My luck with vehicles strikes again

Ghost Magnum

Ghost Magnum

Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2015
Messages
1,294
Reaction score
2,178
Location
Texas
My new to me 66 C30 clutch just gave out on me last night. At least I think it's my clutch. I'm going to slid under it this week and properly diagnose it. It could just need adjustment. It's old school linkage. Last night on my way home from work. I shifted it to neutral. Coasted a little to prepare to make a left turn. I went to shifted again to a lower gear and I couldn't find my clutch pedal. It was stuck to the floor. I parked on the side of the road and climb under my truck and couldn't see what the problem was. Linkage is all there. Nothing broken that I can see at midnight with a flashlight. I got the truck towed home and I climb under it. I found there isn't anything wrong with the linkage. I can reset the pedal with my hand but it still won't engage the clutch. I was told I could have popped out the center of my clutch. But the guy I bought it from said he replaced the clutch recently. It might needs adjustment. The clutch is really heavy. I just figured that's just how older vehicles were. This isn't a surprise to me. Every vehicle I have ever bought usually needs at least 1,000 dollars of repair less than a month after I drive off with it. I haven't been proven wrong yet. I knew something like this was coming. I said the next vehicle I buy better be something I'm willing to spend money on. If it is the clutch. This will be the first one I ever replace. Luckily it looks simple. I can see every bolt and it looks pretty good.

The problem is this is not the original engine. I have no idea what transmission this is. It's short and kinda wide. The revers gear is all the way to the left and down. The first is left and up. The second is center down. Third is center up. Forth is all the way right and down. The third is tricky because it's possible for it to fall to forth. The transmission itself has a section that comes out at the driver side that a separate lever connects to that engages three gears for the winch. One gear releases the winch while two other gears retracts the winch in two different speeds. The transmission is connected to the winch by a drive gear and chain. I have no idea who manufactured this transmission. But I bet it wasn't cheap. It's pretty awesome though.
 
Register to hide this ad
As I recall, those had hydraulic clutch cylinders. Keep in mind I haven't worked on one since the mid 1980s, so my memory might be fuzzy.

There as a master cylinder mounted on the firewall attached to the clutch pedal. There as a slave cylinder mounted on the bell housing that actuated the clutch.

I'd check the fluid level in the clutch cylinder first.

Not related, but is there a Power Take Off for the winch? That would likely be on the dash. That was also about the time that the no power take off systems came out. You put the transmission in neutral and then worked the levers for the winch. We had that on a 1969 Ford F350 tow truck.
 
Granny 4 speed transmission

Trucks of that vintage had a transmission that was made for a PTO to go on the side of the case. If your clutch pedal is a resting on the floor and not returning there is probably a linkage rod off (missing cotter pin ). Check under the dash to see if the rod has dropped out of the clutch pedal, it should be all manual unless it has been converted to a slave cylinder. The pto is to power the winch. Good luck.
 
Yes, I have to put my transmission in neutral to operate the winch. It's pretty cool. I'm going to look at it some more this week. But as I can tell so far is the pedal is connected to the clutch and using pivot points. One pivot point is on mounted to the engine. I didn't spot and missing carter pins. But I only looked at it last night and just morning before church. I hope it's not a bad clutch and something easy to fix. I really want this thing back on the road.
This is my oldest vehicle so far. The second oldest is my 68 Torino. This is also my first vintage Chevy so this is a learning experience. I never own a winch equip vehicle so I simply don't know anything about them. I can tell this truck was built for work. So I'm going to use it as such. I wanted to start a side gig salvaging vintage auto parts and sell them m. With a truck like this I can. I'm also going to fix it up here and there too. I thought about making my truck and Torino match. That would be cool at a car show.

I am frustrated though. But I should be happy this happened down the road from home and not in traffic. This looks pretty simple. Hopefully it shouldn't be hard to work on.
 
Last edited:
I hope it's that simple. Between helping my family with campers, moving, mother car payment, insurance, meter pole, electric, gas, uhoal and buying this truck. I'm about broke. Not complaining. I will bounce back just fine. I'm very good at that. But I seem to have a problem with cars for some reason. Good thing I will never be a admiral in the U.S Navy. I think my fleet would sink.
 
Mike said:
Yep. Your clutch fork may be wore out and fell of the channel on the release bearing.
Click to expand...

Are these real parts or are you guys trying to mess with my head?!
I'm far from being any truck/auto mechanic. If I get near a broke down car with a tool, it screams and fixes itself and drives away from me!
The '68 Torino would be a nice car to take a picture of! If it has the 428 or 429 Cobra Jet engine, it's definitely a gem!
 
jeffrefrig said:
Are these real parts or are you guys trying to mess with my head?!
I'm far from being any truck/auto mechanic. If I get near a broke down car with a tool, it screams and fixes itself and drives away from me!
The '68 Torino would be a nice car to take a picture of! If it has the 428 or 429 Cobra Jet engine, it's definitely a gem!
Click to expand...

I have pictures and updates of my Torino in past threads. It was a strike car with a 289 V8 and standard transmission. White paint and blue interior. That car has been gutted and rebuilt in the past as a grade car. It had a "new" at the time 302 with a T10 transmission (one year bolt pattern that was older than the car) and painted blue on black interior. And bucket seats from Spain or Portuguel. It is weird. I bought it years ago and started slowly collecting parts for it. I started with trying to rebuild the 302to stroke it to 321 or 347 with a cross ram intake. Then I decided to build a clevor, then a real Cleveland. Then I came across a new in box 460. Than last year I finally got my hands on my dream engine. A really good 427 FE. I got just about everything I need to build that engine. I even have two C6 transmissions for it. But I spent most of my money building a tiny house. Do I haven't got to build it yet.
But I been hit with one car problem after another all year with my S10. Then me and my family lost our land. The land is no one's fault. Its just greed and corruption. So I had to help. I basically carried the entire burden. But with Gods help I pulled off feats I had no idea I'm capable of.
Buying this vintage truck may not have been smart. But I love it and it will go awesome with my car. The S10 was dead as a door nail and the hours my job has me doing wasn't giving me time to fix it. Luckily the money I made off that S10 help me buy a meter pole.
 
Last edited:
jeffrefrig

The clutch operates by a throw out bearing pressing on the fingers that release pressure on clutch plate. The throw out bearing is moved on a mechanical clutch by a Y like fork with the opening on Y holding each side of bearing, the arm of the Y pivots on a small ball similar to a trailer hitch and it has a spring clip that holds it on said ball. On a hydraulic operated clutch you have a master cylinder like brakes on firewall, then a slave cylinder that moves bearing or some use a slave built into the bearing.

The clutch plate gets trapped to the flywheel by the pressure plate and forced to spin. The input shaft on the transmission has splines that pass through splines in center of clutch plate and thus the input shart is forced to spin. The pressure on plate is releases by the throw out bearing pressing on its springs.

Th pressure plate can go bad and slip or its release fingers can fail and lock it up. the throw out bearing can lock up, the center can tear out of the clutch. the clutch plate can wear out, the linkage to operate throw out bearing can fail. Remind me again why I now like automatic transmissions. Except for the linkage problems to repair you have to disconnect drive line(s), drop transmission and if 4x4 transfer case, then depending on model remove bell housing to get to throw out bearing pressure plate, clutch plate and flywheel. WEEEEE
 
Last edited:
steelslaver, you lost me right after the word "The"!!!
Actually, I did replace the tranny on my Chrysler Newport back in the '90s, with help, of course.
Yeah, automatic, at least in a car, is the way to go. That way you have a free hand to drink the coffee, or give sign language on occasion.
 
It is also the way to go on a 4x4 truck. If you have a clutch and out in the hills and climbing over stuff, you either have to fully engage clutch and have wheels turning or slip the clutch for fine control. Slipping the clutch is hard on everything. With a good automatic you can get your wheels up against the hump and just apply throttle until the wheels slowly turn and take up up and over. If put my Heavy Duty Powerstoke in 4 low, set the ECM to high idle (1000 rpm) just about nothing will stop it and it won't stall. My transmission will not upshift on its own if I put it in low or 2nd
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Faulkner
Tales from the Faulkner Files: Vehicle vs deer
2 3
Replies
42
Views
2K
steelslaver
steelslaver
Ghost Magnum
Deja Vu (Wiring Harness)
Replies
6
Views
399
Ghost Magnum
Ghost Magnum
SLT223
There's not a single new car I would buy at this point
5 6 7
Replies
120
Views
5K
GypsmJim
GypsmJim
Beemerguy53
Et tu, BMW?
2 3
Replies
58
Views
3K
Gamecock
Gamecock
9
Inherited my BIL Governor
Replies
13
Views
1K
s&wchad
s&wchad

Latest posts

Back
Top