Hey all - replacing my clutch today, wasn't too wise when I was removing the old throwout bearing. there's a little horseshoe shaped spring that sits between the throwout bearing and the tranny - does anyone know how its oriented, or what it looks like when installed? I assume this is to give the clutch arm some "springiness" to take out any slack between the TO bearing and the pressure plate.

I have a pic of what mine looks like if anyone can host it (I can't get my image host to work)

Thanks all

Bump, anyone? really don't want to put this thing together wrong...

Which trans are you using ?

Does it look like this?

yes, almost exactly.

Sorry, 4-speed Muncie with the 2.8.

If I remember correctly, the spring is a retainer clip that holds the throwout bearing against the fork. So when you let off the clutch pedal, the fork will pull the throwout bearing back (with the help of the retainer clip). It clips around the body of the throwout bearing, with the tabs on the ends positioned behind the fingers on the fork.

Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of that.

Thanks for your input, Blacktree.

Do you know if the clip is supposed to stay in that groove, going all the way around the throwout bearing?

Yes it should stay in the groove. That said on the fiero it really does not do much good.
As far as I can tell the TO bearing is always in contact with the PP just no pressure on it.

Since the slave cyl. has a spring in it to keep the piston pushed out all play is kept out of the clutch linkage all the time. Hence the TO is always setting against the PP. There is nothing in the system to pull the fork back.

That's my take on it anyway...

Dodgerunner -

Can the clip be left off, then? Have you replaced a TO bearing on the 4-speed, and if you did, what did you do with the clip?

I've spent a good couple hours trying to get the clip in the groove and attached to the clutch fork but it doesn't seem possible, maybe I bent the clip when I removed it. I also noticed that the FSM does not show the clip and no parts store or dealer even shows it!

Thanks again

The clip in my above photo actually was made to go into two small holes in each finger of the fork. You might look at your fork to see if it has any hole and they are full of dirt or just does not have any. There are to kinds of forks I have seen. The cast one that is used with the above TO and the stamped and welded metal one which has fingers that are bend in to contact the bearing. The metal stamped/welded one does not use a spring that I have seen.

quote Originally posted by masospaghetti: Can the clip be left off, then?

I don't think it'll hurt anything. Like Dodgerunner mentioned, the hydraulic system keeps constant tension on the fork and T/O bearing anyway.

Just as a follow up, I installed the TO bearing without the clip installed and no problems after about 1000 miles.

Thanks all!