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.
