Clutch Lever Repair

[farmersammm]

I was moving the truck so that I could reach the bales on the trailer. We're feeding with a 3pt instead of the loader, which makes getting bales off the trailer a PITA. You have to unload from one side, then move the trailer to unload from the other side.

Anyways.............I was moving the truck...........nosing it into the side of the semi trailer, when.............................................

Like to scared the sht outta me Clutch pedal falls to the floor, and the truck keeps moving. Hit the brake to stall it. Luckily it had hay on, so it was easier to stall.

The rod pops off the lever on these trucks. It's fairly common. I'd not be surprised if there have been some serious accidents because of it.

A nylon bushing fits on the thing, held in place by fingers on the bushing that engage the groove at the end of the nub. As ya can see.................it's seen better days. I"ve had it wired up for years, trying to postpone the eventual day when it had to come off the truck. I guess today was the day

The thing is pressed in place and I ruined it when trying to press it out. The flange on the backside (in the pic) hung up on the socket I was using as an anvil on the press..............mushroomed the damn thing, and had to grind it to the face of the lever, then press the remainder out.

This is a problem.........Because I damaged it, I have no idea what the proper diameter of the pin is. Probably just measure one on one of the other trucks, but I hate to remove the bushing on those trucks. Usually you destroy them when removing them. The other way to do this, is to measure the eye on the push rod that goes to the clutch master cylinder, and size the pin from that. If it can be messed up............I will find a way to do it

I figure I'll use some round stock I have on hand. Regular mild steel. The pin is short, and shouldn't be under a lot of stress from leverage. Besides.......using 1144 would not work, being as it has to be welded back in. The bore on the lever was slightly damaged too. There's enough good bore to line up the pin, but a press fit is out of the question now..................so mild steel it is(shrug).

Plan is to turn it into a pin with a thread that allows you to retain the bushing without problems like the original part.

What was left of the pin, measured .450, and the clutch cylinder pushrod eye measures .490 where it hasn't been wallowed by the pin. Sounds about right for what it is........being as a nylon bushing has to sit in there too.

[farmersammm]

Although the bore on the old lever is serrated, I'm thinking it's serrated from installation...........not as made when new.



I'm thinking that you position the lever on the shaft, then tighten it to crush into the teeth on the shaft..................Like a serrated wheel stud, except in reverse. I'm fairly sure I can reinstall the thing with no problem. Lord knows, it was murder to get off the shaft it was so tight.

I'll think about it. If I have to go with a new one, it's the same old problem again..............a lousy bushing design.

[M J D]

I did one of those years ago. That nylon bushing is very thin from new. That was on a F-150 but I believe they are the same until they went hydraulic. I used an oilite bushing that I had to shorten and either turn some down or ream it out. Not to mention it's quite a PITA to access it in the first place.

[smithdoor]

If I had the problem I would make a new pin and weld on leaver.

Dave

I was moving the truck so that I could reach the bales on the trailer. We're feeding with a 3pt instead of the loader, which makes getting bales off the trailer a PITA. You have to unload from one side, then move the trailer to unload from the other side.

Anyways.............I was moving the truck...........nosing it into the side of the semi trailer, when.............................................

Like to scared the sht outta me Clutch pedal falls to the floor, and the truck keeps moving. Hit the brake to stall it. Luckily it had hay on, so it was easier to stall.

The rod pops off the lever on these trucks. It's fairly common. I'd not be surprised if there have been some serious accidents because of it.

A nylon bushing fits on the thing, held in place by fingers on the bushing that engage the groove at the end of the nub. As ya can see.................it's seen better days. I"ve had it wired up for years, trying to postpone the eventual day when it had to come off the truck. I guess today was the day

The thing is pressed in place and I ruined it when trying to press it out. The flange on the backside (in the pic) hung up on the socket I was using as an anvil on the press..............mushroomed the damn thing, and had to grind it to the face of the lever, then press the remainder out.

This is a problem.........Because I damaged it, I have no idea what the proper diameter of the pin is. Probably just measure one on one of the other trucks, but I hate to remove the bushing on those trucks. Usually you destroy them when removing them. The other way to do this, is to measure the eye on the push rod that goes to the clutch master cylinder, and size the pin from that. If it can be messed up............I will find a way to do it

I figure I'll use some round stock I have on hand. Regular mild steel. The pin is short, and shouldn't be under a lot of stress from leverage. Besides.......using 1144 would not work, being as it has to be welded back in. The bore on the lever was slightly damaged too. There's enough good bore to line up the pin, but a press fit is out of the question now..................so mild steel it is(shrug).

Plan is to turn it into a pin with a thread that allows you to retain the bushing without problems like the original part.

What was left of the pin, measured .450, and the clutch cylinder pushrod eye measures .490 where it hasn't been wallowed by the pin. Sounds about right for what it is........being as a nylon bushing has to sit in there too.

[duramax-rob]

why don't you make brass bushing to fit where old plastic was. or get some already made bushing, brass, like a auto door hinge bushing, box gives inside and outside dimensions on box. for pin, use grade 8 bolt long enough to just use the unthreaded shaft or just enough cut with thread and use bolt shaft welded hole on bracket. maybe some of this idea you can use to fix your problem..

hope this helps some

[Sberry]

I fixed one with a nut/bolt thing i made up. I dont remember exact now but it last forever.

[SweetMK]

How about,,,
Forget using a steel pin,,
instead,
make a solid brass (bronze, whatever) "pin" that fits the mating part.
Drill a hole through it, and bolt the brass part to the hole you pressed the worn part out of.

The brass part does not need to rotate on the arm, the mating part will take care of that.

Add a washer under the head of the bolt, to keep the mating part from falling off of the new brass part.

Heck, even I could make that on a lathe,, one diameter, one length,,
The hole in the brass part does not even need to be done on a lathe,, you could drill that with your cordless drill.

Concentricity is not a concern, the speed is kinda low.

[motolife313]

Had the same thing happen. The clip broke off the first time while in a parking lot at the hardware store then 2nd time was literally leaving my house and the shaft that the clutch cable attaches to like u got in the pic of yours worn down. Mine snapped the weld off so it welded it back on and its zipped tied down there. Got check those every few months lol

[Sberry]

I will have to look when the truck comes in, mine was real simple, think I welded a nut in the eye somehyow to make the swivel, was the hinge, greased it a little butr I cant recall exactly now, its been in service 20 yrs after and outlast the original.

[Zimm]

Had that problem with my 93 F150. Thought it was the bushing. Replaced it and it failed again in short order. Real problem was the plastic insert in the point where the bushing inserts into the shaft operating the master cylinder. The plastic insert in the eye wears out and causes the busing to fail. I replaced the master cylinder. There is probably a fix that avoids that, but that was the answer I got from a guy with expertise in these trucks. Been fine since, and thats probably about 15 years ago.

I would guess your pin is a mess, as it has been metal to metal for years, held together with wire. You likely need to fix the pin and the eye on the connection point.

[Xsbank]

Drill it out, put a a bolt through it (I would use an AN bolt because of the longer, more precise unthreaded shaft) and use a new rod end…

[Boostinjdm]

Drill it out, put a a bolt through it (I would use an AN bolt because of the longer, more precise unthreaded shaft) and use a new rod end…

Yep. Looks like a great spot for a heim joint and a bolt to me.

[MinnesotaDave]

I must be slipping, usually I wait to read these until the 10th or 11th page so I can see how the repair went

I'm way too early

Just kidding around Sam

[Meltedmetal]

Sam, I know you like to fix/improve things but why wouldn't you just but a new one if this is what it is?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/231658053760

[farmersammm]

I guess it's not going to be fancy. Found some flange bushings that fit a 3/8 bolt, which will fit the hole if drilled out a bit. Weld the hex head on the backside, and use a nylon insert locking nut to hold the bushing on.

Coulda had it done yesterday.................but yesterday was a total loss........but one Hell of an adventure.

Had an appointment for a guided needle lung biopsy at 9:00AM, over in OKC. So, we head out at around 6ish, because it's a long way,, and the rush hour starts in the City early..........about the time we figured we'd get to the outskirts of town.

Haul azz, get there a bit early, actually about 40 minutes..........................AND SIT IN THE DAMN PREP AREA FOR OVER 2 F'N HOURS WAITING TO GO IN AND GET STABBED!!!!!!!!!!

They wanted to do a morphine drip, followed by lidocaine at the insertion site. I didn't want to go on any hospital oxygen equipment, for fear of Omicron/Delta. The morphine requires a canula to monitor CO2 in your breath. I'd discussed this the day before............they'd said I could probably get by with the local (lidocaine), and still be able to wear my N95 without any oxygen stuff.

We had to go over this again in the prep area. Finally convinced the dood to do it my way. BTW.................lungs have no pain sensing nerves.....only the tissue surrounding the lung, near the chest wall. So a local is doable.

They wheel you in, and put you on your stomach (I guess the mass is at the back wall of the lung), then do the deadening shot...............which really wasn't bad until they got into the lung surrounding tissue, and even then it was pretty much like going to a dentist..............little pain followed by nothing.

They run you into the damn CT scanner, then pull you out, and pop the needle thing into your body wall, when shove you back into the scanner for more pics, repeatedly over the time they're working on you. I lost count at 4 times. THAT'S A LOT OF DAMN RADIATION. I suppose this is all done to position the needle properly as it approaches the wall of the lung. Beats poking a hole in the lung I guess.

I heard two loud clicks, like a stapler, and they seemed to be pretty much done. I'm assuming the needle thing has some sort of mechanism that grabs tissue at its very end...........activated by the handle.

THEN WE WAITED ANOTHER 2 1/2 HOURS IN THE STINKIN' RECOVERY ROOM SO THEY COULD VERIFY THAT THE HOLE WASN'T ENLARGING,, AND THE LUNG MAYBE COLLAPSING. I guess the needle doesn't actually go all the way into the lung, only enough to grab a sample.

BY THIS TIME, WE'D BOTH NOT HAD FOOD FOR 19 F'N HOURS. Can't eat after midnight the evening before the procedure. WHICH TURNS OUT TO BE SO'S YOU DON'T THROW UP WHILE ON THE MORPHINE..............WHICH I'D TOLD THEM THE DAY BEFORE THAT I DIDN'T WANT

At about 2:30 in the afternoon, I'd had enough of this bullcrap, and started unhooking the wires to the monitor, so I could get dressed and get out of there. THAT GOT THEIR ATTENTION One of the gals called the x-ray gal to get in there and do the chest x-ray to verify that all was well, and we got the Hell out of there. Would have been there until somebody remembered I was still waiting for the damn x-ray.

FIRST THING WE DID WAS HEAD FOR THE NEAREST BURGER KING

We sort of found out that the morphine is mainly to put you at ease while they're working on you. Hell, I don't need to be put at ease. I'm not gonna squirm around, or fight it...................I'm there to get this damn thing done..........so get to it, and get me outta here.

Find out in maybe a day or so what they found.

So....................fancy azz repairs ain't on the agenda. Get it done, and forget about it. Not in the mood for doing anything complicated. Weld it out in the morning, and be done with it. Hell, it took all morning just to get motivated to head to town to look for suitable parts.

[whtbaron]

At least when you get it done it should last. My 94 keeps launching hydraulic throwout bearings. I changed the pump last summer hoping to avoid the inevitable (couldn't see any leakage at the throwout then) but the cold weather finished it off. Now they sell the pump and bearing in a "kit" that only took 6 weeks to get here so I don't feel like going to another supplier now. I think this is #5 since the truck was new. Don't know why they dropped mechanical linkages that lasted the life of the vehicle (yea... that was rhetorical) for junk that fails.

[smithdoor]

I ask what happened
At lest it is only one page

Dave

I must be slipping, usually I wait to read these until the 10th or 11th page so I can see how the repair went

I'm way too early

Just kidding around Sam

[farmersammm]

Welded a bolt in that was long enough so the bushing would ride on the smooth bolt shank instead of the thread. I didn't get a pic of the bolt when it was full length, this is after it was cut. It was probably about 1/2" longer originally.

Trimmed the bushing, and put a plain nut on the bolt before cutting it to shorten it. The plain nut allows you to rethread the end of the nut as it comes off after it's been cut.

On the truck with nylon insert locknut. Works better than it's ever worked before. Can actually fully disengage the clutch now No more worries about the damn pushrod popping off at a bad time.

I do think the pushrod will have to be cut off with a razor wheel when the clutch master cylinder fails,, and needs to be replaced. The extra thread length makes it impossible to remove the pushrod without removing the lever. The lever probably won't be reusable a second time around because of the serrations, and how they've been distorted this time around. But..............the pushrod comes unattached when you buy a new cylinder..........have to push it into the back of the cylinder, where it snaps in. I figure that I'll just put the new pushrod on the lever, and then lock it all up as the cylinder is mounted to the firewall, and starts to enter the cab space. I guess we'll see if/when the cylinder needs replacing.

[old miner called Pop]

Sam that there is a good repair...some of the stuff you get into reminds me so much of the stuff I would get nto with my first weld rig and stuff I get into here in the mines. The only thing is I dont have the machinist skills or the machinery to do it. I got a 4 inch grinder an end grinder and some files to work with but I make it work one way or another.

I hope your biopsy thing brings you good news or at the very least no bad news. Take care of yourself and God Bless You.

Popeye

[Don52]

Nice repair.

-Don

[farmersammm]

Hey! Thanks everyone. Drove it quite a few miles to get a load of feed, and it worked really well. You can actually shift gears without teasing the thing into gear. The clutch hasn't fully released in a long time I guess.

Keepin' the old iron on the road....................

[MinnesotaDave]

I'm sure that repair will outlast the truck

Best wishes on your health old timer

[farmersammm]

I'm sure that repair will outlast the truck

Best wishes on your health old timer