MTFCA Forum

I have the Ford "Bible" but it only outlines the procedure to adjust the clutch fingers if the clutch is slipping. I have the opposite issue- the "free clutch" isn't. Iwould like to do a clutch adjustment starting at the fingers - then move on to the linkage. Is there a specification for adjusting the clutch fingers?

The initial adjustment for the clutch fingers is found in the Ford service manual transmission overhaul section. Page 83, paragraph 315 and fig. 206. That’s the initial adjustment for a stock T clutch.

You could try doing the opposite of the "clutch slipping" procedure - loosen each finger adjusting screw 1/2 turn and drive the car to see if the adjustment is sufficient to loosen the clutch without causing slippage. Be sure not to drop any cotter pins into the transmission!

Thanks, guys.

I would suspect your link between the clutch lever and the low pedal needs adjustment. Maybe the low band is too tight. You should be able to move the pedal down to about 1 1/2 inch above the floorboard before the low band locks the drum and you move in low gear. If the low is too tight, it will begin to lock when you reach the neutral position, which is too tight. Next thing to check would be the link between the pedal and the clutch lever see attachment. Last thing to adjust is the fingers and only if all other things are correct. Usually the fingers are adjusted to correct slipping in high which is opposite of your problem. Another potential problem would be worn low gear cam and notch. If these are worn, you will not be able to get the low band to compress without tightening the band too much which causes a permant drag on the drum and potential cracked drum. See other posts concerning this problem. I would suggest that you purchase from the club, the booklet on "Transmission" which gives you instructions on how to make all this adjustments and how to replace the worn parts. It is written in language that is easy to understand with pictures.
Norm