[bonneville Joe]

So about 2 months ago I replaced a defective stock clutch in my 78 T/A with a Zoom Kevlar disc setup and a Hayes billet flywheel. When I first installed the setup I had the shorter throwout bearing. No matter how I had it adjusted it wouldn't totally disengage. About a month ago I pulled everything back out and installed the longer throwout bearing and it worked fine for the most part. At this point no matter how I had it adjusted it felt like it wasn't totally engaging, like it had a very minor slip but it was adjusted to where it should be. I did the recommended 700 mile break in period. Drove it about 200 miles this weekend through the Georgia mountains and on the way home it started to not want to engage into first gear from a dead stop. Had to baby it into engaging. Now no matter how I have it adjusted it really doesn't want to engage. Once I do get it to engage it drives fine, no slipping. I'm thinking either a worn out fork? I'm thinking that I might go back to the shorter bearing and putting a new fork. Any advice would be great.

[Pontirag]

not only is it important to choose the right length of throw out bearing but to choose one that is compatible with the type of pressure plate you are using. I dont know if this is your problem but it is important. failing to choose a compatable throw out bearing will cause it to fail.

I could not begine to recognise how to tell one apart from another.

the rule I always follow is to get the complete clutch pak from the same vendor so there are no compatability issues

if its wrong return the whole clutch pak for another correct one.

I cannot be certain this is your problem

[bonneville Joe]

Thanks, I called Zoom this morning and talked to one of their tech guys. He said he's pretty sure that it's a worn out fork. Most likely it's bending under pressure which was causing it to not disengage the first time with the shorter bearing. Makes sense. He said to check everything but it's almost impossible for there to be damage to the disc, plate or flywheel already.

[70GS455]

I had a z-bar that had defective welds and it would yield under pedal pressure. It caused very similar symptoms.

[bonneville Joe]

I was just out looking at the car earlier and noticed that the top bolt for the Z bar frame bracket had backed out and the bracket is bent outwards now. Thankfully I still have a bracket from my parts car so I'm going to replace that in the morning. Might not make a difference but you never know. It's not right regardless.

[bonneville Joe]

Dropped a new Lakewood fork into it today and put the shorter bearing back in and now it won't disengage. Guess it comes apart yet again tomorrow and put the long bearing back in.. Argh..