***G-56 Clutch and Pedal Characteristics***

[ROrtiz]

Hey All,

I finished installing my clutch last night and have a few questions about the feel and adjustments of the pedal. I put the SBC-MU-1947-ConFE in. The overall install wasn't bad. Took about 5 hours.



My questions are:



-Does anyone know if the clutch is supposed to make it really hard getting it into gear from a stop?



-How do you adjust the hydraulic pedal assembly? Do you just undo the pedal in the cab and unthread the pedal assembly; and if so how many turns?



-Will the clutch seat after some driving and will these characteristics become void?



Any thoughts or recommendations would be great.

P. S. Anyone need my old clutch, it still has a ton of meat and the flywheel is in good condition. Just let me know.

 

[RobertP]

you can adjust the pedal without removing the pin from the pedal. just give her a few spins to adjust up or down you will see the pedal move.



i have also experianced the stiff feeling going into gear from a stop. i have just learned to deal with it. i like how the clutch works and feels other than that. it has held all the power i can put to it also. so all in all i am very pleased with the setup. but if anyone has a way to get the first shift to go better im all ears.

 

[ROrtiz]

I think that I have just found out how to fix the "hard shift" into first, second and reverse. Not sure if it works yet... . waiting to leave work to go and experiment with it... . lol. But I was told that on the slave cylinder... . assuming you put the hydraulic upgrade in that is adjustable... . on the bell housing, you need to pull out the hydraulic assembly. There is a shim like piece of plastic on there that needs to be removed. I was told that it is about 1/4" in thickness. This will allow the pedal to have more throw and in turn engage easier.

 

[AKaiser]

Mine goes into first easily, as long as I wait a second or two before putting it in 2d. It's very difficult going from 3d to 2d moving. Never a problem downshifting from any other gear above that, as long as it's synch'd.

 

[RobertP]

I think that I have just found out how to fix the "hard shift" into first, second and reverse. Not sure if it works yet... . waiting to leave work to go and experiment with it... . lol. But I was told that on the slave cylinder... . assuming you put the hydraulic upgrade in that is adjustable... . on the bell housing, you need to pull out the hydraulic assembly. There is a shim like piece of plastic on there that needs to be removed. I was told that it is about 1/4" in thickness. This will allow the pedal to have more throw and in turn engage easier.

man if thats all it is let me know. i have taken mine out and back in twice just to double check that everything was right.

 

[RobertP]

well i just went out and pulled mine off and it didnt make much difference at all. i can say that the clutch fork is tight though. that is kinda wierd. so i may be pullin mine back down this weekend.

 

[ROrtiz]

Well i just "tried" to do mine... . guess what. There is no shim piece on my hydraulic assembly by the bell housing. Not sure if the wrong one was shipped or what. South Bend is now closed so i can't call them. Gonna call my dealer and ask what the deal is. Could someone send me a pic of what their adjustable pedal assembly looks like from below the steering column? Sorry to ask that. Also, how do you adjust this pedal too, if i have the adjustable one? I think that they sent me the wrong one.

 

[RobertP]

when you installed you new hydros, were there threads on the shaft that the attatches to the clutch pedal?

 

[ROrtiz]

No... . That's a bad thing huh?

 

[RobertP]

No... . That's a bad thing huh?

not a bad thing it just means its not adjustable.

 

[Regcabguy]

3rd to 2nd

Mine goes into first easily, as long as I wait a second or two before putting it in 2d. It's very difficult going from 3d to 2d moving. Never a problem downshifting from any other gear above that, as long as it's synch'd.

In shifting from 3rd to 2nd increase rpm's to match the lower gear. Mine goes right in. I've got the stock clutch. I learned to shift this way by owning a '50 Dodge pickup for awhile. No synchro's. They called it a "crashbox". :-laf

 

[RobertP]

mine upshifts and downshifts great its just the initial shift from a stop is tough. i think it has to due with the clutch fork being tight even with the clutch out. it may be holding some pressure on the pressure plate not letting the clutch out all the way. i will find out very soon.

 

[ROrtiz]

I talked with my distributor today along with pete from south bend. The hydraulic assembly that i received is NOT adjustable. Also, the assembly that was sent to me is malfunctioning. I found out last night, that if I put my truck in 1st of reverse and then start it... ... my truck will "lunge" forward or backward as if you were starting an old farm truck in gear without pushing the clutch in. When my truck is running, i can't get it into reverse to save my life... . i have to shut my truck off, put it in reverse and then start the motor again.

 

[RobertP]

the adjustable hydraulics should cure all of that. i can get mine in reverse without shutting down i just have to put it in another gear first.

 

[ROrtiz]

Should be here tomorrow. I'm hoping. When i get the install done, i will let you all know how it works and thanks again for everyone's input and advice.

 

[AKaiser]

In shifting from 3rd to 2nd increase rpm's to match the lower gear. Mine goes right in. I've got the stock clutch. I learned to shift this way by owning a '50 Dodge pickup for awhile. No synchro's. They called it a "crashbox". :-laf

FYI I learned to drive HD trucks that way w/o using a clutch on a 70s era Mack RD with the 5 speed, and also on Roadrangers, so you really aren't telling me anything I don't already know. It doesn't always want to synchronize going from 3d to 2d as easily as it does from 6 to 5 to 4 to 3. I can usually perform a seamless transition (read "no jumpiness/sudden tach increase") from 6-5-4-3 using the clutch and accelerator to match the gears. Maybe I'm downshifting too soon from 3d to 2d. I was able to synch it this morning, though.



On another note, what others have said about this thing being easy to hit the wrong gear: I've managed to kill it several times (including this AM) by going from 2 to 5 on several occasions. Now my "Malfunction Indicator Lamp" is on again. Question is, will it go out on it's own this time?

 

[Regcabguy]

G-56

FYI I learned to drive HD trucks that way w/o using a clutch on a 70s era Mack RD with the 5 speed, and also on Roadrangers, so you really aren't telling me anything I don't already know. It doesn't always want to synchronize going from 3d to 2d as easily as it does from 6 to 5 to 4 to 3. I can usually perform a seamless transition (read "no jumpiness/sudden tach increase") from 6-5-4-3 using the clutch and accelerator to match the gears. Maybe I'm downshifting too soon from 3d to 2d. I was able to synch it this morning, though.



On another note, what others have said about this thing being easy to hit the wrong gear: I've managed to kill it several times (including this AM) by going from 2 to 5 on several occasions. Now my "Malfunction Indicator Lamp" is on again. Question is, will it go out on it's own this time?

I wasn't inferring you were doing anything wrong,just a suggestion. On the subject of missed shifts,on a few occassions I have gone from 5th to 4th whille attempting to upshift. Good synchros made up for a brain fart! After having driven three NV5600's,this transmission seems easier to hit the right gear.

 

[ROrtiz]

Hey guys. I put the new pedal assembly in on saturday and was told to drive it all weekend. I can now get my truck into 1st and 2nd off the line, only if i pop my fuel pedal and increase the RPM's. Reverse is still such a hassle. It seems to shift smoothly throughout the rest of the gears while moving though. But, when i'm at a stop and start out in second, which most everyone does, when i let out the clutch it will grab at the bottom and then release and then grab again at the top of the pedal "swing" and my truck will move forward. It reminds me of driving an old tractor casue of the way it lunges off the line. Any advice?????



One more thing. If i start my truck with the clutch in and in first or reverse. My truck will still move forwards or backwards.

 

[RobertP]

mine does the same, when i go to put it in a gear from a stop i will feel the truck start to feel like it is engaging in gear. i will try and start my truck in either 2nd or reverse to see if i get the same effect. i havent used first in about a year.

 

[ROrtiz]

Yeah, let me know. Cause Pete from SBC is wanting me to take it out and send me a new one. I don't want to go through the hassle if this is something that others are experiencing and it is a trait of this clutch.