clutch fork

[Tom Endy]

Attached article may be of help with your project. It appears you have the early version of the clutch shaft assembly that used woodruff keys and a smaller pin. There is a Ford service bulletin that describes the change, which I have believed for years is incorrect. I suspect the service engineer that wrote it got the two part numbers for the arm and the fork reversed.

I believe the change was to reduce manufacturing costs.

When ever I restore a bell housing I install the later clutch shaft because they are much cheaper than the ones with the woodruff key. Bratton's is the only supplier that I know of that carries the early shaft. I do not use the early arm and fork, I discard them and use the later ones. There is still plenty of them around.

For my own use, and if a customer wants one, I install the after market arm that is slightly longer for better clutch action and is constructed such that the traditional cracking around the pin hole cannot happen. Most suppliers carry it.

When you go to ream the bell housing bushings, if reaming is required, make sure you use a reamer that goes through both bushings at the same time.

Years ago when I restored my first bell housing, I followed someone's advice to make a hone from a wooden dowel. Slot it and slip strips of emery paper in the slot and use a drill motor. After spending half a day honing the two bushings, I could get the new shaft into each end, but not through both.

Tom Endy