Reply to "Clutch Adjustment"

The factory instructions were in the owners manual and also in the Tech Service Bulletins, of which all Pantera owners should have a copy. But beyond what they describe, you should check the disengagement distance at the flywheel. In a Pantera, this is done with a feeler gauge thru the bellhousing access hole. With the clutch fully depressed, you should be able to insert a 0.040" feeler gauge between the disc & flywheel. This means 0.020" clearance on both sides of the disc: barely-enough. If not, you have too much slop in your system and no amount of adjustment on the slave cylinder will help. Less than 0.040" means that the clutch drags at each shift, wearing the synchros in the ZF trans. ZF synchros are all-steel so when they wear out, they take the mating gear with them. A trans overhaul with gear replacement will likely cost $2000-4000, so it behooves everyone to adjust for maximum disengagement, regardless of 'freeplay'. Many modern throwout bearings are designed for constant-contact so clearance or freeplay is unnecessary with these. Additionally,'L' models have a complex overcenter linkage under the dash. It's made of multiple all-steel links & pivots, all of which have likely not seen grease since the car rolled out of the factory and will be severely worn. Some pieces will need rewelding & redrilling to remove wear and slop in the linkage, as the individual parts are irreplaceable.