M-21 clutch

So I just installed mt first muncie behind a 454 in my straight axle 58 chevy. Everything seemed to go together ok, and the car moves under its own power but I have a very stiff clutch pedal thats hard to push, then gives after an initial "hump". when letting the clutch out in gear, Im carefully raising my foot to that "hump" point then the car lurtches forward. Any ideas? the car does have a pretty beefy looking return spring under the dash.

 

What clutch did you put it? Some are very stiff. Is it stock linkage? If not, the geometry could be off. Check for binding or, misaligned parts.

 

Mechanical clutch linkage? I'd start by looking at alignment through the linkage and points of potential binding.

 

Sounds like the arms coming off your Z-bar aren't aligned correctly. Have a buddy work the clutch [engine off] while you watch the clutch linkage work, especially that Z-bar.

 

You should check the operation of the clutch fork & Throw Out bearing prior to mating it to the block.

I had premature clutch ware & cracked front breaing reatainer(where the T.O. bearing slides on) do to a to a replacement "Heavy Duty" clutch fork.

Problem: Inbetween the fingers on the T.O. bearing side of the fork was make a little contact with the T.O. bearing, I did a little grinding on the fork in that area clearance. Worked great there after.

 

After installing everything and cleaning up my garage, I found a paper that came in the clutch box that gave a warning about how the thrust bearing is installed. Fork AND clip in the bearing groove. I may have only put the fork in the groove and the clip on the outside of it. If Im making sense, does anyone know if this would cause a problem?

 

Diapham pressure plated work best for real world driving. Long or Borg&Beck styles are stiffer.

 

Yeah, the clip probally broke. Take it back out.

 

Dont worry, everyone does that. I think I did that my first time.

 

this is pretty much exactly what the clutch kit looked like

 

Im jealous

 

Clutchs are not stiff, pressure plates are stiff. They are rated in pounds, as is pounds of pressure. But I would bet you have something binding in your linkage.

 

I thought that was one of those required things that happened when you started working on cars.


On that particular clutch setup Chris, it looks to be a pretty serious compe***ion clutch and not one most guys would choose for a street cruiser. It should hook great if and when you run the car at the strip though.
From reading the specs on it or one really close to it. I'd say it is designed to hook up quick and is doing exactly what it is designed to do.
Ceramic Six Puck Sprung 1620 Series Disc

This 6 puck Ceramic disc is designed for the serious enthusiast with considerable modifications. This disc features 12 high-coefficient ceramic pads for quick engagement and the extreme duty friction needed. Our specifically designed high torque disc delivers maximum holding capacity without compromise. The sprung retainer ***embly boasts 6 dual springs and 6 severe duty retainer rivets, ensuring power and reliability.

From this site http://www.compe***ionclutch.com/store/dsp_part_detail.php?vinvid=2830 and if not the same clutch it's one that's real close to the same.

 

Its a zoom clutch, not sure what part #. I can find out.

 

So its a Zoom clutch # 30015. Can the thrust bearing / clutch fork issue mentioned earlier be fixed through the clutch window? Or do I need to drop the trans?

 

You havent pulled it yet? Actually You just need to pull the gearbox out, you could leave the bell housing attached.