Thought I would pass along another little upgrade tip I came across yesterday having to do with the pivot points on my support column and clutch bar.
When I had disassembled these components I had noticed substantial wear on the metal surfaces where the plastic bushings had failed and the metal-to-metal contact had worn against each other. This resulted in the elongation of the holes in both the z-bar and the clutch pedal and having worn down the metal posts on either end of the clutch bar. The service manual never calls for lubrication here but I remembered several of the restoration books pointing this area out as a real failure point.
First, I welded up the clutch bar taking care to put enough material on the posts but not too much. Then, I came back and hand filed the proper diameter to return the bar to its original shape.
Next, I went to the local Orchard Supply (hardware store...) and purchased some bronze bearings which were the proper I.D. to fit the clutch bar. The O.D. was slightly larger than the elongated holes so I drilled this out to match the bushing.
VOILA! Everything went back together perfectly and seems to move fore/aft quite nicely. Just one more step towards getting this pony back on the road again.
