Itinerant Air-Cooled

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Could be the cable. Check for tension at the trans.

chachi wrote:just replaced the throwout bearing on the six rib i'm currently running, have had it going for maybe two weeks. driving today, damn pedal drops to the floor. haven't pulled the transmission (AGAIN ARGHHH) but what the hell could i have done wrong? everything i've read says not to grease it, so i didn't. could i have had the clutch adjustment to far in? it was pretty damn far in.

Need more information. Check with an assistant, to see if the clutch arm is moving with the pedal. Snapped cable strands can let the pedal drop alarmingly yet still be hooked up with the clutch arm. If the arm is moving right away with the pedal, the problem is internal.
Colin
(lubrication between the TO bearing and the sleeve or the clutch fingers is not germaine to this issue)

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chachi wrote:yea, the cable is good, the arm actuates. it feels just like the last time the spring broke on the TOB, like one side is still attached but one clip snapped.

The arm actuates right away? Like immediately? Any delay and clutch will not release by the bottom of the pedal travel. Any delay is usually a broken cable strand or six.
Can you restore clutch action by taking up the wingnut? Cable strand check.
Is there vibration in the pedal? Disassemble.

Those stupid retainer springs . . . I do not use screwdrivers to pry them on. The merest nick weakens them. Is it a Sachs release bearing that you last installed?
Colin

How the hell do you get those springs on without tremendous irritation? It seems like you really have to pry to get them seated.

hambone wrote:How the hell do you get those springs on without tremendous irritation? It seems like you really have to pry to get them seated.

Late model buses (collar-guided bearings) have a more flexible retainer spring. The early ones have to seriously hold the bearing in space as they dangle. Look for the longer end, it will be the more flexible one to gently-yet-firmly pry and seat.
Colin

Gotcha, thanks.

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chachi wrote:finally got her towed home tonight; the tow truck driver was super nice and loves buses. his 13 year old son is way into them so he bought one that he is restoring for the kid offsite so that when he turns 16 he's gifted this restored bus as a first car. wicked.

anyway, the investigation continues as soon as it stops pouring rain. ah, pulling engines in the street, i'm getting good at it now...

... oh, and yes, it was a sachs bearing. i'm fairly sure a screwdriver was involved.

We'll be watching for updates right here on the chachi channel . . .

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chachi wrote: I expect better things.

So do I. That popcorn is sooooooooooooooo stale.

I do not pay close attention to the 3/4" pedal freeplay of the earlier buses vs the 7/8" pedal freeplay of the later ones. I give them all a good inch to an inch and a half.

The adjustment is not open to manipulation to cover up symptoms. Some people have a sticking clutch that makes it hard to go into gear. They hope that tightening the cable will "fix" it. No it won't. It will hyper-extend the pressure plate fingers and even cause contact between the operating arm and the pressure plate cover.
Colin

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That spring is pretty durable, I'd be surprised if that was the trouble.
Assuming you have the correct clutch cable, it does seem like the pressure plate isn't doing it's business. I had a couple fingers fail on my Sachs PP, causing similar symptoms to yours. If you looked at at from above, you could see a misalignment at the throwout bearing ring.
Could some funny business be occurring at the nose cone? I've never been that far into a trans. That, or something internal like shifter fork.