Proper Clutch Pedal Travel ?

[Racer57]

70 Cuda 383, Ram HD Diaphragm clutch, Tremec 5 speed.

My clutch issues are fixed finally. But one last question so I'm sure its done.  What is the proper amount of pedal "free" travel at the top and from the carpet before car wants to creep ? 

[Chryco Psycho]

The top should have approx 1" of travel so the release brg is not in contact all the time BUT with diaphragm clutches this is hard to do without the over center spring to pull hte pedal up at the top of the travel .
The distance at the bottom off the floor can vary a lot with the type of clutch & ratio of the leverage.

[dodj]

Mines about 1" from the floor, more at the top..maybe 2"?

[Racer57]

Mines about 1" from the floor, more at the top..maybe 2"?

Its impossible for me to get that kind of travel. I have 1" at bottom and top. What kind of clutch ? If B&B would that make a difference as compared to a diaphragm ? 

[Chryco Psycho]

These cars were never designed for a diaphragm clutch it it doesn't work correctly , hard to keep free play at the top .
The Large overcenter spring attached to the pedal helps keep the play at the top by pulling the pedal up but also assists in depressing the clutch pedal pulling the pedal down , this spring is generally removed by people when using a diaphragm clutch , the ratio / leverage also changes , the pedal should be able to rise at least a couple of inches before the clutch starts to move the car .
CForce clutches seem to be the worst , I have seen the pedal stay on the floor with High RPM shifts & have had them fail in a weekend ,yup only lasting 3 days , I believe the centrifical weights can hold the clutch disengaged at higher RPM < I recommend a rev limiter to protect the engine .

[dodj]

Mines about 1" from the floor, more at the top..maybe 2"?

Its impossible for me to get that kind of travel. I have 1" at bottom and top. What kind of clutch ? If B&B would that make a difference as compared to a diaphragm ?

Interesting...noting CP's clutch experience.......I have a Centerforce diaphragm clutch. I'm not as hard on them as Neil I guess...lol

An original style clutch will definitely make a difference. As CP said, that's what they were designed for. For myself, I will never go back to a B&B style though. For a street driven non-race car, imo, diaphragm clutches are great.

[dodj]

I had issues with clutch engagement initially...until I discovered I was running an A body fork, maybe wrong pivot as well? Can't remember for sure. it was over 20 years ago now.

[Racer57]

I had issues with clutch engagement initially...until I discovered I was running an A body fork, maybe wrong pivot as well? Can't remember for sure. it was over 20 years ago now.

I've wondered about that. How do I find out which one I have ?

[RUNCHARGER]

My experience has been the same as CP's. One problem right away is those little fingers in a diaphraghm clutch bending. Others swear by them though, I swear at them. I set clutches with 1 inch freeplay at the top and with all stock linkage, clutch style I never have had a problem. More than 1 inch freeplay at the top and the pedal won't return all the way up anyway.

[Chryco Psycho]

For a cruiser Maybe ,
If you bang  fast shift @ 6K & have the pedal stay on the floor Yikes as the tach hits 8K .
Might have less to do with how hard I am on things as the power I typically extract !
I hate CF , no good experiences .

[Racer57]

For a cruiser Maybe ,
If you bang  fast shift @ 6K & have the pedal stay on the floor Yikes as the tach hits 8K .
Might have less to do with how hard I am on things as the power I typically extract !
I hate CF , no good experiences .

4k is about as high as I take it. I have shifted twice stomping on the clutch without letting off the throttle. 1st time I thought I was a pro. 2nd and last time, I bent a shift fork. 

[dodj]

I had issues with clutch engagement initially...until I discovered I was running an A body fork, maybe wrong pivot as well? Can't remember for sure. it was over 20 years ago now.

I've wondered about that. How do I find out which one I have ?

I don't know other than to buy a set for an ebody and see if they are different? You might just end up with spares though. Or maybe you have a buddy with an ebody that will let you compare?

[dodj]

I hate CF , no good experiences .

If you HAD to use a diaphragm clutch,......which would you reluctantly buy?

[Chryco Psycho]

You asked so IMO I used a Lot of McLeod clutches so I would consider one of their products & talk to them on the phone about total pedal travel , clamping pressures , possibility of over depressing the fingers & possibility of them refusing to re-engage the clutch @ high RPM which I have experienced a few times .

The reason I prefer 3 finger type is the 12 springs could be swapped out & tailored for the clamping load , which is not possible with A stamped conical sheet of steel , there were provisions to add weights to the 3 fingers on some models allowing addition clamping load with RPM which is what CF tried to do with the sliding weights between the multiple fingers , also McLeod used to offer & Borg & Beck Long version which had different ratio levers so the clutch could have more clamping pressure without increasing the load at the pedal , this was my fav clutch to use with high HP .