FE Power Forums
FE Power Forums => FE Technical Forum => Topic started by: feadam on May 02, 2018, 09:06:56 AM
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Can a clutch arm be changed with everything in car, trans, bellhousing etc. I have a clutch arm I need to change out and everything is in car.
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No sir.
The fork pivot bracket and the throw out bearing will have you bound up where you can't move it.
Trans will have to come out.
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Just trans has to come out and then it can be changed or does bell housing also have to come off
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You can do it with the bell on.
TOB unclips from fork. Fork unclips from bell pivot.
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Are the clutch forks the same for most top loaders no matter which engine
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No, they are different between big block and small block.
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Anybody got a big block arm they want to sell
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I think they are shaped different depending on what body , even with fe 's
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the bracket on the bell housing has a hole in it that clip on arm is suppose to slid through is this right? The lakewood bell housing I have has a T like bracket that I'm assuming is wrong because my arm has a clip that looks like it needs a slotted bracket. Does anyone have experience with the bell housing bracket and arms that could give me some guidance?
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Ford used 2 different styles of clutch fork fulcrums, the first style has a small tab, which is used to retain the fork with a small spring wire. The early forks have a small hole on either side of the pivot groove, the retaining wire has a hook on either end that fits into the holes, and the curve in the center is hooked over the tab on the fulcrum. Around 1968 or so, Ford changed the fork and fulcrum design, the forks now used a flat "leaf spring" rivited to the fork, and the fulcrum got a rectangular hole below the pivot end, so the forks flat spring slides into the hole, and retains the fork on the fulcrum. Personally, I prefer the later flat spring style, as trying to hook or unhook the wire retainer can be quite a pain without damaging the wire.
As for replacing the clutch fork with the trans and bellhousing in place, I have never been able to do that, as the clearance between the fulcrum and Long style pressure plate does not provide adequate room to slide the fork between the pressure plate and fulcrum, I always have to remove, or possibly unbolt the bellhousing enough to pull the bellhousing back enough to let the fork slip thru. Perhaps the shorter height of a diaphram pressure plate may allow the fork to squeeze past, but I have never owned a FE with a diaphram clutch, so I can not say for certain I have owned several Lakewood Ford scattershields, none were supplied with the fulcrum (pivot bracket), you normally need to either remove and reuse your old bellhousings fulcrum, or buy a new one.
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Both Brent and Rory are correct but keep in mind that a small input trans takes a different fork than a big input. The flat spring clip is definitely better than the wire spring setup although either will work. Also the vehicle you are putting this into may make a difference. The good news is most of this stuff is available depending on which direction you decide to go. Bad news is the bell may have to come off.
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I have small input trans but big input later 428 arm, can i still use arm? everything seems to work other than bracket
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nope. the big 428 arm has a wider fork on the end of it for a bigger throw-out bearing to ride in the big input shaft of the tranny. throw-out bearing is a smaller size for the small input shaft.
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nope. the big 428 arm has a wider fork on the end of it for a bigger throw-out bearing to ride in the big input shaft of the tranny. throw-out bearing is a smaller size for the small input shaft.
Actually, you can and I did although it's certainly not ideal. The clips on the small bearing should spread enough to fit on the wide fork. The problem will be the bearing wanting to fall off while you try to stab the transmission back in. If you have everything apart try it first then decide if you need the correct fork.
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so ordered a new fork and bracket from MACS today. This cobra is getting expensive, arm and bracket were 130