Correct clutch fork?
Printed From: The Ford Torino Page
Category: Model Specific Forum
Forum Name: 1972-1976 Ford and Mercury
Forum Description: Technical discussion for 1972-1976 Ford and Mercury
URL: https://forum.grantorinosport.org/forum_posts.asp?TID=16954
Printed Date: 26-March-2026 at 9:20AM
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.06 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Correct clutch fork?
Posted By: Dmarc28
Subject: Correct clutch fork?
Date Posted: 29-March-2018 at 5:52PM
 These pictures, sorry for not getting them right side up, are of my trans swap I'm doing on my 74 ranchero from fmx to 4 speed. I'm running a 351c 2v and a small block toploader with a Lakewood safety bellhousing and McLeod dual twin disk clutch set up. The flywheel and clutch set up, throwout bearing, and clutch fork I all got from McLeod.I mocked up everything and it looks like the small block Ford clutch fork I have is too short and not long enough. As you can see the bottom of the z-bar is about 2 inches away from the end of the fork. In the bellhousing I was going to use the "further" clutch fork mounting area to mount the fork buuuuut then it would have moved the throwout bearing completely off center and there would have been no way to get the input shaft of the trans where it needed to be.  
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Replies:
Posted By: Rockatansky
Date Posted: 29-March-2018 at 6:13PM
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looks like it might be for a Mustang II body? there are different overall length forks for various applications, from Ford as stock anyway ------------- 72 GT Ute |
Posted By: Dmarc28
Date Posted: 29-March-2018 at 7:48PM
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Thanks for the reply brother. I have no ideal if it would fit that model of car. I asked my dude at McLeod for a small block Ford clutch fork. so if the mustang II ran a small block it could very possibly fit that application. If that's the case I have zero idea what fork to use. |
Posted By: russosborne
Date Posted: 29-March-2018 at 9:27PM
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Tell the McLeod people you have a 74 Ranchero with a 351Cleveland and see what they say? Just saying small block is way too generic. Russ |
Posted By: Dmarc28
Date Posted: 30-March-2018 at 3:11AM
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Thanks. I'm going yo do jus that. I'm getting ready to pull the trans, so I can get the fork be and go down there. Luckily I'm only ten minutes away from them. Thanks, since I've never done this swap,stupid me not doing my research, thought saying SBF woulda been good enough to get the correct fork. |
Posted By: MrSmog
Date Posted: 30-March-2018 at 4:23AM
tell them 73, no manuals in 74 behind the 351c |
russosborne wrote:Posted By: torinojon
Date Posted: 30-March-2018 at 4:34AM
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the correct part number for the fork you need is C8AA-7515-B.its the same as 1971-73 sb ford mustang... ------------- http://forum.grantorinosport.org/uploads/3190/marti5.jpg |
Posted By: Dmarc28
Date Posted: 30-March-2018 at 7:56AM
| Thanks fellas. I went down the McLeod, they had nothing for me. The fork I did have was for a small body car. Obviously I need one for a full size car. Thanks for the part number I'll see if I can find one for sale. |
Posted By: Rockatansky
Date Posted: 30-March-2018 at 7:56AM
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i'd be surprised if the big body Mustang fork is the same part number call-out for Torino/Ranchero it may be close enough to work but the stock Ford forks some of them are very close but different in length and may have different style pockets for the adjuster rods ------------- 72 GT Ute |
Posted By: 72GTS351CJ
Date Posted: 30-March-2018 at 11:10AM
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Sorry if this sounds crazy....Are you close to Anaheim? Is Scott your father? (Long shot) ------------- 72GTS Clint Eastwood Special |
Posted By: Dmarc28
Date Posted: 30-March-2018 at 12:04PM
| Yes, who's this? |
Posted By: 72GTS351CJ
Date Posted: 30-March-2018 at 12:29PM
 Does that explain it?------------- 72GTS Clint Eastwood Special |
Posted By: Dmarc28
Date Posted: 30-March-2018 at 12:41PM
| That it does, the insperation for what I'm doing, haha. Miss that ride, but I know you're treating her well. You the man Rick. |
Posted By: Dmarc28
Date Posted: 30-March-2018 at 12:47PM
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Yeah I don't think the big body Stang is the same part number as the torino or ranchero. I found after doing some research last night the full body cars like the galaxie used the same style and part number of fork as the late model(70/1?-74) ranchero or torinos. |
Posted By: 72GTS351CJ
Date Posted: 30-March-2018 at 1:47PM
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David. You should go on the welcome mat and introduce yourself then start a project thread. You have a great story to tell ------------- 72GTS Clint Eastwood Special |
Posted By: torinojon
Date Posted: 30-March-2018 at 4:24PM
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im glade i can help....FORD MPC BOOKS RULE...
------------- http://forum.grantorinosport.org/uploads/3190/marti5.jpg |
Posted By: Dmarc28
Date Posted: 30-March-2018 at 5:25PM
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Thanks torinojon. I appreciate all the knowledge all of you guys are imparting on me. I only know a little bit about a little bit. I know that if I have any questions I can count on you guys for insight and help. |
Posted By: torinojon
Date Posted: 31-March-2018 at 4:57AM
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i was wondering how you mounted the frame pivot? ------------- http://forum.grantorinosport.org/uploads/3190/marti5.jpg |
Posted By: Rockatansky
Date Posted: 31-March-2018 at 5:09AM
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here's what i came up with for an auto to manual frame pivot mount http://forum.grantorinosport.org/rockatanskys-72-ranchero_topic5563_page3.html" rel="nofollow - http://forum.grantorinosport.org/rockatanskys-72-ranchero_topic5563_page3.html ------------- 72 GT Ute |
Posted By: torinojon
Date Posted: 31-March-2018 at 7:22AM
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i did it to my 1973 montego wagon i was gonna make a 4 speed car but never did it.im leaving it a auto.i put the factory riv-nut in the frame for the frame pivot....... ------------- http://forum.grantorinosport.org/uploads/3190/marti5.jpg |
Posted By: Dmarc28
Date Posted: 31-March-2018 at 7:58AM
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I see. My dad got all if his conversation parts from a 73 Montego. Pedsls, linkage, trans, bellhousing everything. IMO he was way luckier then me having to peicemeal it together. I had been picking my dad's brain since he's already done this conversation albeit 20 years ago. He said his frame mount bracket jus bolted up. Rick, if you have pics of it that'd be coo. Im curious as to how my pops really did it. On mine I had the 2 holes in the top of the frame. But no punched holes, like my pops said should be there. I drilled holes in the bottom of the boxed frame. Then I used a socket and rachets to bolt the mount to the frame. Used flat washers, lock washers and lock nuts. |
Posted By: 72GTS351CJ
Date Posted: 31-March-2018 at 8:36AM
I just jacked up the car too look. Tough to see but he is correct. It looks like 2-9/16 or 5/8 bolts ------------- 72GTS Clint Eastwood Special |
Posted By: 72GTS351CJ
Date Posted: 31-March-2018 at 8:37AM
 ------------- 72GTS Clint Eastwood Special |
Posted By: 72GTS351CJ
Date Posted: 31-March-2018 at 8:39AM
 ------------- 72GTS Clint Eastwood Special |
Posted By: 72GTS351CJ
Date Posted: 31-March-2018 at 8:40AM
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Hope that helps ------------- 72GTS Clint Eastwood Special |
Posted By: Dmarc28
Date Posted: 31-March-2018 at 8:57AM
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Thats crazy are there any other holes aside from the 2 on the top? This is how I did mine. 
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Posted By: 72GTS351CJ
Date Posted: 31-March-2018 at 9:17AM
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No holes in the bottom of the frame. I would have to say he just threaded the bolts in. Was your car available in a 4spd? Maybe there was no provision for that bracket ------------- 72GTS Clint Eastwood Special |
Posted By: Dmarc28
Date Posted: 31-March-2018 at 9:29AM
| I'm not sure if it was available in a 4 speed or not. The frame did have the holes in the top for the frame z-bar mount. My dad said there should be a factory dimple on the trans tunnel like there was for the clutch pushrod, but I couldn't see anything. |
Posted By: 72GTS351CJ
Date Posted: 03-April-2018 at 1:56PM
 Here's a pic in the 72 ford shop manual showing the comet and maverick with a nut and bolt holding the z bar bracket------------- 72GTS Clint Eastwood Special |
Posted By: 72GTS351CJ
Date Posted: 03-April-2018 at 2:00PM
 Montego and Torino clearly only a bolt. It's safe to say you had no choice drilling the bottom of the frame to install the nuts. I just don't know why. I believe the ranchero gt came with a 4spd. You would think all frames would have the provision to mount the bracket ------------- 72GTS Clint Eastwood Special |
Posted By: Rockatansky
Date Posted: 03-April-2018 at 3:20PM
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i'm getting dizzy seems like your threads are crossed up with the conversion featuring the fork and the fork thread featuring the conversion anyway here's a pic of the frame holes i found on a 1972 FMX automatic equipped car, i constructed quite an extension with universals to tighten my hardware from the first opportunity where the frame is open. no manual transmissions after 1973 so no pivot ball mount holes in the frame in 1974. Comet & Maverick are unibody so fasteners are not going to be the same, no comparison  ------------- 72 GT Ute |
Posted By: 72GTS351CJ
Date Posted: 03-April-2018 at 3:30PM
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Ahhh yes. No comparison with the comet but the point being made that if there was a nut under the bolt it would show it. So no 4 speed ranchero in 74? I guess that's why there were no holes at all in the frame ------------- 72GTS Clint Eastwood Special |
Posted By: Dmarc28
Date Posted: 03-April-2018 at 6:04PM
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I know the postings are all over the place, sorry. Ok so no manual in 74. The thing is though, I had the same holes on the top of my frame jus like in the picture Rockatansky put up. But that was it, no nuts welded in them, jus the holes. That's why I opened up the bottom of the frame so I could get the hardware in and the mount bolted up to the frame. |
Posted By: Rockatansky
Date Posted: 03-April-2018 at 8:14PM
so they did just leave the holes in production, 'engineers' say it's more expensive to change something than to make it right  but yeah i made up an extension to hold my bolts and snake them through pointing upward through the frame then i used a thin jam nut to keep them and recreate the height of the riv-nuts. since i didn't use the riv-nuts i was able to use upsized 7/16" bolts rather than the factory sizeDuh, now i get why your holes look like they're in a different place than mine  ------------- 72 GT Ute |
Posted By: Dmarc28
Date Posted: 03-April-2018 at 8:53PM
Yeah this picture I took was from the bottom. Actually cut out a like piece of the bottom today so I had better access to the nuts. 
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Posted By: handsofstone
Date Posted: 16-April-2018 at 3:18PM
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Spray some paint on it before you do the install. Rustoleum is a good sealing paint that will last way beyond the next clutch. I snapped a rusted out fork on a pickup one time. 4x4 K-20. Not an easy fix. |
Posted By: Dmarc28
Date Posted: 16-April-2018 at 6:22PM
Copy that Roberto Duran, haha. Your handle is awesome. I actually sprayed it a day or so after with some black primer. Did that with the trans tunnel cut out as well. |
Posted By: Rockatansky
Date Posted: 17-April-2018 at 6:21AM
primer is not paint, i hosed my brackets & fork with Harbor Freight rattle can Black after welding the pins to the stampings. they were loose & wobbled out  ------------- 72 GT Ute |
Posted By: handsofstone
Date Posted: 17-April-2018 at 9:29AM
| Nice job. We did plenty of welding at Aamco. Lot of greasing too. The old setups would squeak like heck. |
Posted By: Rockatansky
Date Posted: 17-April-2018 at 9:59AM
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looking at the pics i think it's Rust-O brush on they'll get another coat before it's over ------------- 72 GT Ute |
Posted By: Dmarc28
Date Posted: 17-April-2018 at 1:03PM
Ok, I'll make sure that I get some actual paint on it. I have it up in the air now. So that'll make it easier. |
Posted By: handsofstone
Date Posted: 17-April-2018 at 1:05PM
| Primer is a sponge for paint. |
Posted By: Dmarc28
Date Posted: 18-April-2018 at 5:43PM
Got you. Sprayed it up. |
Posted By: JBR-3
Date Posted: 04-October-2025 at 4:53PM
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Old post I know. The original post here with the incorrect clutch fork, that fork appears to be a 6-cylinder fork.
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