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Thread: Not enough clutch travel

  1. #1
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    Not enough clutch travel

    I'm running a 302/t5 in my e36 and currently having a issue of not getting enough travel for the clutch fork. It will not go into gear and when I checked it only has 3/4" travel when I know I need atleast a inch or a little more. I have tried 2 slave cylinders (miata,datsun) and also replaced the clutch master cylinder along with bleeding several times using different methods and still no difference. Any idea why I'm not getting full travel?
    Last edited by omgitsjrock; 02-19-2018 at 03:29 PM.

  2. #2
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    I'm using the Miata slave, with the stock master in a 1994 325is, and a stainless-jacket flex line. I'm getting 1" of travel, which is enough to shift clean. I have a touch of preload on the fork, but only a little. I doubt it's a 1/4" worth of preload, but who knows.

    Here's a youtube video showing the travel, filmed from underneath the car looking up.

    https://youtu.be/pEdvW7Ql4AI
    If God meant for man to motor-swap LS engines into track cars, He wouldn't have created Corvettes.

  3. #3
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    Is your stainless line a -3? Cause if so mine is the same setup so I'm losing my mind as to why I'm not getting the full travel. I'm gonna try to bench bleed the master cylinder since I didn't when I first installed it so hoping it's just trapped air.if not than I'm completely out of ideas

  4. #4
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    If your line isn't allowing fluid to leak, it's fine.

    I've heard many tales of trouble bleeding the master and slave.

    I cheated. I put a brake fluid pressure bleeder on the reservoir, and a Speed Bleeder on the slave cylinder (has a one-way valve on it that lets fluid flow out, but no air back in). And the bleeder on the Miata cylinder is oriented up. which helps. I just ran a boatload of fluid through with the pressure bleeder, with the slave bleeder valve open a half turn, pumping the clutch pedal here and there a few times to activate the cylinders. One and done.
    If God meant for man to motor-swap LS engines into track cars, He wouldn't have created Corvettes.

  5. #5
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    What clutch? With a stock-type eBay clutch, the stock MC worked fine, though it grabbed right off the floor. Once I put a Centerforce clutch/pressure plate in, I needed a bit more travel to fully disengage and I ended up going with a larger MC.

  6. #6
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    Yeah I've checked and no leaks anywhere. I actually tried that combo (pressure bleeder+speed bleeder) and no difference. Not sure if its true but i remember reading somewhere to check the slave cylinder piston with the pedal pushed fully in and if it wasn't all the way out it meant there was air in the system.so I checked and couldn't even see the piston
    Quote Originally Posted by JBasham View Post
    If your line isn't allowing fluid to leak, it's fine.

    I've heard many tales of trouble bleeding the master and slave.

    I cheated. I put a brake fluid pressure bleeder on the reservoir, and a Speed Bleeder on the slave cylinder (has a one-way valve on it that lets fluid flow out, but no air back in). And the bleeder on the Miata cylinder is oriented up. which helps. I just ran a boatload of fluid through with the pressure bleeder, with the slave bleeder valve open a half turn, pumping the clutch pedal here and there a few times to activate the cylinders. One and done.

  7. #7
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    It's a spec brand clutch and looks like it's a stage 1 but not 100% sure since it's what came on there when I got it.could even a stage 1 clutch be too much?
    Quote Originally Posted by Laminar View Post
    What clutch? With a stock-type eBay clutch, the stock MC worked fine, though it grabbed right off the floor. Once I put a Centerforce clutch/pressure plate in, I needed a bit more travel to fully disengage and I ended up going with a larger MC.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Laminar View Post
    What clutch? With a stock-type eBay clutch, the stock MC worked fine, though it grabbed right off the floor. Once I put a Centerforce clutch/pressure plate in, I needed a bit more travel to fully disengage and I ended up going with a larger MC.
    This is why driveline swaps make me crazy. Didn't you use the Nissan slave? IIRC that's that's the same size as the Miata I used with the stock E36 MC, so I would expect the same engagement point with a generic clutch disc. But mine engages midway up, pretty much like a street clutch.

    OMG, this is frustrating. If I were in your shoes, I would put a c-clamp on the fork and crank it to 1" of travel just to make sure it shifts once I got it there. And then start looking at both cylinders to make sure my linkages had the pistons travelling parallel to the bores. Then I guess I would have to go back the master, bench bleed, replace with a different size, whatever. I'm just shooting in the dark here.
    Last edited by JBasham; 02-22-2018 at 10:35 AM.
    If God meant for man to motor-swap LS engines into track cars, He wouldn't have created Corvettes.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by JBasham View Post
    This is why driveline swaps make me crazy. Didn't you use the Nissan slave? IIRC that's that's the same size as the Miata I used with the stock E36 MC, so I would expect the same engagement point with a generic clutch disc. But mine engages midway up, pretty much like a street clutch.
    Yes, I used the Datsun slave. I removed the clutch pedal spring which helped a lot with feel, and I think the engagement point changed as the clutch broke in? I did remove the clutch pedal stop so that I could fully disengage the clutch, I needed to jam the pedal to the floor. It was a really bad eBay clutch that didn't even last 2000 miles. With the Wilwood clutch master, I added in some adjustment so I can set the pedal height.

  10. #10
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    Well I bench bled the master cylinder and than bled the system with the power bleeder+speed bleeder. Still same travel distance. Even tried adjusting the slave cylinder rod and nothing. I honestly don't know what else to do at this point!!

  11. #11
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    Alright after looking at jbasham video again I noticed his clutch fork sits way farther out than mine does with the pedal out. Is mine ok or did I possibly screw up when I put everything back together?20180220_230417.jpg20180220_231107.jpg

  12. #12
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    How confident are you that the throwout bearing is properly on the fork? And that the fork is on the pivot?







    Here's what my fork looks like.






  13. #13
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    That part I know is good cause I remember watching a video on YouTube over and over while I put it on to make sure i put it in right haha20180220_230615.jpg

  14. #14
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    I don't think you're any closer to the fulcrum/farther away from the fork end than I. I know it's a little hard to tell from the video, especially since I was determined to use a captive pushrod setup and I had to attach a mounting bracket to the fork.

    Time to buy yourself a big C-clamp and see if the car will actually shift if you can just get the fork travel up to 1".

    - - - Updated - - -

    I don't think you're any closer to the fulcrum/farther away from the fork end than I. I know it's a little hard to tell from the video, especially since I was determined to use a captive pushrod setup and I had to attach a mounting bracket to the fork.

    Time to buy yourself a big C-clamp and see if the car will actually shift if you can just get the fork travel up to 1". A 6" clamp will do it, or a bar clamp like woodworkers use.

    So frustrating!
    If God meant for man to motor-swap LS engines into track cars, He wouldn't have created Corvettes.

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