Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

My clutch pedal won’t return fully. Actually about 3-4” short of floor board.
Looks like I can’t get full travel. The assist spring seems to be short. The bracket on the frame can’t move closer to the battery base to extend the spring.
Packwagon

Is the car stock or is there any chance a mix to what was available in a scrapyard situation has occurred. There are different springs and eyebolts listed for the various 22-23 series as well as a similar operating but different physical mounting arrangement for 24-54 series. Also check the condition of the long retracting spring between the fork end and the bracket mounted to the frame near the steering box.

Have you checked how free just the pedal will move without the linkage hooked up? The pedal lube situation for the bushings and shaft on all Clipper based models thru 50 is somewhat iffy. One rather hidden grease fitting is at the brake side end of the shaft. That fitting is supposed to take care of both brake and clutch bushings. Even if it does routinely get a dose of grease, the grease is oozing out from the brake pedal area and adding more lube is probably stopped long before any fresh grease can get down the passage in the shaft to the clutch pedal bushings. It could be the bushings and shaft are dry and the pedal is not free enough to move with just a spring assisted return. If the bushings or shaft are worn the pedal arm could also be scraping the toe board.

One other part is the link between the pedal and the curved bracket where the large spring connects. That could be an incorrect item as the 22 and 23 series used different links.

The car is stock. I have a long retracting that came in box of springs. 7/16” did x 5 1/4 long,
One end with 6 1/2 long the other end 1 1/2 long. I do not have the angle bracket. The pedal is free to move, seems bushing is okay. I will put some grease in the fitting and see what happens.
My
A packard service manual doesn’t show the long retracting spring, but I could add it.
The throw out arm seems to work and I can move it by hand about 2”-3”
Fig 7 shows clutch adjustment. I added the spring shown