[jhv48]

Two schools of thought here. Those that swear by free play, and those that don't.

1. No return spring is necessary, and no free play is needed. Mustangs have been using this method for decades with no throwout bearing failures. Push the rod all the way into the slave and then adjust the rod so that it is pushing against the clutch fork. No free play. The fork rests on, and applies pressure to, the throwout bearing. Mustangs have been doing it this way successfully for decades.

2. Attach a return spring to the clutch fork and attach the other end to your slave bracket thus negating the constant pressure your slave exerts on the fork and thus the throwout bearing.

Both work just fine and you will get people who swear the other way will lead to an early clutch failure. Not true. I have the no-return-spring setup, as do most SPF cars and have had no clutch problems in 17,000 miles of driving.

Make sure you round the end of the rod that fits into the slave and try and get the slave and rod to push the fork in as straight a line as possible. Also, make sure your fork travels about 1 1/3 inches. That should be enough to successfully disengage the clutch. If much less than that, you might need a bigger master cylinder or smaller slave cylinder to get more travel. Easy to test. Start the engine and see if you can engage reverse without grinding or excessive effort.