Clutch linkage questions

How much lateral movement in the bellcrank is okay?

I'm replacing the bushings an seals tomorrow and, while I have it apart, I am going to repack it with grease and it will be the ideal time to slide the plate in if there is enough adjkustment left, in order to eliminate some lateral movement.

As of today, when I took the bellcrank off, it shifted 3 1/2 to 4 inches from side to side.

Don't ask me what sort of stupid idea I had that made me take the linkage apart. Uggh.

 

I don't see how that's possible without the linkage falling off of the ball studs. Here's the linkage from the '77 manual. The earlier linkage is similar, but I don't have a picture of it.



IIRC the adjustment is determined by the location of the clips on the ball studs. The clips fit into slots in the bellcrank, and hold the bellcrank in place behind the ball of the ballstud.

 

The diagram is close, but not accurate for my year model. If you have access to the 75 CJ Technical Service Manual (which covers everything but whether or not any lateral movement in the bellcrank is ok), check page 5-4 and look at the outer support bracket. On your diagram, it is mounted vertically. With mine, it is mounted horizontally, on top of the frame, with slots that ou can use to change the mounting position to the left and right. Also, with mine, the pivots are seperate items that float n the bell crank aganst the bushings. In the diagram here, they are integrated into the support brackets, inner and outer.

 

Mmm. I am familiar with those, but don't have the manual. Pretty sure that your bellcrank has the plastic bushings, slots in the bellcrank, and clips that go under the boot and into the bellcrank slot. This should position the outer bracket.