Is this clutch engagement normal?

[01superb]

I just purchased an 01 2500 6speed 4x4 Cummins and I’ve noticed after driving it for a few weeks now that if I start in 1st gear, let up on the clutch a couple inches it quickly engages and gets moving no issue. If I start in 2nd gear, it starts to engage at the same distance from the floor but as I keep letting the pedal out it doesn’t seem to grab any more until I get to the top of the pedal travel then it grabs fully and takes off at the last little bit of clutch pedal travel. Starting in 2nd there isn’t any pedal travel after the truck is fully in 2nd gear. Also at rest there is an inch or 2 of free play in the pedal, I can lift up on the pedal with my foot as it is just sitting there. Is all this normal? It doesn’t slip under any conditions per say. I had a 6 speed Cummins years ago and I don’t remember starting in 2nd gear having the same feel. As far as I know this isn’t a performance clutch in this truck and my old one was said to have an upgraded clutch. Is this normal for starting in 2nd gear though? It seems to me since it starts to engage soon that it should fully engage much sooner in the pedal travel than it does. 

[Mopar1973Man]

Air in the hydraulic system? Have you tried to bleed the clutch out again. Pull it all out as a full piece. Then hang the reservoir high and let it all hang. Now quickly press the clutch slave in rapidly and hard and hold for a few seconds. Then slowly release the pin back out. As you press it in you quickly pushing air upwards to the reservoir to get out. Then when you pause you allow the air to continue up as far as possible. Then slowlly letting out the slave pin allows to reload the slave cylinder without pulling air back down. Do this about 5 to 10 times and you should be ready to install again and work better. 

[01superb]

Didn’t notice this before but I came upon an interesting discovery today. I have an adjustable me master cylinder at the pedal. Not sure what brand but it’s “upgraded” maybe that may help my 2nd gear starts? 

[Mopar1973Man]

Nope. I dont suggest adjustable hydros. Most people over adjust and hyper extend the throw out bearing in the the pressure plate causing damage to both. Ive used NAPA master and slave for years. Always worked great. The other one that is super solid is the Autozone master and slave which are aluminum bodies not plastic.

[01superb]

If it’s already in there is it safe to say that it didn’t damage them yet? 

[Mopar1973Man]

They are a pain to set up where you back off completely. So the rod is it shortest more or less. Then keep adding till the release is just barely at the top of the pedal. This is correct. 

 

Adding more beyond this takes a huge risk of hyper extending the bearing through the pressure plate fingers. Lot of adjust, re-pin, test, re-adjust, re-pin, test.

 

Best off with the old school stock hydros. No adjustment and no need to adjust. I'm even running dual disc Valair clutch too. No issues. 

 

 

[01superb]

I’m confused as to how to adjust this. So you start the the rod the shortest and extend it out little by little? I’ve attached a picture of mine. The clutch pedal has a fair amount of free play in it as it sits there. You can move the clutch pedal down an inch or 2 and watch the rod go in before it actually feels like it starts to push on anything 

[Mopar1973Man]

Yup like most.

 

Start short. Now when you launch the pedal should be full engaged before the middle of the pedal stroke. Sooner the better from the floor. Again you don't want to over extend the bearing past the fingers of the pressure plate. Start short and add 1/2 turn to the head and re-pin. If your engaging early near the floor like 1/4 of the travel is great. 

[01superb]

Currently when the pedal is fully depressed and you start to let up on it, the clutch engages rather quickly. My issue is if I second and I’m letting up on the clutch pedal it starts to engage just as fast, but the more I let up on the pedal nothing seems to happen. Typically from my experience when you start letting up on the pedal and feel the initial grab  and you keep letting up on it, the more it grabs. Not this one. You let up slightly, it starts to grab, then you keep letting up and nothing seems to happen. Then when you get to the last 3/4 of the pedal stroke it starts to fully engage. So it’s like 0-nothing, 1/4- starting to engage, 1/4-3/4 nothing happens, 3/4 to full stroke is full engagement. Maybe this is normal? Maybe it’s normal for the clutch that’s in the truck?( I’m unsure what is in there). I’ve never gotten it to slip while driving, I’ve purposely tried 6 gear on the highway and just lay into it to see if it would attempt to slip and nothing. I tried letting the clutch out in 2nd gear from a stop with my foot on the brake and it didn’t try to stall, but I’m also not sure the truck could stall lol. I think itll pull through just about any clutch with the power these trucks have. I don’t like how the clutch doesn’t do anything in the middle of the stroke. I’m not sure if it’s a hydraulic problem, warn clutch, or normal? If normal then that’s good, I don’t like it but I can deal with it. If something is wrong I want it fixed.