If it is hydraulic, there will be fluid reservoir under the hood on the drivers side firewall and a plastic line down to the bell housing. There would also be a line from the clutch pedal to the reservoir.
If is a manual clutch, the pedal will be connected with a steel rod to the bell crank (a steel tube with wings and grease fittings) and then another steel rod to the bell housing and clutch fork. This one would be threaded for adjustment.
-- JimG
80' CJ-7 258 CID
35" BFG MT on 15x10 Centerlines D44 Rear, Dana 30 Front. SOA
4.56 Gears, LockRight F&R Dana 300 w/4:1 & Currie twin sticks Warn X8000i w/ dual batteries
I've got a `79 CJ-5, 258, 3 speed manual. You should have the same setup as mine, if you've still got original-style equipment.
Looking in the footwell on the driver's side, you should find an upright metal rod about 3/8" in diameter passing through an oval rubber grommit in the firewall. Wiggle the clutch pedal and you should see this rod (clutch push rod) move up and down.
Open your hood and look at the firewall on the driver's side, find where that metal rod exits. Follow it down to about floor height and you find that it attaches to a bellcrank, a metal tube about 6" or so long. One end of the tube is supported by a(n outer support) bracket bolted to the body, the other end is supported by a(n inner support) bracket bolted to the bellhousing (that cast aluminum dome between the engine and the transmission.) There's a grease nipple on the back side.
Now crawl under the driver's side of the body (after chocking the wheels
-- safety first), find that tube again. Connected to it on the end closest to the engine is a rod (release rod) that runs toward the rear. (If you get lost here, have a friend move the clutch pedal a little for you and see what moves.) Halfway along it's length there will be a jamnut and a long hexagonal piece (adjuster) that looks like a nut that is 3" deep with a ball on the back end. It connects to a narrow stamped metal piece (throwout lever) that passes through a rubber boot in the side of the bellhousing. All of this is probably crusted with dirt and oil.
Normal wear points: The push rod will wear out at the bottom where it passes through the ear on the bell crank, this will add a lot of slop to the clutch pedal. It is an easily obtained part.
There should be plastic bushings inside each end of the bellcrank held in place by "C" clips, with grease boots over each one. These can break or come loose, adding slop to the clutch pedal. The bushings and boots are an easy replacement.
The ball joint on the forward end of the push rod can wear out, wiggle and will eventually come apart.
It might just need adjustment, you do that by backing off the jamnut, turning the adjuster in or out, and then locking it back into place with the jamnut. But first make sure that the linkage is in good mechanical condition. The bellcrank shouldn't wiggle, the push rod shouldn't move while the bellcrank stays still, both support brackets should be firm, the balljoint on the end of the release rod should be firm should not wiggle. All of the wearable parts are easily obtained mailorder, so don't dispair if you find something sloppy.
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