87 dodge d-150 slant 6 with 4 speed manual 2 wheel drive. Replaced worn out clutch, pilot bearing, throwout bearing and new fluid. Trans shift thru the gears fine with motor off. No shift when motor is running. I do think there is more play in pedal than before approx 1 inch. It seems softer too but maybe that's my imagination This has a slave hydraulic cylinder for the clutch which is full.

Here is what I know.

1> start up motor in neutral and can't shift into any gear - lot's of resistance on shifter arm.
2> start up motor in 1st gear with clutch pedal depressed - can't pull out of gear. If I left up on the clutch the rear wheels spin.

I don't see any adjustment on the clutch linkage. I can barely see a gap on the clutch disc if someone steps on the clutch. Not sure how big this gap should be. We tried bleeding the slave cylinder too. The pedal is loose at the top and then when you press to the floor it get's real hard and that's when we noticed the slave cylinder bracket flexes at this point.
With a mirror in the inspection port the bearing looks to be sitting on all three fingers correctly.

Ideas please....

Thks

Update:

Looking at my old clutch disc on the bench I see one side has the center spline collar sticking up further than the other side by almost 3/4 of an inch. I marked the longer side as going against the throwout bearing and short side of the collar on flywheel /motor side. Looking up with a mirror a can see the long side is towards the throwout bearing as I see a big step in the collar, so I believe all is well there.

Is your new pressure plate a diaphragm type? I have never been able to get one of those to release cleanly, but others have. I believe they adjust the piviot point on the clutch fork. Just a thought. Also if the new disc is too thick you will have a problem similar to what you are experiencing. I was going to say you have the disc upside down but it sounds like that isn't the problem.

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If you didn't drive it there, it's not a street car.

How do I tell if it's a diaphram type? I'm not sure what I have.

Diaphragm clutchs have a large number of pointed metal fingers. The Borg and Beck clutches which were standard and most Slants have three larger levers that contact the throwout bearing. What was the diameter of the clutch you put in, measured at the disc. Was it just a standard replacement or was there something special about it?

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If you didn't drive it there, it's not a street car.

Okay I have the tree finger setup that sits on the throw out bearing. I now recall what the diaphram ones look like. Disc measures 10 " across. Nothing special about clutch I purchased from Car Quest Auto that I know of. Supposed to be stock replacement - box says premium clutch kit

Thks

Look and see if there could be any interference between the edge of the disc and the cover hold down bolts. The 10" clutch usually requires a bolt with a 7/16" hex head and about a 1/4" high shoulder to provide clearance. If you used regular cover bolts with a 1/2" hex head they may be dragging.

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If you didn't drive it there, it's not a street car.

Looking at my old clutch on the bench I see what your talking about and how close the bolt holes are too the clutch disc. Not sure what I have as I replaced with what came out. I think they were 3/8 heads on the bolts if I remember correctly. I'll try to take a look in there again this morning to see if i see anything new.

I'm not sure this will work but I'm thinking to remove the trans again and perhaps by hand I can line up the throw out bearing while someone steps on the clutch to see better. I'm real concerned about the binding I'm seeing at the slave cylinder bracket when clutch pedal is depressed. Perhaps if iI can dublicate this with just the tranny off I could then tear everything apart and reinstall old clutch & pressure plate and possibly throwout bearing to find out what's wrong.

Thks

Took it all apart and no smoking gun. One other question - I don't understand why but the book mentions marking the clutch plate to flywheel relationship with a punch. This makes no sense to me except if you were not replacing the disc and clutch plate with a new one. But I did notice that the old clutch plate and new plate and flywheel all have a punch mark on them. I didn't notice this on install and wondering about that now.

Reading through this thread it seems like the elephant in the room is the fiber never letting go of the flywheel. The part that confuses me is that you say it spins the wheels when you start up in 1 with the clutch engaged then let go of the pedal. The only thing I can think of that would stop you from shifting is if the clutch isn't fully releasing, but you say it can start up in 1 without turning the wheels?

Can you have someone push the clutch while you look up at it from under the car with the inspection cover off? Check for clearance/ release of pressure. Should be able to spin the driveshaft in gear without trying to spin the motor. Possibly the throwout bearing is spaced too far from the 'fingers' on the pressure plate?

Good luck

rdr

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madam im adam

"start up motor in 1st gear with clutch pedal depressed - can't pull out of gear. If I left up on the clutch the rear wheels spin. "

radar on wheels - Thanks for the reply, I think you might have misinterpreted my comment or I didn't explain it clear enough on the rear wheels spinning. This is only when I start releasing the clutch (lifting my foot off clutch pedal with the engine running in 1st gear do the wheels start to spin which is normal.

See my next post for more..

So I took the trans out and lined up throw bearing over the fingers (have to recenter each time we step on the clutch as it shifts a little). Stepped on clutch and it doesn't feel right going down (to easy). Also letting up on the clutch pedal it doesn't feel like much back pressure from the clutch springs. Did note that the bracket for the slave cylinder flexes a little. I can't say if it was like that or not before I took it apart. I then proceeded to remove bell housing and clutch. Again no smoking gun.

Installed old disc, old throw out bearing and old pressure plate without installing the trans. The pedal now feels like it used to feel, I can feel pressure when releasing the clutch pedal now but the slave cylinder bracket still does move some. We also checked that the disc could move freely now with the clutch pedal pushed in. Something I'm not seeing with the new parts which I assume is why I can't shift. We then installed the new throw out bearing (slight difference in shape new to old) and everything still feels like it should work so although we can't see anything wrong with the pressure plate assy it it looks like the new one is bad. I guess there is a slight chance the new disc is bad as we did not test that. It should be noted this was an open box when purchased. The clutch assy that came out was a borg and beck and so is the new one.

Thks

Just a couple quick thoughts,does the new clutch disk slide on and off trans in put shaft with out hanging up/binding? Also look over the pressure plate assembly real close,maybe something boundup misassembled inside there or Wong Fu's lost chopstick inside there from the factory? Just wondering,good luck.

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83 B-150 slant 6,4 speed. 79 B-300 360 pathfinder 4x4. 74 W-300 318 4x4 git-r-done 80 B-100 sl6,4speed

That's funny "Wong Fu's lost chopstick inside there from the factory"!

I will doube check the disc sliding on and off nicely. Thks

2 thoughts...
A bent disc can result in poor release. (and chatter) Test the disc by spinning it on the trans input shaft.

New clutch assemblies tend to drag at first. Sometimes you need to set the brake, block the wheels, put the trans in gear, keep the clutch peddle fully depresses and start the engine, then "work" the clutch a little. Let-up on the peddle and "load" the engine, like you would to get the vehicle going from a standing start.
Once the disc has been "rubbed-in" a little, it will release a little better.
DD