Clutch pedal doesn't return to top position

1st_model_a

1st_model_a

Junior Member
When I depress & release the clutch pedal, it doesn't return to the same height as the brake pedal. It's about 2 1/5 inches lower with no tension on it (pix attached). I can easily pull the pedal up into position so I know it's not binding on anythng. As far as I remember it shifted okay the last time it was driven. Got the exhaust manifold and muffler off so can't try driving it right now. Is there a spring that might be loose or missing or is
there an adjustment to make?
 

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Yes, remove the floorboards and the small black bellhousing cover. You should now see the throwout bearing return spring. It may have broke or came unhooked.

ThrowoutBearing1.jpg


Here is the only picture that might help. You can see where the spring hooks by the grease zerk. If you happen to have a 1928 and still have the miltiplate clutch, then the return spring is at the bottom of the clutch pedal.
 
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Thx Tom. Removed cover and saw spring you described. It is hooked next to zerk fitting, but is not loose on either end. (pix attached) The pix is taken showing spring when pedal is at rest but still 2 - 3 inches low. The spring appears to still be open quite a bit. I can push the pedal, but the spring never looks "closed". Is it possible for this spring to get "stretched" ?
 

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Yes, for some reason the spring must be stretched. Bert's, Bratton's, or Snyder's would have the spring.

Bert's 800-321-1931 Closed Sundays and Mondays
Bratton's 800-255-1929
Snyder's 888-262-5712
 
Some suppliers have a spring thingy that hooks on the linkage below the pedal. (I know, it ain't original! I don't have all my original parts either! I'm just a RE-POP of my original self!) Bill W.
 
Is it possible that the throwout bearing is just hung up and won't come all the way back? If the spring has a lot of tension on it, and it looks like it does, that could well be the reason.
 
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I think you just need to adjust your clutch. Look under your car where the pedal shaft is , [ if your not sure what to do] you will see the adjust piece. Put a jack under the arm and go from there.Have fun modelAtony Lafayette,la
 
modelAtony said:
I think you just need to adjust your clutch. Look under your car where the pedal shaft is , [ if your not sure what to do] you will see the adjust piece. Put a jack under the arm and go from there.Have fun modelAtony Lafayette,la
Click to expand...

Tony, I think you are right that the clutch needs adjusting because there should be only 1" of freeplay, so the pressure plate fingers should return the pedal to at least within the last inch of pedal travel. The spring still needs to be replaced though because it should bring the pedal to the full return position.

When I first saw the left hand parking brake I thought about the multiplate also, but the picture shows he has the single plate clutch installed. The grease pattern on the collar shows that the throwout bearing has come all the way back, but only when the pedal is lifted by hand, so it still appears to be a weak return spring.
 
Hit the throwout bearing with grease and carefully lube the input shaft collar so that it slides easy. That should help the new spring also.
Good Luck
 
From the looks of the picture, the fellas are right. Re-setting the free-play to 1-1.5" and replacing the spring should do the trick. It appears that it has the wrong spring.
 
Sorry guys but I have a stupid question to help me learn about these sort of things. But if the clutch just now does not come all the way back, how come it did in the past? Guess the answer would be the spring got stretched but next question is how did the spring get stretched? Is this typical wear??? Or could it be something else that is keeping the clutch from not coming all the way back?
 
This is what a new spring should look like: (the AA spring is much smaller)
 

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Fred, we really don't know how long its been since the pedal fully retracted. It was said that the vehicle shifted OK when last used. It should, or may well, still shift OK but the bearing looks as though it'll just ride against the fingers and spin.
 
Try looking down in the hole when someone steps on the clutch. Do you see a shoulder that the throwout bearing should stop on when the clutch is released? When you release the pedal, does the bearing come all the way back to that shoulder? (I'm not really a Model 'A' man- I don't know it there's a shoulder or not.) If there is a shoulder and the bearing doesn't come all the way back to it, it could be there's gunk or whatever that's keeping it from traveling all the way.
 
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