Rule 1 .... Never try to upgrade your car at work.

I broke that rule today. I thought a clutch was going to be simple, I just had it apart about a month ago when I put the engine in. Everything came apart easily as I expected, went back togeather good too. I used an AuotZone clutch, NU1525 which is listed as a factory replacement 10" clutch. Everything fits, but the clutch will not release at all. I am all the way out on the adjustment, the clutch gets stiffer but never releases. Any Ideas? The fork looked good. I am fairly sure that I got it in right.

So for the night, the Dart is stuck in the shop up in the air at work, and I am test driving a customers Honda (with their permission of course) for
the evening.

I knew today would be a slow day, and I just couldn't resist the use of a lift.

Anybody got any ideas of what to look at first?

Thanks
TopHat

Will the clutch release if you don't have the adjustment rod attached? (work the fork by hand?)

Next up, which style of clutch fork/rod are you using? the early style (adjuster end of the fork has a 'receiver' for the fork rod) or the late style (fork has a hole in the end with a depression for the rubber grommet to sit in...)

I have noticed that in the late versions that getting a replacement fork rod is the fix (the rod for 'A' bodies are longer by an inch or two than the OEM versions... or at least the V-8 version that some people swap in)...

another thing to look for is the throwout bearing placement... I had the bearing come loose from the fork one day while 'clutched' and it stayed in gear and the bearing was wedged in the actuators on the clutch... I changed that one out for an OEM one and haven't had any problems (the Chinese one went into the #$%^ can...)


-D.Idiot

It is the old style with the pin to hold the adjustment rod on the fork.

With a prybar it still did not seem to release.

I will have to look at throwout brg placement, I may have to install the old one.

Thanks DI

TopHat

tight pilot bushing ? did the trans slip in easy ? is the disk facing the proper way? good luck..

I did not change the bushing since I had just put it in 1300 miles ago. Nope the disk was facing the right way. What was it? The #$%&ing disk was about 1/16" to big. It was catching on the pressure-plate mounting ears. I clearanced the ears with an air grinder and a flat ended burr, it wasn't enough. I had to chuck up the friction disk in the brake-lathe and take an angle grinder with a sandpaper disk on it and knock off about 1/8" from the OD of it. Then it worked smooth as butter. Strangely enough, I did not need the allen head bolts, the factory bolts had plenty of room for a socket. As a side note the orange "depot" is NOT the place to go buy bolts, even though they are stainless, the allen heads round out very easy.

I did get it done, there are some nice peg leg black marks in front if the shop to prove the clutch works. Yeha I know, the 7.25 wont take much of that I guess I be at pull a part soon looking for a new rear again. Whats the chances of a 318-904 85 5th ave having an 8.25? I know it wont be a "favorable" ratio, but I have it still in the car, and I can change ratio's. Hopefully, keeping it full of fresh, (maybe synthetic?) oil will help it last a bit.

Thanks for all the ideas guy's, I guess we can add this to the lists of pains in the ass that come from the Zone, good to know before you "get in the zone"


TopHat


ps. I promise to update the optimum rpm thread as soon as I get the rad fixed. (blew on the way home tonight)

I guess that's a new definition of 'not releasing'... glad it was something simple to fix...



-D.Idiot

An 8 1/4 out of a 5th Ave would be too would be too wide for and early A-body.

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I've never done a 10" clutch conversion, but I seem to recall there also being an issue with the bolts...special step-head bolts needed to clear the larger 10" clutch disc. This sound familiar to anyone?

(And yeah, AutoZone's parts just keep on getting crappier and crappier. They're not even pretending to sell good stuff any more. Needed a cap and rotor during the Wisconsin Adventure. They didn't carry any real ones, just "DuraLast" garbage. Must've taken some real brains to think it was a good idea to apply a brand name that has the word "last" in it, but at least it's truth in advertising. )

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Depot bolts? Yipe. I'd switch those out.

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/6 '67 Barracuda convertible, electronic ignition, 4-OD, street cam, SBP KH discs, 3.55 SG 7.25" 1" t-bars. Bilstein.
340 '67 fastback, Doug Nash 5-speed.
1988 Toyota pickup work truck

Yep, and they are still used, I had gotten a Mopar Performance kit a while back with 'both' sets of bolts in it, the regular size for the 9.25" clutch and a step headed version that I think may be used on the more modern truck clutches....

Mostly the problems with using the 9.25" hex heads instead of the step headed bolts for the 10" clutch caused problems with the bolt heads contacting the bellhousing and causing heads to 'nick' the bell making noise and or binding up the clutch housing against the bell... This writeup occurred over at the tailfins site, long ago and far away...


-D.Idiot

The Home Depot bolts were taken back out and I used the stock 1/2" headed bolts with no problem, had plenty of room for a socket.
I remember Xzibit, on Pimp My Ride said many times "There is no AUTO in HomeDepot"
I thought so.
I read this on here too, but I was able to use factory bolts. Yes, AutoZone parts, especially DuraLast are the bottom of the barrel.


TopHat

I just did the exact same thing with the same problem, just tried to drive the car today and was like WTF!? about to post when I found this so I feel better now knowing it's not just me if you could put up a diagram of what was hitting where so I know where to clearence I would really appreciate it

I used hardware store grade 8 bolts and washers on the 10" clutch with no problems as far as that goes, just the disengaging issue

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currently restoring a 64 valiant

Do you have a part number / source for the A body fork rod?

I don't have pictures, maybe I could find another disk and take some. Here is what was going on. Right where the pressure plate bolts to the flywheel, the outer edge of the friction disk is hitting the pressure plate. The pressure plate is "disengaging" from the friction plate and the flywheel, but the edge of the friction plate is catching the pressure plate "basket" with its outer edge. Look at the outer edge of the disk, does the friction material extend about an eighth of an inch from the metal core? This was my problem, the disk is just to big in diameter.
How I fixed it. I removed the friction disk from the car, and chucked it up in the brake lathe at work, (where the car was stuck) I spun the disk at "low" speed, maybe 150~200 rpm. I used an air powered angle grinder with a 3M 2" sandpaper disk to grind the outer diameter of the disk down about 1/8", just till I started to hit the metal core and get sparks. Everything went back togeather and worked smooth as silk.

It is important to "spin the disk" as you grind it. A drill press may work, an electric drill in a bench vise could also work if it was slow enough. You don't want to get it ground "off center" or it will vibrate.

Hope this helps, it drove me nuts.


TopHat

I got my last one from Brewer's Performance (A-body), they have an online store... the price was much better than trying to order a Mopar Performance part and paying for the shipping on that...

-D.Idiot