McLeod pressure plate height

[Avmaviator]

I'm trying to trouble shoot a clutch installation problems, with the help of Brent, but I need a measurement from you guys to help me further diagnose the problem.

I'm looking for the height of the McLeod pressure plate, more specifically a diahpragm type plate, and even more specifically a McLeod 360821. I'm looking for the distance from the bottom of the plate, to the highest point on the outside of the plate. Basically, if you put the plate flat on a table, how high does it go.

Thank you much guys

A

[blykins]

We may as well lay the cards out on the table here.

Arnaud is working with the following combination:

*Tremec TKO 600
*Quicktime RM-6057 (Ford FE to Toploader/Short TKO) - Supplied by the Kirkhams
*Fidanza FE Aluminum Flywheel
*RAM Powergrip 11" Long Clutch Kit
*McLeod 16932 Clutch Fork

This is a combination that I've sold a gazillion times without issue. Well maybe not a gazillion, but at least a couple billion.

This whole setup is a mimick of an older Ford setup. The bellhousing uses the driver's side L-bracket pivot and the clutch fork uses a spring tab that clips into the pivot. The method of actuation is a slave cylinder that pushes the fork towards the rear of the car, thus pushing the throw out bearing into the clutch fingers.

Arnaud is stating that he has no room for the clutch fork and that it hits on the pressure plate housing.

There has to be a discrepancy somewhere....a manufacturing error, etc. As I'm awaiting his install pictures, we are checking/double checking the part numbers, fitment, etc.

Quicktime says that any Ford pressure plate will work with their bellhousing (and has proven to in the past) and the McLeod clutch fork is the correct fork for a small input Toploader or TKO 500/600 application with a hydraulic or mechanical actuation.

At this point I am stumped and would certainly appreciate any brainstorming.

As I mentioned earlier, there are members on here who I have sold this very combination to, so if you have install pictures to help Arnaud out, they would be welcome as well.

[Rick Parker]

The clutch release lever may not be in the correct "Groove" in the bearing, causing the Fork to be closer to the rear of the Bellhousing and the slave end to far forward.

[Avmaviator]

Thanks for adding to this thread Brent.

Rick, I checked that already.

Like Brent said, I will be taking a bunch of pics tonight or tomorrow morning as I've been on the road for work and am coming back late tonight.

[xlr8or]

How about the height of the pivot ball itself? It has to be configured for the particular pressure plate to locate the arm in the correct position. I have a similar setup in mine and had to change the pivot when I swapped out my clutch/pressure plate combo.

[blykins]

This setup doesn't use a pivot ball. It uses an L-bracket on the driver's side.



Although, that's a good point. Some of the setups use the included spacer between the bell and the L-bracket. Arnaud, you may want to try it without the spacer.

[elmariachi]

Is the pivot bracket bolted in correctly? The bracket's "slot" should be towards the inside of the BH, meaning you should be able to see the fasteners holding it in through the opening.

[ERA 778]

I've got a Quicktime on my FE as well, and as best as I can recall, I had to play with several of the supplied spacers for the fork pivot before I came up with the right combination.

Hal

[Avmaviator]

Thanks for the replies everybody.

-No pivot ball
-pivot bracket was correctly installed
-I can't run the bracket without the spacer Brent because it 1) too low, the arm cannot move anymore and 2) the bracket would hit the register ring (the spacer is curved to compensate for that problem).
- only one spacer came with housing, and it is too tall. When I bolted on the spacer and the bracket, there is only 1/16-1/8 of clearance between the top of the bracket, and the pressure plate housing.

I measured it tonight and there is only 1.5" of distance between the top of the pessure plate housing and the end plate of the bell (where you mount the tranny). i can't even use the Kirkham arm because there is not enough space to properly fit the arm in there (using the supplied botls etc...)

I believe the root of the problem is the height of this pressure plate. I need one with a smaller profile.

Pics coming up tomorrow morning.

[blykins]

I would start measuring bellhousing depth, flywheel thickness, etc. I've fit twin disc clutch kits in those bellhousings with the McLeod clutch fork without issue.

[mreid]

I have the short input shaft tko600, QT b/h, and FE style fork with the same pivot set up, and hydraulic slave push set up, but it is installed on a SBF. When I first installed it and was testing the set up, I noticed that I could not move the fork by hand far enough to engage the pressure plate properly. Turned out that the back of the fork was interfering with the back flange of the t/o bearing, causing it to jam. I removed it and ground the back of the fork to provide reliefs for the bearing flange. That fixed it. Not sure if this is your issue Arnaud, but I figured I would share anyway!

[Avmaviator]

Mark, thanks for sharing I like this forum a lot because there is such a wealth of knowledge.

So I just went out and took some measurements, and photos.

The flywheel is 7/8" thick, the bell housing is 6" deep, there is 1.5" of space between the top of the pressure plate casing to the bell housing tranny mount plate. And from the block plate/saver plate, there is 4" and 3/8th to the top of the pressure plate casing.

You can see in the first picture, which have the McLeod fork bracket set up, that there is no room to put the fork in the there, and have it move. In this picture the bracket is more towards the middle of the housing of course (optical illusion).


Second pic, you can see the Kirkham fork installed like it is supposed to be. It is hitting the bolt on the pressure plate, which in return prevents the bell housing from being bolted down to the block (flange of the bell is 1/4 to 1/8th from contacting the block/saver plate).


Here is the whole package. The reason why I am leaning towards a pressure plate height issue is that the Kirkham arm is meant to be closer to the block (in the bell housing) so it can pivot better, and also so the push rod can actually contact the slave cylinder...

[mreid]

Without the spacer, my fork rests on the rear flange of the bh, so that's not an option. Also, elmariachi says you should be able to see the bolts. Not on mine or it appears on the picture posted by Brent. If I try to reverse it, there is no way it will fit as the crotch of the fork rides on the tranny shaft. Here are a couple of pics:

[Avmaviator]

Originally Posted by mreid

Without the spacer, my fork rests on the rear flange of the bh, so that's not an option. Also, elmariachi says you should be able to see the bolts. Not on mine or it appears on the picture posted by Brent. If I try to reverse it, there is no way it will fit as the crotch of the fork rides on the tranny shaft.

Yeah I tried to mount the bracket in the two different directions. In one direction the fork hits the tranny shaft like you mentioned. In the other direction it hits the pressure plate casing. Damned either way haha.

BTW, I like the mod to the fork end so you can put a pivoting arm in there. Did you do that?

[mreid]

Yes, I cut the dimple off and welded the clevis on the end to get the best geometry and most adjustability.

I'm not that familiar with FE's but the crank flange on your engine looks like it extends further than I have ever seen, causing the flywheel and clutch to protrude further into the bh. When you add in the short input shaft tko and shallow bh, you have a lot less room. I guess that must be normal for an FE, but it looks excessive to this FE novice!

[Avmaviator]

Originally Posted by mreid

Yes, I cut the dimple off and welded the clevis on the end to get the best geometry and most adjustability.

I'm not that familiar with FE's but the crank flange on your engine looks like it extends further than I have ever seen, causing the flywheel and clutch to protrude further into the bh. When you add in the short input shaft tko and shallow bh, you have a lot less room. I guess that must be normal for an FE, but it looks excessive to this FE novice!

I thought about that.... Trying to get an answer on that too.

[Jerry Clayton]

Why don't you use a hydraulic t/o brg on the imput shaft to the trans??

[blykins]

Just for giggles, I measured the crank flange of a stock 390 crank and of a new Scat 4.250" stroker crank. Both flanges were .575".

Wouldn't hurt to measure that real quick just to eliminate variables.

[Avmaviator]

Originally Posted by Jerry Clayton

Why don't you use a hydraulic t/o brg on the imput shaft to the trans??

We're not there yet Jerry. I'm trying to make this work with what I have, then we can look at other options.

Measured the crank flange at .57

I don't get it... Brent and I are starting to look like this ->

[xlr8or]

I believe my FE flywheel was much closer to the block plate than yours. Perhaps it's a machining issue with the flywheel holding the entire assembly too far out.