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Clutch return spring re-installation

All,

I'm having difficulties re-installing the clutch return spring on my '82 Scrambler. The spring I'm referring to is the one attached to the clutch pedal on the inside of the Jeep. It still needs to be attached to the pedal. Trying to connect the spring to the clutch pedal while the pedal is removed is not workable. The pedal needs to be slid onto the shaft straight, otherwise the needle bearings pop out.

The only way I see to put the return spring onto the pedal is to clamp onto the return spring with a pair of vise grips and then pry with a really large pry bar on the vise grips. I've been working with an 18" pry bar for about an hour or so, and gotten close a couple of times, but the pry bar has a tendency to slip off the vise grips.

This is really starting to piss me off, and it's already turned what I thought would be a two hour job into an all day job (so much for my Saturday -again-). Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Reply to
Michael White
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Did you get it figured out yet? I remember mine being a pain, but it only took a few minutes to get it right. Seems like I was able to install mine with pliers and a good pull.

Reply to
Rusted

Reply to
L.W.( ßill ) Hughes III

How did you finagle yours so you could "pull"? Even after removing the fuse box, there doesn't seem to be any way to get behind the spring and pull. The best I can seem to get is push or pry.

Reply to
Michael White

Hmmm..... If I remember right I put it on the pedal first, then it was an easy pull/push up to the anchor bar behind the dash. I do have a pair of needle nosed vise grips I use on springs so I could 'push' it up onto the bar.

I don't remember it being difficult.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Michael White wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

Ah, that seems to be the key. I don't have an "anchor bar". My return spring runs through a piece of metal that has a hole in it. One end of the return spring runs through the hole, the other is looped onto the clutch pedal. I can't remove the return spring from the hole because of the way it's been inserted. I'd have to remove the entire brake/clutch pedal and steering assembly. When they built it, I imagine the whole clutch/brake pedal assembly was built up before being installed.

I was reading other sections of the service manual, and it talks about inserting shims to stretch out springs. If that doesn't work, then a grade

8 bolt located near the current mounting location will probably work well.

Thanks.

Reply to
Michael White

I ended up pulling out the steering and brake/clutch pedal assembly. Once out, it takes two seconds to attach the spring. Of course, if had attached it right the first time, I wouldn't have done it twice today :(.

Thanks.

Reply to
Michael White

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