6 Speed Clutch Adjustment?

[greg]

I was wondering how to adjust the clutch in my 6 speed. I have never done it before. I've always been the one in the truck pushing the pedal in and checking free play. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

[HK Trucking]

if you decide to adjust it yourself, just be sure to do the adjustment INTERNALLY at the adjuster on the pressure plate.

On the 14" or 15 1/2" pull type clutch that you have there

never adjust the external linkage to compensate for normal clutch wear.

To adjust:

Remove the inspection cover at the bottom of the flywheel housing.

look up in there to see what position the adjuster is at, then turn the crankshaft til the adjuster is at the bottom near the inspection hole.

(I use a socket & breaker bar on the retaining bolt on the harmonic balancer on the front of the crankshaft to rotate it)

Have an assistant depress the clutch pedal to the floor & hold it down.

(The adjuster will not turn unless the clutch is disengaged)

Put a 5/8 box end wrench on the adjuster hex head & push in the locking collar.

Pull the wrench toward the drivers side to increase free travel (actually turning the adjuster clockwise)

Adjust it about a 1/4 turn then check free travel, adjust this way til you have 1 1/2 to 2 inches of free travel.

Be sure the locking collar has popped back out to lock the adjuster, (you may have to rotate the adjuster a little one way or the other til it locks)

Thats it!

WHILE YOU'RE IN THERE GREASE THE THROWOUT BEARING!

Some have a fitting on the bottom of the throwout bearing, others have a hose from the bearing attached to a grease fitting in the inpection cover, whichever kind it has, put in about 10 pumps of a good quality #2 grease, it's very important to keep the throwout bearing lubricated.

Now replace the inspection cover & you're good to go.

Never let a clutch adjustment "run tight" (no free travel), or the clutch will soon start to slip and self destruct.

[Joe Ditchkus]

Everything HK told you was the right way to adjust a clutch. If you have the old style clutch that takes a clutch adjusting tool you remove the lock bolt on adjuster and bolt tool in its place 3/8 bolt. If you do not have tool you can use large screwdriver or prybar in its place.If no one is there to hold petal to floor you can push petal down with your hand and wedge 2x4 between petal and seat base. The rest do as HK said.

[greg]

Thanks alot for the info. Sounds easy enough. Again thanks for the help.

greg

[twostickmutt]

any tricks on getting the "old style" freed up. on the ol' G-73 i can get it to turn 'bout an inch either way by tapping on the lock hubs with a brass drift. don't want to break one.

[Joe Ditchkus]

Two Stick. The way that worked for me when that happened, is to use an air chisel ( hammer) with a bit that is not very sharp. The constant hammering of the tool should brake it loose. Just remember to have someone hold the clutch petal down. You place the hammer bit against the adjuster so it moves clockwise for more freeplay or counterclockwise to have less freeplay. Let us know if it works for you.

[HK Trucking]

any tricks on getting the "old style" freed up. on the ol' G-73 i can get it to turn 'bout an inch either way by tapping on the lock hubs with a brass drift. don't want to break one.

Get a spray can of PB Blaster with the extension spray tube on it.

Look at the pressure plate. Find the openings in the pressure plate where the outside diameter of the adjusting ring (where it threads into the pressure plate) is accessible.

Carefully spray some blaster on the threads (don't overdo it, you don't want that stuff getting on the friction sufaces.

Turn flywheel as necessary to access all possible areas with the spray.

Then position the adjuster at the bottom. Using a drift about 18" long and a 5 lb. hammer, hit the adjuster tab til the ring starts to turn. When the tab is far enough turned that you can't hit it anymore, the next tab should be emerging from the other side. I then use a long pry bar to pry between that tab and the pressure plate. Once that tab is moved far enough out, then use the hammer & drift as before. Continue this process til the correct adjustment is obtained.

DO NOT put a bolt in the lockstrap hole and use it to pry against when the adj. ring is that tight, the bolt may break off and then you've got another problem to deal with.

I've done a few this way, and never broke off any adjusting tabs, they do get kinda beat up though, but the alternative is to not adjust it and replace the clutch, so IMO you might as well do what you gotta do.

[twostickmutt]

thanks joe d. and h.k. will give it a shot this weekend if it warms up. hate to run the furnace in the shop with this -20 windchill. almost see the dollar bills going out the chimney. i think those oil men are just about rich enough. i know they dont think so ......BUT I (WE...US) DO!!! thanks again

[twostickmutt]

hey joe d. and h.k. got that ol' spicer adjusted today and works fine. even the clutch brake. i got the pb blaster,a long drift,a bf. hammer and a black thumb nail :pat:somehow my thumb hit that hammer head on. after 40yrs. of dubbing with these things it ain't the first or won't be the last.

[Barry]

Be sure to check the clutch brake clearance...it should be 1/2"-9/16" gap. Also don't be tempted to put grease or anti-seize on your input shaft, it can cause dirt and debris to stick and foul up the clutch operation down the road. You should lube the fingers of the release bearing fork however...

[twostickmutt]

thanks barry. i 've got just a freckle over 1/2. first time that clutch brake has worked in that ol' G-73 in a long time i'll bet.