Clutch help in 71 with 5 speed please.

[timsz]

I have a 81-83 5 speed in my 71. I have an ACT street, race clutch and pressure plate. I have a Fidanza aluminum flywheel and a 1 1/2 inch clutch collar. I have a new master cylinder and a new non- adjustable slave cylinder. The car hasn't been driven. When the engine is running, it won't go into gear. It's been bled and the clutch fork and pushrod seem to be working properly. Do I need a different length collar ? The clutch release bearing is on properly, isn't it ? Do I have to adjust it at the master cylinder ? The pushrod on the slave cylinder seems to go out all the way though. I dropped the transmission to see if I had the disc on backwards ( I didn't ) and to see what size collar I had. Any help ? Thank you very much.

[esmit208]

If you have an adjustment on the slave the combination may be that and the adjustment on the clutch arm itself. I had the same issue on a friend's ZX. No slave cylinder adjustment but clutch arm adjustment. Be patient good luck!

[Zed Head]

17 minutes ago, timsz said:

I dropped the transmission to see if I had the disc on backwards

Is it out now?  Take the measurement shown in my picture.  Should be around 92 mm to the surface the fork rides on.  You don't seem to be measuring anything in yours, the tape is just laying there.  The bearing looks right.

 

[Zpat]

I had the exact same problem when I installed a new performance clutch. I left the original thrust bearing in place and after installing the new clutch I could not get it to engage. I contacted the clutch manufacturer and they provided a new significantly taller bearing. Once I installed the taller unit, the clutch would engage and it just required a little adjustment at the slave cylinder. Works perfectly. See picture of bearings side by side. Shorter bearing would not reach the pressure plate...

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[Diseazd]

This is what Zhead is talking about....92 mm is what you are looking for....more or less and it's trouble!

[siteunseen]

If the taller collar doesn't let it go in gear you may have the same thing I ran into when I put a zx 5 speed in my 240. The shift rod had to be ground a little above the pivot ball on bottom. It wouldn't go in 4th and reverse I think. I'll find the thread and post it in the morning just in case that might have some interference as well.

[timsz]

Thank you very much. I'll try some options.

[siteunseen]

If your's won't go into any gear it's most likely what Zed head and Diseazed said above, you need the taller collar.  Mine would go into a few but pop out of the rest when I released the clutch.  Anyway, here's what fixed mine.

Here's the attachments I found.  The Sharpie circles are where it was hitting.  I ground those spots down.

And the fix for me.

[timsz]

I forgot to mention that when it's not running it goes into all gears.

[timsz]

The measurement is 3 5/8 in. - which is 92.075 mm.

[Mark Maras]

 The measurement in post #5 shows the top of the fingers being the reference point. 

[Zed Head]

I think that's where his steel rule is sitting.  Looks right.

Next check would be the MC, assuming that the system was properly bled.  There are two seals in the MC, one to move the piston and generate pressure, the other to keep the fluid inside if the first piston fails.  If you didn't already have it apart we would have asked you to press the pedal and measure how far the slave piston moved.  Since it's apart, I'd try to rig up a device that will hold the slave piston in its bore and see if pressing the clutch pedal forces it to move.  Might take some ingenuity.

But, the pressure plate and collar look like a good matched set.

p.s.  You know, if you put the wood on the top and the steel rule on the side you wouldn't have to do the conversion math.  Just saying....