Thread: 1980's Chevy T5 Clutch Throw Out Bearing Clearance

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I have a 1980's Camaro T5 tranny with a hydraulic clutch in my '30 Model A.

It uses an external clutch slave cylinder.

What should the clearance be between the throw out bearing and the fingers?

Someone can correct me here but, with a hydraulic system there will be zero pressure on the slave but also no clearance between the throwout and "fingers". My Ford Pickup actually has a spring that keeps the bearing against the fingers.

I think Mike is right about no clearance. The important thing is you don't want any pressure on the fingers, or the clutch will be pushing forward on the crank all the time which is not a good thing....

I agree with rspears and 34_40

I'm using a 1990 Chevy 1500 slave and a Wilwood master, I'll have to make a pushrod.

Should the slave be completely retracted or should there be some space between the piston and the bottom of the bore with pedal all the way up?

If I'm understanding your question correctly. At rest, the slave cylinder should be "near retracted" into the cylinder bore.

When you depress the clutch master, the slave will travel out the bore and force the clutch to release. When you release the pedal, the clutch plate will force the slave to retract. It will not remove the bearing / finger contact.

I wouldn't make your rod so long that it bottoms the piston out. but it is important that it has enough travel (slave) to fully disengage the clutch. hope that makes sense. I would think if you make the rod length to where the piston has maybe 1/4 before bottoms out you would be good.

Both the pedal to master and the slave to clutch fork rods are adjustable on mine, using a threaded coupling between two rods, each with a jam nut. I adjusted the pedal to master to ensure that the master fully retracts, but has virtually no clearance with the pedal up to ensure that I'm getting the maximum volume of fluid to the slave when I fully depress the pedal. Then I adjusted the slave to fork rod to bring the point where the clutch starts to engage about two inches off the floor, giving me full disengagement with the clutch down, and full engagement before the clutch is fully out. I've found that 1/2 turn on the slave to fork adjustment (fine thread, maybe 1/32") will move the engage/disengage point 1/4" to 1/2" up or down at the pedal.