Top Loader clutch linkage

smithers · 05-19-2007, 06:31 PM

Pulled out of the driveway and as I shifted into 2nd the clutch pedal went straight to the floor. I coasted to the side of the road, then pushed it back to the garage with the neighbor's help. Anyone got a diagram of the clutch linkage/layout for a 70 toploader 4 speed? It's gotta be something in the pedal/linkage/connection to the transmission that popped loose or broke. Clutch worked fine before, but now just goes straight to the floor. Thanks.

JDM4401 · 05-19-2007, 07:13 PM

Is there any resistance if you push the pedal in or pull back on it? This happened to me once in my ford truck. The rod that connects the pedal to the equalizer bar snapped in half.

Hope you find whats wrong.

Jason

jmoffett · 05-19-2007, 08:31 PM

I would say either the Z bar broke or the equalizer rod fell out. Here is a diagram to the '71-3 setup. I would imagine it's close enough to determine what's wrong with yours.

smithers · 05-19-2007, 08:44 PM

I suspect that's right, can you resend/revise the link, it doesn't open? Thanks.

67Rally · 05-19-2007, 10:32 PM

66,

That same thing happened to me. My equalizer bar snapped...almost right in the middle.

The nice part about it was that it happened in San Pedro on a Friday evening...no luck of getting a part until the next morning. My car would have been stripped by then.

Fortunately, my ship (I was in the navy at the time) was a few miles away. A buddy of mine picked me up, took me back to the ship where hooked up with one of our MRs and we fabbed up another threaded rod from stainless stock. I had to turn the bloody thing down to the right dimension and then cut the threads.

It is still in place after 21 years. Sorry for the de-rail.

jmoffett · 05-19-2007, 11:21 PM

That link should work now.

Tims65 · 05-20-2007, 09:14 AM

This is linkage from a '65, but I believe they are similar.

Hemikiller · 05-20-2007, 09:27 AM

Here's the 70 clutch linkage diagram...
70 CLUTCH LINKAGE

jmoffett · 05-20-2007, 09:42 AM

Ah, come on, Dennis. What's he gonna do with the correct information?

smithers · 05-20-2007, 01:31 PM

Thanks for taking the time to reply (I couldn't print out the whole page for the 70 clutch http for some reason, just 1/2 of it?). Anyways, jacked it up and went underneath. What happened was the equalizer bar somehow popped out of the clutch release lever. There's an indentation on the clutch lever I assume it's supposed to lay in (there is a 1/4" or so hole just beneath the indentation - should the equalizer bar rest in it?). Oddly, you can hold the clutch lever and pull the equalizer bar out relatively easily - should it be that easy? I put the equalizer rod into the indentation and the clutch now seems to work fine (have yet to start it up as the baby's napping

) with the engine off. I'm concerned this could happen again, any comments/suggestions? Thanks again for the input and assistance.

Tims65 · 05-20-2007, 03:30 PM

There should be a spring (part A19 in the diagram above) that goes from the shock tower to the clutch release lever. It keep tension on the bottom push rod and keeps it in place.

Tim

jmoffett · 05-20-2007, 03:50 PM

The equalizer rod is threaded at the end opposite from the tapered end. There will be two nuts (33799-S on the diagram hemikiller posted) on it and these are for adjustment. Thread the nuts out away from the equalizer bar until there is no slack, then tighten one of the nuts down against the other as a lock nut.

smithers · 05-20-2007, 05:19 PM

Tims65 - That makes sense, it goes in the hole at the end of the clutch lever. Where on the shock tower would it attach? I don't have one, I assume I'll need it.

Jmoffet - Doesn't that action adjust the engagement of the clutch via the pedal (ie when you push in the clutch this varies the distance from the floor that the clutch engages)? Would it also serve to hold the equalizer bar in place with the clutch lever? In conjunction with the aforementioned A-19 spring?

Thanks again for taking the time to respond.

jmoffett · 05-20-2007, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 66EmbergloGTConvertible

What happened was the equalizer bar somehow popped out of the clutch release lever. There's an indentation on the clutch lever I assume it's supposed to lay in (there is a 1/4" or so hole just beneath the indentation - should the equalizer bar rest in it?). Oddly, you can hold the clutch lever and pull the equalizer bar out relatively easily - should it be that easy?

When you say equalizer bar popped out, are you referring to the rod that is tapered at one end and threaded at the other? If it's loose in between the clutch lever and the Z-bar (equalizer bar), it shouldn't be. Use those nuts to snug it up.

VictorII · 05-21-2007, 03:09 PM

Good info here. Be sure that spring (A19) is in place. Also, if your Z-bar is a repop, it is likely prone to bending. That's what happened to me so I had a gusset welded in andthat took care of it.