cudaman I think you are thinking the little fork spring... that is new and in place.. I'm talking the big over center spring on the pedal... it's only job is to assist with depressing the pedal on the borg beck style clutches.
Everywhere I look says remove it on diaphragm style use it on borg & beck.
No I'm talking about the BIG spring under dash, the only purpose is to keep the pedal up so the throw out bearing does not ride on the pressure plate fingers, borg&beck, long or diaphragm type. Take that spring out, it will wear the bearing out fast. You've heard of riding the clutch, that's what happens on a smaller scale with no spring. Little spring at the bell keeps the rod in its place so it won't fall out. Ask any old mechanic, they know.
I appreciate your replies in an effort to help, but. I think you have this backwards. The little fork return spring keeps the fork pulled back so the bearing doesn't ride on the fingers of the pp. The big over center spring just assists the driver with force required on the down stoke of the pedal (makes it easier) and then takes up the 1 inch freeplay and returns the pedal to the pad once over center, if set up correctly. That is why when your adjustment is out, or you have incorrect parts (as I suspect I do) you get the pedal stuck to the floor condition.
At the prescribed 1/4 in bearing gap by Ram.. I don't have enough rod length to get me past the over center point on the pedal. I am right on the very edge of everything working fine, but with about an 1/8th of bearing clearance... I noticed in the post above Cab is running with an 1/8th so maybe I'm ok then ?
Well I'll try this one more time. If this is a non running condition and the pedal sticks on the floor, your throw out bearing is not up against the clutch fingers. The pressure fron plate will force it back. The only time a pedal will stick to the floor is at high rpm with a diaphragm type clutch and goes into an over center situation from centrifugal force, once the rpm comes down it pops back. No one that I know have ever had that problem with the other types. Again Little spring holds the pieces together and the big spring holds the pedal up period. Ask a qualified machanic that's older than 50 if you still don't believe. Not trying to be mean but until you understand this principle you're not going to be able to adjust the pedal correctly..
Sorry, my pedal isn't stuck to the floor, if I implied that somewhere I just worded it wrong... what I meant was the over center is always pulling down towards the floor...locking the bearing against the fingers.. gets stuck in that position and need to give it a tap or lift to get it to return. When freeplay at the bearing is set at about an 1/8 th of an inch, my pedal will still just stick, but only about a 1/2 inch down. Any more freeplay and the pedal drops further worsening the problem. Any less freeplay and, well, I have no freeplay, which is no good either.
With no linkage attached.. I have less than 1/2 inch travel on the pedal where the over center spring is pulling up, this wouldn't even take up slack in the linkage so I don't see how it could assist the fork in any way ? Maybe the issue is my over center point is wrong ? Feels like I need another inch at least of travel before the down force should kick in... then i'd be golden, I'd have the upforce at adjustment you are describing to pull it all back.
Can over center point be adjusted and how ? Is there a backwards/ forwards way to install the spring ? Service manuals and parts book show the spring towards the firewall with the long part to the pedal... every picture on the net shows the opposite Seeing it installed both ways leads me to believe this wouldn't affect things either way.
I'm using a repro pedal and spring assembly, maybe the pivot to spring ratio is off ??
