Hemi 4 speed very hard to get into gear when running

[timmycharger]

Ever since last year when I had my 18yr old son try the Charger in a parking lot, it has not been shifting very easily.  When I was showing him how to drive a manual, I noticed he was really pushing down hard on the clutch pedal and had to keep reminding him to push it down slowly when just cruising around.  I jumped out to get some pics and vids of him driving it and when I got back in the car to go home, I noticed it immediately.

I finally got under the car to take a look. First thing I did is re adjust the shifter linkage, using the pin to hold all the mechanism levers in place while I put the car in neutral and adjusted the swivels and levers until they fit perfectly. I am not sure if he bent the reverse rod as it looked a bit wonky but after adjusting, it goes into every gear smoothly, with the engine off.

With the engine running, its a different story.  I have to push the pedal all the way down hard to the floor to get it to even go into the gears, even then it doesn't feel right. 

Looking into this issue, I am reading that I may need to adjust the clutch fork nut as the clutch is not disengaging properly. That is my next step but before I crawl under it again, wanted to see if anyone knows of something possibly else it could be?

For the record I am using a Mcleod 3 finger style pressure plate (pic shown from install 10 years ago) with the over center spring still attached.

prior to this issue, the transmission/shifter was the smoothest and easiest Mopar 4 speed I ever drove, like only 1 finger to move the lever into gear, like butter. Now I look like a novice, grinding gears to get into reverse, its quite awful.

Any suggestions are welcome. 

[metallicareload99]

Sounds like you are on the right track there. On my car that nut would loosen up before I got it adjusted properly. I'm kinda surprised your over center spring still brings the pedal all the way up? If you still have the clutch fork to bell housing spring you should have a lot of adjustment available 

[timmycharger]

Sounds like you are on the right track there. On my car that nut would loosen up before I got it adjusted properly. I'm kinda surprised your over center spring still brings the pedal all the way up? If you still have the clutch fork to bell housing spring you should have a lot of adjustment available 

Thank you, I read a bunch about people having to remove that over center spring but my clutch pedal always comes up to the top, never got stuck down. I will have to check if that clutch fork spring is still there as I am positive I installed it 10 years ago.

Thanks again for the feedback! 

[John_Kunkel]

Closely inspect the Z-bar where the levers are welded to the cross shaft, the levers sometimes break away at the welds and reduce the fork travel.

[timmycharger]

Closely inspect the Z-bar where the levers are welded to the cross shaft, the levers sometimes break away at the welds and reduce the fork travel.

  Roger that. Thank you, I am using an original one that I put new bushings in, that would be wild but makes sense. 

[timmycharger]

I was able to crawl under there this morning. The Z bar welds are intact, no issues there or in the bushings, inspected it while someone pushed on the clutch pedal.

I then adjusted the nut on the clutch fork, that did not change anything with the engine running, still could not get it into gear, just made it make some scary sounds when I put the pedal to the floor. The rubber bushing on the end of the fork/ adjuster bolt was pretty beat up and torn but I didnt see any noticeable play there when someone was pushing down on the pedal. I still have the little return spring on the bellhousing and the fork itself felt really solid on the clutch fork pivot/throw out bearing, meaning nothing felt loose. My initial thought was that the little pivot bracket that bolts onto the bellhousing where the fork attaches to got loose as there are 2 small bolts holding it in and they were a bitch 10 years ago when I had to add washers to it while in the car. I also used my scope/camera while the clutch pedal was being pressed and I can see the fingers of the pressure plate moving in with the throw out bearing but not much else.

I am pretty stumped on why this thing barely goes into gear, could the pressure plate be damaged or the throwout bearing?

I have plans to pull this engine in the next year and when my new one goes in, I am ditching the lakewood bellhousing, what a pain in the ass to work with, cant see or do anything.

[John_Kunkel]

still could not get it into gear, just made it make some scary sounds when I put the pedal to the floor.

The scary sound could be the levers on the pressure plate contacting the clutch disc...this can happen when the T.O. bearing travels too far. Try putting a block of wood under the clutch pedal to limit its travel.

This usually only happens on a new installation when the linkage ratios don't match the pressure plate lever ratio.