first off i know i'm going to take a ripping over asking for this help.but i really truely need some help from old school hot rodders. so please guys. i have 6 other 32,33 and 34 fords all flat head powered and will stay that way. even my 32 b400 sedan convertable.

here's the problem

i have a 1928 ford model a pickup. built 100% from pieces and a custom frame. for power as it was just sitting in a corner of my garage is a 1985 mercruiser marine.3.0 litter 4 banger. I.E. a old chevy two 153 inch 4 banger thats bored and stroked. for marine and industrial uses.i.e. generators,fork lift trucks water pumps ect. for a trans.i'm again useing garage parts, a borg warner t5od from a old 2x4 chevy s10.

the fly wheel is a 153 tooth 10.5 inch?? stock chevy small block item. the clutch disc is for a s10's 5 speed stick. stock type pressure plate. 1964 stock 1 peice bell houseing, clutch fork. new neddle bearing piloit bearing.

the problem started with trying to get the 5 speed to go into the bell fully. i had to cut 1 inch off the throw out bearing guide/front bearing retainer.

the big problem is the clutch will not release at all.even if i over adjust it so there is no free play.

has any one done a small block chevy v8 i6 or i4 conversion from say a 3 speed or 4 speed to a t5od or tremic ? things i have been told go from installing the clutch disc back wards, a specail longer throw out bearing that speedway sells and on down a list. there more then enough travel to the fork.

any solid ideas on how how can i make this clutch release? please guys don't rip me for doing a change like this. basicly what i'm doing is makeing a truely eye popping old timer return to the streets

i have long been a member of ford trucks and helped a lot of people. now i find i need the help of some of the forums old school hot roders or someone who might know some one who has gone though this problem.

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I know for Fords, the T5 input is longer, requiring an adaptor or diff. bell.

Check with these fellers. You cut the front bearing retainer? Hhhhhhmmmm.

Modern Driveline - T5 / TREMEC TKO Transmission Conversion - 5 speed & 6 speed solutions to swap your Ford Mustang, Falcon, Cobra, Hotrod into Overdrive! Performance Parts

If you need a bell or adaptor, they can sell you one.

 

belated thanks for the advise. yes it turned out to be in the input shaft, the fix is simple.
step 1, fully seat the pilot bearing into the crankshaft as far as you can make it go. in my case as i used a neddle bearing this is about 1/4 of a inch more into the crank shaft.
step 2. cut 3/4 of a inch off the throw out bearing. front bearing retainer/plate collar.
step 3, carefully with a grinder and a coolant.grind off the factory machined tapper from the pilot bearing part,this amonts to about 3/16ths of a inch,but gives just enough room to stop the input from jambing into the crank shaft
step 4. again carefully again grind or file off the input end of the spine use the factory tapper as a guide, and a straight edge to be sure your flat along the pilot bearing's area
step 5, take a round file,i used a larger chain saw file. rocking side to side on the pressure plate side of the disc,remove about 1/4 of a inch of the cast iron spline. doing this allows the disc to move almost a 3/8's inch or more.up along the shaft and allows the clutch to release properly.

this may seem like a lot of work,but in the real world took only a little over a 1/2 hour. it also allows one to use a readily found and cheap 5 speed trans in a low budget hot rod. esp. if useing a flathead v8 for the power plant.

one must remember this is not a strong trans, and not meant for a high powered motor or racing. to beef it up some what. i used parts from g-force transmissions. in PA. a national tremic dealer, and builder of the stick transmaissions used by many of the pro stock racers. look up and check out their web site,it's well worth ones time