Clutch Brake repair?

It could just be out of adjustment, but more than likely the little tabs that lock it to the shaft have gotten snapped off. This happens if the clutch pedal gets pushed right to the floor with the truck in motion. If it is a one piece brake, yes it can be gotten out without pulling the trans. It's a bit of a nasty job, I've seen an air chisel used too. But then when a 2 piece is put in to replace it, it's a breeze to change out after that. At most a couple of hours labour should do this job, including putting the new one in. But first get someone to look in there and verify that it needs replacing, and not just adjustment. Anyone who knows how these things work, and how to adjust them should be able to help you out, at least as far as the diagnosis goes. Good luck.

 

You need someone who knows what they are doing. There are actual specs for where the throw out bearing is supposed to sit relative to the clutch brake. If someone has done and external adjustment rather than an internal ( if the clutch is adjustable- some are not now days) it could all be out of adjustment. Check out inside get it set right and then see if you have clutch brake or not. If everything is adjusted and you still have no clutch brake then you will have to replace the clutch brake. And yes, a two piece clutch brake is available and can be installed without taking the transmission down. Not nice work. At all.

 

Proper free play can be deceiving. I have been in your shoes and insisted the clutch brake was bad because I had proper free play. Our mechanic adjusted the clutch and like magic the clutch brake worked like new.

 

yes cutting in out is the way to go if you have a one piece. messy but it is the way. replace with a 2 piece unit and this will be much easier next time. proper clutch adjustment will make the brake work. very easy to do yourself. hope this helps

 

It could be as simple as an adjustment or time for a new clutch, so proper diagnosis is important. 1st pull the cover and check the distance between the clutch brake and the bearing cover, it should be about 1/2". If that looks good see if it spins on the input shaft, this will tell you if the tabs are sheered off. If it spins, the brake is no good, it was either abused or the clutch may not be fully releasing.

If it's good, stick a business card in the gap and have someone push the clutch all the way down, the brake should pinch the card so you cannot pull it out. The pedal should stop about 1/2" from the floor. If it goes to the floor and never pinches the card, you have a problem with the linkage. It should not be out of adjustment if it was set up right when the clutch was installed, but if it's always had this issue, it's a possibility. More likely, if this is a new issue, the end links or any pivot points have too much play, or part of the linkage got bent.

The worst case scenario if the linkage and brake is working correctly, is that the clutch is dragging (not fully releasing). Disk springs coming out of the pockets and/or breaking is a fairly common cause, I have also seen warped spacer plates cause this. This means the clutch needs to be replaced.

Yes, you can replace a clutch brake with a split or 2 piece one without pulling the trans. But when properly adjusted and driven, they rarely wear out before the clutch needs replacing. If the clutch brake failed, you need to figure out why before you replace it, or it will just fail again eventually.

 

I would recommend trying you're damndest to air chisel it out before going to the hot wrench. We replaced the 1st clutch brake in my Dad's 07 T800 last year and cut it out, must have gotten the grease in the throwout bearing really hot and liquefied it, now it glazes new clutch brakes in under 10,000 miles. If you do go to the hot wrench use it sparingly and clean off as best you can, and then clean it up some more!

 

would replacing the clutch brake include the tabs? If the tabs that lock it to the shaft have gotten snapped off, how much is it to fix? Are the tabs part of the clutch brake system? My truck won't go into gear from dead stop. I feel like I might have the tabs snapped due to abuse. Thanks

 

Yes, the tabs are part of the clutch brake. There's a few different styles of 2 piece brakes out there. The popular type has 2 screws that hold it together, those screws become the tabs. They stick through the brake when installed. There is another style made by Lipe that's beefier, but harder to install. It hinges and you need to push a roll pin in to hold it together. It has stronger tabs