So I was heading down to the dump the other day when I push the clutch pedal down ('65 with a 4speed toploader) when I hear this loud metal pop and the clutch pedal hits the floor! Needless to say I'm stuck in gear with an odd look on my face looking at my passenger. I crawled under the truck to find that the shift linkage is no longer connected to the fork. From what I can guess since I hadn't looked at the linkage before (the truck is pretty new to me) is that the adjusting rod popped off some how? I can't find a picture of the linkage anywhere and have been unsuccesful in trying to locate any parts. I'm trying to figure out if my analysis of the situation is correct and where I can find this part? I towed the truck home (although should've just driven w/o the clutch) and currently have on heck of a rig in place. I've used bailing wire to secure the closed end of 14mm wrench around the pin on the clutch side of the linkage, and have the open end pushing on the indent on the fork!!! Needless to say, I don't think this will last long, and need to dig up some parts......

 

Make sure you check the rod from the pedal down thru the floor. They have a nasty habit of breaking the ends off ( 90 degree bend) and then the adjustment rod fall apart like you said. These rods wear and the bushings disappear in time, then the ends get thin and break. I used to sell tons of the rods for the 65-77 trucks. They all go after a while. We stocked alot of these at the Ford dealer.

Barry

 

This same thing happened to me on my first night of driving it. Pray what happened to me isnt what happened to you. The pivot that the clutch fork uses snapped on mine. That allowed the linkage to drop like yours. When I hooked it back up it took me a while to figure out why the clutch would no longer release. Finally I pulled the boot and found the broken piece of metal. Really upsetteing laying there looking up at the heavy Borg-Warner overdrive transmission and the fully enclosed bellhousing that would have to be removed for repair. A lot of work I did to my new truck but now I have a new clutch, rear main, and later bellhousing with bolts holding the pivot.

I have been very concerned about the wearing of the linkage rods. I looked in Macs Trucks and they list bushings but nothing for 65-66. I have been wondering it door hinge bushings would work. I sure would like to figure out something because this losing your clutch all of a sudden thing gives one a high pucker factor. Any ideas would be great on this subject....

 

THose bushings for the clutch rods go back to 1957. They were used in trucks and cars. The aftermarket catalogs are terrible with listings. Check with your local Ford dealer's parts dept. You'd be surprised what's still available. I had forgotten about that riveted bracket on the bellhousing, they used to pop off and get lost. Ford had a kit with a new brackey and special bolts to replace the rivets.

Barry

 

I used heim joints to replace the 90* ends on the pedal to bellcrank linkage...after it broke twice!!!in city traffic once. I also had the fork pivot break.

 

What are heim joints? I you dont mind explain what it takes to make this setup. It seems this is a common problem and many of us could benifit from a good upgrade method.

Thanks in advance!

Greg

 

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm gonna crawl under there and see if I can rig up a more reliable system! I guess I was sorta lucky I lost mine on a county road and not in traffic! I think I'll try shifting without the clutch for awhile just in case....

 

Greg, what bell housing did you use ? , while this has not happenend to me yet, I am going to take steps to insure it doesn't.

 

Heim joints are ball bearing type pivots that use a spherical end on a threaded boss to hook up to. Hard to explain I'll try to get a pic and post in my gallery shortly. I might be able to round up the part numbers I used. They were Dorman parts. I'll post back when I have better info.

 

My truck has a 240/300 six. I've never been positive which it really is. Anyway I went down to a local shop owner who happens to be a Ford nut and got another small bolt pattern housing. I don't know what it came off of. Another big Ford person told me that if you get cast iron it is from the 60s. I'm not sure of the accuracy of that info but mine is cast iron. Evidently they went to aluminum in the 70s. From what I gather you can use any small pattern bellhousing that you can find for sixes and small block eights. There is a 351 that has the big pattern and I think people get confused with that.The big pattern must be used with the FE family of engines 352/390/428 ect. So its either big or small bolt pattern. Of course you want the proper clutch fork as they did change that setup at least once. The only difference in my 65 bellhousing and the one I got was the pivot being different and bolted in. Also there was one extra bolt hole on one of them. Cant remember which but it didnt effect me at all. I like the fork setup better because there is a spring/hook in the fork that pulls through the pivot and locks everything in place. Maybe somebody put one of those kits someone mentioned in mine. Who knows? I think I'm going by the local Ford dealer tomorrow and find out about the clutch rod bushings. I dont like riding knowing those rods are wearing thinner and thinner every time I push the pedal. I've never tried to shift mine without the clutch. Maybe Craig will let us know how that works out before I experiment......

 

Shifting without the clutch really isn't too hard, although I guess I have say shifting without "dis-engaging" the clutch. The clutch is there to make sure that all the gears will spin freely while you shift.....to shift without the clutch you have to make sure the that the gear (tranny) you want is spinning the same speed as the engine. It's easy to get the tranny out of gear, just give the throttle a "blip" and then pull it out, to get it into the next gear you have to have the engine revved to the propper RPM so that the gear and engine will coincide and it will go in like butter. Needless to say; while practicing you will grind your gears quite a bit. I don't have a tach in my truck (yet) so it's more of listening to the engine to get it done correctly. Eventually you will be able to rev the engine, pull it out of gear, and get it into the next gear without trying to match revs. by pulling it out of gear at a high enough RPM so that by the time you decllerate the revs. are already matched...Not the easiest to write but I assure you it is possible, I'm getting better with the truck and have been practicing with my Honda as well. You can do it with anything that has a clutch actually! And again, thanks for all the above advice.....I'm gonna try switching to some sort of cable upgrade if I can find it....

 

There are three pictures in my gallery on the pedal rod/clutch fork modifications I made. I would put them here except I haven't been able to get more than one in the post at a time!!!

Look in the album called progress pictures. HTH

I'll look for part #'s today.

 

Craig- shifting without the clutch is certainly possible, but it isn't something you want to do all the time. The gears and synchronizers take a beating from all that grinding and will eventually start to act up. ie. hard shifting, popping out of gear, etc. Not criticizing, just trying to inform:-) After upgrading like I did you won't need to worry about clutch rod breakage anyway!!!

 

Thanks for the pics Putt, that looks great! I think I'll run down to a local hardware store and do something like that after I find an adjusting rod. I didn't mean grind the gears on every shift, eventually you can do it without the gears grinding at all. Of course, it does take a lot of grinding the gears to get that good. haha. I'd agree that the linkage problem should be the first thing tackled, unless somebody knows they'll be getting a new tranny and doesn't mind abusing their current one! I'm gonna try and start a gallery of my progress too, I didn't know I could do that! Thanks again.

 

I MUST have one of those clevis type homemade clutch rods. I hope Putt comes back with a parts list because it would be a big help to just go out with the list and come home with a real clutch rod. My old rod is holding but has no bushings so I need to do something. I figure for the price Ford wants for a six pack of bushings I could make this rod. The local dealership told me that I had to buy six as that is how they are priced for some reason. Kind of rediculous to force someone to buy three times what they need I think. They did come up with a new rod for a 68. I have a 65 but the rods look the same, unless there is some difference in length. I'm stalling on this job waiting to do this clevis rod so I have not measured the old rod. I dont like thinking about that old rod snapping at some dangerous time like at a stoplight. Putt's idea is one of the best upgrades I have ever heard! Great thinking man!

By the way to Craig you can get the clutch adjuster rod from Autozone. It is in the Motormite (Help) catalog and must be ordered. I think its like $6.