O/T truck clutch problems

old · Oct 24, 2008

Well today when I was driving to town my clutch pedal all of a sudden felt funny and got real easy to push down. Hard to shift into the gears etc but it came and went off and on. I figure the throw out bearing is going bad. So any body have ideas of an easy way to slide the tranny back and slide it forward again with out lowering it much if any out of the truck. Its a 1980 Chev 4X4 pick up that I use to haul all my tractors. I know there is no way I can take it out and lower it down and then be able to put it back in so I have to figure out how to slide it back and forward easy or pay around $700 to have it done for me and the clutch parts are only $130 for all the parts
Hobby farm

Roy in georgia · Oct 24, 2008

I don"t think there is enough room to do what you want unless it has a body lift. you can take the transfer case off first and then pull the trans it will be a lot easier to do. I know you can weld a carriage for it so that you can use a floor jack and handle it safely. the transfer case may have a seal or just a gasket or maybe just rtv so it is not a problem at all only a couple bucks extra if you need a new gasket as you will prob. make your own out of gasket material.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 24, 2008

I modified a 4 wheel floor jack by removing the casting on top, replaced it with a steel plate with chains welded to it. Tightened it to the tranny and it was easy to drop and pull out from underneath.

Mark-Mi · Oct 24, 2008

Came and went off and on.Not the throw out bearing.Does it have hydraulic actuater.If it were mechanical linkage I would think once it bent or broke it would act the same.Possible pressure plate.
I have pulled em with a floorjack.Anybody that can split an old tractor like you,can pull that trans with a floor jack.Mark

old · Oct 24, 2008

I have a transmission jack but the problem is no cement floor so rolling it is hard even on the 3/4 ich plywood I have on the gravel floor. My thinking is to take apiece of square iron and put it into the windows and hang my 1 ton chain hoist on it and rap a chain around the tranny that way I can pull it back and raise or lower it as needed. What do you think. It has a big floor pan that I can remove so the top of the tranny will be out in the open sort of
Hobby farm

Allan in NE · Oct 24, 2008

First check that left motor mount. If the engine comes up the clutch goes wacky because it's linkage pivots at the frame.

Also check and see if the transmission/hogshead bolts have loosened and have let things come apart. An eighth of an inch makes a lot of difference down at the clutch.

If that fork and/or clutch has to come outta there, it is 100 times easier to yank the engine forward and up, turn it sideways, rattle on a new clutch assembly and drop 'er back in the hole.

Ya don't even have to pull the hood.

Allan

Hoosier Pete · Oct 24, 2008

This is kinda a wild guess but had it happen once. The ball the throw out brg. fork pivots on was worn almost clear through the fork. When driving while it was raining the splash from the road would get to the fork / pivot ball and lubricate it enough to make it easy to push pedal. Dry weather the pedal felt like the pressure plate was collapsing.

old · Oct 24, 2008

Mounts are good, checked that. Bolts are tight also checked that. It been one of those things where one time it will shift easy then the next time hard then easy again and then today it just plain got noisy as in to keep it quite you had to ride the clutch pedal. So I figure it has to be either the throw out bearing going bad or maybe the clutch disk is coming apart or the pressure plate has so odd problem. I'd think about pulling the engine forward but only hoist I have is over head so I would have to pull the hood and a lot of other stuff where as if I pull the tranny its the drive shafts and the cover plate and then slip it back

Crem · Oct 24, 2008

I once had a similar problem like that on a vehicle and after I tore it apart, I found out that the linkage was the problem. Where the arm part was welded on the pipe that turns on the bushings, it had started tearing away at the weld and I got less and less movement at the clutch as it slowly tore away.

trucker40 · Oct 24, 2008

You can put a 4x4 across the windows and use a come a long to raise and lower the trans.If you have 2 come a longs use one to hang the trans,then hook up one to pull it back and its not too bad to change a throw out bearing.You might want to figure out a way to hold the weight with an A frame to keep from messing up your doors or if you can somehow hang the 4x4 from rafters or something at least on one side so you dont have to climb in the window,or iron will work instead of a 4x4.You might want to put something under the 4x4 or iron to spread out the weight on the door.Ive done it before a couple of times.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 24, 2008

You might check your clutch reservoir to make sure you got enough fluid in it. On my 1996 Chevy, its a little round black plastic reservoir right tight to the brake fluid reservoir. On my truck, the clutch also uses brake fluid.

I'd check that first before making arrangements for a clutch kit. I think your pretty mechanically inclined so you probably have already done so, but I thought I'd mention it.

Roy in georgia · Oct 24, 2008

that jack will roll ok if you separate the trans and 4x4 case plywood works good for that if the part being rolled is not too heavy and the jack wheels are oiled and free

Anonymous-0 · Oct 24, 2008

I might suggest you look into a South Bend Clutch as a replacement. If you pull a lot they are hard to beat. Can look up the number but a quick google search should find them!

ericlb · Oct 24, 2008

old i just did my 83, if you dont have ac, its much faster to use a tractor with a loader and come along and pull the engine, i will say that while your in there replace it all, all 4 pieces of clutch, the fork too, and i changed out the ball on the bell housing and accidently solved a clutch problem i had been fighting for years, the ball had worn on one side and the fork would cock to one side when it was pushed into the throwout bearing, now the clutch is almost as easy as the newer hydraulic ones, if you cant pull the engine, id get a sheet of plywood and a sheet of massonite to put on the plywood and pull the tranny and transfer case togeather with the transmission jack, the wood will work for that once

old · Oct 24, 2008

This one is old enough to have manual linkage so no fluid to check. I even tried to adjust it and it was better for the first push down or 2 then started to work bad again so I know its the clutch its self or the parts that go with the system. Years ago I could pull a 3 speed out install a new clutch and have it back up and on the road in less then 2 hours but that was before my back and shoulder problems
Hobby farm

old · Oct 24, 2008

I'm come a long poor so thats not problem. Been thinking about moving the chain hoist up one beam and then hang the iron bar on the other beam with 2 com-a-longs and then the chain hoist on it inside the truck. Wish I was still younger and did not have the back problem because back then it was a 2 or 3 hour job now it will probably take me 2 days

old · Oct 24, 2008

Ya had that problem on this one not long ago and replaced both sides on that ball area so I know thats not it. Wish it was but I fixed that this summer

Anonymous-0 · Oct 25, 2008

The plywood is certainly a good idea- makes things easier to roll across. Time to call in the troops- your son? I know that you are disabled, so limited on movement, etc. This year has been similar to me- VA gave me an epidural last week, so the back is better, at least for a few months. Today I found out I need a hip replacement- and I consider that a good thing- it's bad enough to warrant a new one. Sure beats putting up with the current situation until it deteriorates more- been five years since I got hit by the boss's truck.

Janicholson · Oct 25, 2008

A simple accessory is long threaded rod, or plain shanked studs to allow the two to remain aligned during the process. I would also make very sure the pivot ball in the bell housing and fork that does the work are not damaged. These may be able to be repaired W/O full removal of the trans. If the clutch is holding the engine torque, I would look to the internal linkage. (You indicate you have confidence in the Bell crank/ and external linkage) Jim

Anonymous-0 · Oct 25, 2008

Have the same truck an '80 K10, converted to a 4 speed, when I put the transmission in, I installed it as a unit, crossmember in all, using a floor jack, in the dirt in one of our equipment yards, that trans and transfer case together was heavy, but it was not too bad to put in, by myself, thinking about this now, working under it without a trans jack or something similar, pulling the engine off the mounts or rigging through the cab, still have to align that shaft or keep it lined up, a helper would be a big plus, I can't imagine doing this without just dropping the trans, reverse of what I did when I installed it. That bronze pilot bearing sure is buried in there. Still hard to believe I did that entire job alone, seemed to be do-able as a unit, no way I could have hefted either of those seperately and still get em set. Do recall the auto and standard cross members were different too. Like you said too, big difference in what you can do in what amount of time as age creeps on us, used to work off a creeper and or underneath quite often, now it's a little tougher, takes more time etc.

old · Oct 25, 2008

My sons sort of down right now because of his motorcycle wreak but have a friend that if he gets off work early enough said he would come out and help but I'll not hold my breath for him to do so. Ya it sucks to get older because the thing we us to do are so much harder to do now

O/T truck clutch problems

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