Brand New Clutch clicking

[venuspie1]

94 Ranger 4.0 5-speed. Just rebuilt engine. While I was there, I replaced the rear main, flywheel and clutch. Replace master and slave cylinder also. I bought the master cylinder that comes pre bled. New slave and clutch in bell housing and new master. Everything works perfect! Except that when I push the clutch to the floor, I’m getting a clicking sound from the bell housing area. If I keep my foot 1 inch from the floor all is good. Can even shift smoothly there. But push it all the way down and loud clicking starts until you raise it an inch up. Clutch grabs strong but seems to catch at higher than I would think a new clutch should on the pedal. Any ideas?

 

[Brain75]

did you use the thin special headed bolts - sounds like the springs of the clutch rubbing something, or the throwout fork touching something it is not supposed to or the throwout bearing contacting more than just the fingers...

My money is on the clutch springs hitting regular height bolt heads...

 

[venuspie1]

I used the bolts from my old clutch. Why would I need something other than stock. I think the clutch kit was a Valeo from RockAuto

 

[sgtsandman]

I used the bolts from my old clutch. Why would I need something other than stock. I think the clutch kit was a Valeo from RockAuto

Keep in mind, people here are responding based on the information given and guessing on the rest. Diagnosing problems on a forum is like doing the same over the phone. We aren't there and can't see or hear what you see and hear.

They will try to help you out and walk you through it.

There should be an inspection hole on the driver's side of the bell housing. Pull the plug and see what you can see from there. Having someone running the clutch while you are under there looking may help answer your problem. Assuming it is something you can see and isn't internal to the clutch assembly.

 

[venuspie1]

Keep in mind, people here are responding based on the information given and guessing on the rest. Diagnosing problems on a forum is like doing the same over the phone. We aren't there and can't see or hear what you see and hear.

They will try to help you out and walk you through it.

There should be an inspection hole on the driver's side of the bell housing. Pull the plug and see what you can see from there. Having someone running the clutch while you are under there looking may help answer your problem. Assuming it is something you can see and isn't internal to the clutch assembly.

Apologize if I came off a little curt. Not my intent. I know all too well about trying to diagnose from afar. Usually, I’m on the other end. Really just looking to see if anyone else has experienced this issue. No real way to diagnose without digging in.

 

[sgtsandman]

Apologize if I came off a little curt. Not my intent. I know all too well about trying to diagnose from afar. Usually, I’m on the other end. Really just looking to see if anyone else has experienced this issue. No real way to diagnose without digging in.

I don't recall anyone mentioning it but we get a lot of postings everyday. So, I could be forgetting something.

 

[Brain75]

2 reasons you would need new bolts... 1) if they are 'torque to yield' not 'torque to spec' 2) the old ones were wrong to begin with (thanks to some previous owner or mechanic)

The clearance between the (not spinning) clutch disc (especially the springs) and the spinning flywheel / pressure plate are so close that Ford (and just about everyone else) uses short headed bolts. You have to or else when you depress the clutch the springs rub on the bolt heads.

torque to yield bolts specify something like "torque to 50# plus 90 degrees" - that extra 90 degrees is elongating the threads, stretching the bolt - those are throw away items, you replace them if you ever take them out.

Another common problem I forgot to throw out is if the clutch disc gets put in backwards.

What you describe - "noise when it is fully depressed" is classic of either backwards disc, or too tall of bolt heads.

Inspection hole is the way to go, get yourself a mechanic's inspection mirror otherwise you can't see diddly through that tiny hole... but that is a hail mary trying to save yourself tearing it all apart again.


ARP is the brand that a lot of people want for this when going aftermarket, but I tell ya they want like $30 for 6 bolts, go to the Ford dealership and they want $0.75 ea

they have really short heads - should look like this:

 

[Uncle Gump]

I don't think you can get the clutch disc backwards. The friction material would never touch the flywheel. But if you did get it back together.. I don't think the clutch would function.

The crank to flywheel bolts do have low profile heads for clearance concerns between the spinning parts but if you used the factory bolts you should be ok.

It almost sounds to me like somehow you're over extending the throw out bearing. Is the pedal bent?

Also... did you replace the pilot bearing? If not... what condition was it and did you lube it?

 

[Brain75]

good to know that you can't assemble backwards if true... I haven't torn apart the M5OD's yet, but in the ole original '48 you could and the 1990 S-10's T-5 you could and mix/match clutch you could easily. (using the flywheel and pressure plate from the '48 and 10" clutch disc from either the S-10 or 10.5" astrovan).

 

[Uncle Gump]

I wanted to add...

You will never see any interference between the clutch disc and flywheel bolts through the inspection hole. Also when sitting still with the clutch depressed and transmission in gear... the clutch disc isn't turning. So if it clicking in that instance... it something other then flywheel bolts to clutch disc interference. It would have to be the throw out bearing or the clutch spring arms ticking something in the bell housing. That you might be able to see through the inspection hole.

 

[RobbieD]

I vaguely remember that the orientation of the clutch disc matters.

I'm pretty sure that the disc's shaft flange is a little taller on one side, and that the springs have a higher and lower side.

I looked, but this was the only thing that I found in my notes on file:

The factory manual doesn't really state which way to put the disc, just "mark before removal if it'll be reused".


I hate saying it, but pulling the trans again and checking for witness marks is likely the only way to check if it's the disc springs hitting the crank bolts.

 

[Brain75]

I'm 100% sure orientation matters - there is a taller and shorter side to springs on every one I have touched... usually there is a sticker on em that says "this side towards engine" . When I tore m '48 apart to swap the T5 trans in, the stamping on the abrasion material was even still evident - so brand new clutch came out. The sticker on that one was bright pink.

edit - ignore the text in the pic - that was a posting to FTE back in 2012, only pic I have of it is edited with that.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I didn't mean orientation didn't matter...

The side with the springs and spline center that stands proud of the clutch lining always goes away from the flywheel. Robbies manual states rear of the truck which is the same thing.

I still don't think you can put it in backwards and have it function.

 

[RobbieD]

The only pics that I had at hand are of a 9" clutch disc from behind a 2.9. I don't remember that 10" 4.0 disc was different, except for a wider band of friction material.

Short hub flange on one side, taller hub flange on the other.

What doesn't make sense to me here, is that the clicking is heard with the last inch of clutch pedal travel (i.e.- disengage), which in theory would make for an increasing gap between the pressure plate and the flywheel. You'd think that clicking would be heard to point where the clutch fully engages into lockup.

 

[Brain75]

still hurts my brain to see those teeny tiny splines.....