below. I should be able to make that rod work. I have some door hinge bushings that look like possibilities as well. Can't remember what they are for....

 

Yes, the bottom is a clevis and pin. However since the pin and clevis both rotate slightly there has been no appreciable wear since installing 15 years ago!!!
The equalizer bushings are no longer available in Dorman(maybe I was mistaken), but I believe the Mustang repro places have them?

barry

You have more old FORD books than any dealer I have ever talked too!!!! Thanks for sharing that info with us here at FTE!!

Mac's shows a two piece bushing for the eq bar? I know mine are a ball with a clip to hold them on, like they show from the Mustang vendors. I'm sure Barry has the oe numbers, which they list in the catalogs.

 

THey used 2 different bushings on the equalizer bar depending on the year. Early ones use the bronze split type like my 50 F-1 does. That fits up to 1964 and it takes 4 pieces, part number C2TZ 7517-A. From 65 on, its C1AA 7543-A, and you need 2.

Barry

 

Could one not use a Heim joint at the bottom as well as the top of the rod? Maybe a geometry problem?

 

Greg-yes there was a geometry problem. The rod came down directly in line with the arm on the equalizer, and it tended to bind if I moved it to either side for another heim joint. The clevis works well and has no sign of wear. I have a twin trans system so I shift alot when towing or climbing the many hills in the area, so it gets used(clutch) ALOT. My gallery has a few pictures of the trans system, if interested.

BTW it has 12 forward gears and 4 reverse.

 

Now I have seen it all! That twin transmission system is mind blowing. I think the description in your gallery says owner designed. I take it owner means you. I'm starting to think you may be a what I call a natural born engineer. I for one would be interested to hear about how this dual trans system works and is used.
I have never heard of such a thing. Are there others that were made at the factory for some reason? I understand yours is home made. I mean was that idea ever used for a production vehicle?

 

Thanks, Greg, I appreciate the compliment!

I have never heard of a two trans system in pickups, I got the idea from a magazine article wayyy back(80's) in a street rod. I just adapted and spent ALOT of time fabricating and designing the mounting and coupling systems.

I originally came up with it to satisfy my commuting and towing dual purpose need. I can run a very tall rear gear 2.75:1 and still have sufficient gears to start off with a 8,000 pound trailer without slipping the clutch. I locked reverse out in the front 4 speed to avoid turning the rear 3 speed backwards. I shift it normally most of the time, ie. use either trans only, but I always have the option of "splitting" gears if needed to keep at optimum RPM.
I made it work thru trial and error. 2 4 speeds and 3 3 speeds, counting present trans, have been in the truck.

I have discovered the meaning of "light duty 3 speed" in a BIG way!