clutch adjustments (continued)

[richardu]

Well, I'm down to one last item and I will consider my Unique complete (at least for a while). I have a 351W with a toploader. Every time I drive the car, after about 10 or 15 minutes of running time it becomes difficult shifting into 3rd and 4th gears. Pushing the clutch in multiple times, I can eventually get it in gear (with grinding). I have read all the related threads on the Forum. I've recently bled the clutch and some of the fluid came out gray/black. I've adjusted the rod on the clutch MC as far out as it will go to maximize travel. The clutch fork has about 1/2 inch of travel. I've adjusted the rod coming out of the clutch slave so there's a slight amount of looseness at the clutch fork. I've got a heat reflective sleeve on the clutch line and I've wrapped the clutch slave. I have't fabbed a heat shield for the MC's, and I didn't bench bleed the MC's before I installed them. I'm not sure if these latter items are critical or not. What am I missing? I know this is just an adjustment issue, but I haven't been able to get the car to shift smoothly.
I am considering just putting in a new MC (new O rings). It appears I need more clutch fork movement so the clutch fully releases. One of the threads descirbes a pull-type Wilwood clutch slave (that apparently moves more), but I would need to fab and weld a mounting bracket. Another thread describes going to a larger diameter MC to increase fork movement.
I need a clutch/transmission set up that works. There must be a straight forward solution to this problem.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

DU

[richardu]

More issues. I took the car out and I ended up losing one the bolts that holds the shifter to the linkage. After I put it back together (this time with Loctite), I discovered a new problem. I no longer have neutral, or 3rd and 4th gears. I'm wondering if some part of the linkage also fell off. Does anybody have thoughts on what's causing this problem and how I can correct it?

DU

[Naumoff]

If you have to pump the clutch to get it to work it sounds like an air issue. Are you loosing fluid out of the MC? Re bleed the set up. The clutch TO bearing only needs to move 1/2" to release the clutch. So I think the Slave trave needs to be about an inch. The ratio of the folk is 2 to one I think. Not sure. What slave do you have?

I have a HTOB but I help Clay work on his car and he has the slave Unique used. Trying to recall from memory.

I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express once aswell.

[richardu]

I believe it's a Raybestos clutch slave P/N SC-33721 (the one Unique sold to me). I'd try rebleediing the clutch, but now that the linkage won't let me shift in to 3rd and 4th, I've got to solve that problem first. It's like the shifter is locked up. I'm into new territory for me. I feel really stuck. I'm going to try to contact Alan or Maurice on Monday.

DU

[RJacobsen]

Richard, it's not likely that you lost any part of the linkage since they have some sort of fastener at each end. You say that you also don't have neutral, do you mean that the shifter won't go to the neutral position? you should be able to find neutral between 1st and 2nd. sounds like you need to check the shifter itself and see if something is causing it to bind up or if the linkage for 3-4 is way out of adjustment.

[Naumoff]

Does your shifter feel locked up and you can't move it?

Jack the car up and put the trans in neutral from under neath the car. this will put the shifter back into proper position and it will work.

was it the top bolt or the bottom one?

Top one is where the shifter pivots.

[richardu]

Thanks for the replies. I have the neutral position between 1st and 2nd, but no neutral side-to-side sloppyness. Basically, the shifter won't move side to side, so I can't get to 3rd or 4th gear. I've removed the shifter and put the car up on jack stands. I can't see what's causing the binding. The top bolt went on the shifter. I don't know how long it was loose, because the shifter boot was installed. One thing to note, I've always had periodic problems shifting into 3rd and 4th gears.
Prior to this shifter problem, I thought I had a clutch slave problem (not enough fork travel) thinking that the clutch is not totally releasing, but now I'm not sure. I'm probably going to have to find a transmission guy in the Chicago area who knows toploaders.

[Naumoff]

Was your bellhousing aligned when it was installed.

[richardu]

I assume yes. My drive line was put together by the good guys at Unique.

[Naumoff]

Put the trans in neutral and put your shifter back on and adjust it.
Do you have the pin to go into the shifter to adjust it.

[saengine]

Dick-
Call us at home - 678-688-2286. Bill can walk you through any adjustments. Today is Sunday - Give us a call.
Susan

[Naumoff]

Hi Susan!

[pgermond]

Post if you are still having clutch a problem w/your slave after talking to Bill.

[richardu]

The issues with my shifter, and the problem with 3rd and 4th gear bugged me most of the weekend. It's great that Susan offered to help out. I decided to continue playing with it before calling Susan. I eventually realized that the last time I bolted the shifter back in place, I had the bottom of it pressing against the top of the shifter linkage. That restricted back and forth neutral movement. Loosening the shfiter bolts, pulling up on the shifter handle lightly and tightening the bolts solved the problem. Then I got to thinking that maybe the shifter was loose a long time (during the weeks that I've had the problem with 3rd and 4th gear shifting). I took the car out twice last night, and now I no longer have the problems with 3rd and 4th. I had a couple of shifts where it wouldn't go into 4th, but the problem was much better than before. I think the loose shifter basically was the reason I couldn't shift into 3rd and 4th (rubber boot hid the loose condition). Building these cars (and sorting them out) for a novice builder like me has been an up and down experience. Understanding the details that you need to focus on, and keeping everything tight is so important. So I'm back on the road today; 40 minute drive to work this morning (my longest drive to date).
I can't thank Susan and Bill, and the Weavers enough for being there if I need them. They're great folks. I'm sure I'll have another challenge with the car at some point, but I think I'm begining to learn what I need to know and getting myself through them. Thanks all for the support!

DU

[will butterworth]

you doing good. Friend has 01 corvette problem in steering column locking and fuel pump turns off. Was a manufacturers recall, back to dealers in several Georgia towns to no avail, and got to point dealers offered no help.Got on internet after talking with my sons--engineers--and posed problem, an engineer responded, walked him back thru. making repairs, worked on dang thing a week, this fellow trains jet pilots in atlanta, and is an aircraft mechanic that has the vette, and finally made repairs dealers in area wouldn,t or couldn,t touch.Drove it to church sunday happy as could be, had it fixed.Your doing good buddy, all of us run into this kind of stuff.Will-alabama