I was putting the white 62 Valiant together today in hopes of being able to drive it down to Knoxville on Thursday. Things were going pretty well until I tried to connect up the clutch linkage. The clutch throwout fork didn't seem to look right and appeared to be jammed. The fork appears to be contacting the throwout bearing in the right place. Things are kind of tight in the bellhousing, but I got my finger underneath the fork on both sides of the bracket that mounts it to the bell housing. It feels like the springy deal that holds the fork to the bracket isn't through the hole in the bracket but instead is curled up on the outside of the bracket.

Has anybody else encountered this problem, and more importantly is there a way to fix it short of pulling the transmission and bell housing?

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

I have always had to pull the trans to deal with fork/TO bearing issues. You should not have to remove the bell.

Is this on the 10" clutch?

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

I fought this fight an' won.

Note where the flat of the rod connecting your Z-bar to fork is located. Pull boot from bell housing,using a good light note relative position of fork/throw out bearing.Is it evenly centered and flat to the bearing?If not move your attention back to the ball stud,and note the flat spring that holds the fork to the stud, this spring must be flat NOT off set,or z shaped, if it is(mine was) all the spring clips you replace will never hold the fork in place,luckily they are inexpensive,tho our time isn't free is it?My dealer had a fork in stock,forget the cost but it was pricey.and a third set of springs,they come in pairs and only once did I replace both at the same time.The new clips have a strait leg that passes thru the throw out bearing and you bend it 90 degrees to keep it locked in place.
If you elect to remove the fork disconnect it from the z-bar and give it a yank,it replaces in the reverse order.
Note: if new fork isn't available one of a gunsmiths main abilities is making or re-working springs.
robert, hoping you get it right the first time!