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At the end of our 50 mile Sunday drive, literally the last 3' as I was backing in the garage to put it away, this gave way. I don't know what has happened in the bell housing, if anything, but it could of been worse and hit the back of the garage. From what I gather, the cotter pin went bye-bye then the pin worked out. Next week I will pull the bell housing inspection plate and look in. I don't think I was even on the brake when it popped, but it killed the engine immediately and the Jeep barely went back. I'm hoping nothing else got messed up in the bell house, but seeing that the ball got ripped off and its all bent, who knows.

Brett

HI Brett,
I am hoping for a simple and relatively inexpensive repair.



If I were you I would seriously think about buying a lottery ticket....

Brian

I'll bet the pressure plate tried to eat it but spit it out.

Curiosity got to me and I pulled the inspection plate already. The clutch fork got it a little so it will be replaced. Everything looks ok and spins as it should. Any advise on fishing that ball out? I don't think a magnet attracts those. Never thought a .20 cent part would cause me such grief.
Brett

Unless its stainless it should be ferrous.

Did the end of the cable break or did it just pop off. Hard to tell in the photo.

Brian

It got pulled off but I think to better word it, it got yanked off.
For some reason I don't think it's SS or ferrous metal.
I think I might get creative with some rubber hose and my shop vac to get the ball.

That looks new. If you bought it from a supplier, I'd have a chat about that. More of us could have the same and if it's a poor quality part thing, the supplier should know about it. Possibly high pressure air from a blast nozzle could blow your ball out of the bell for you. John

Just saw the rest of the info. on the 2A page. So it was caused by the cotter pin letting the clevis pin out and the rest got sucked in and wrecked. Holy Cow!!!!!!!!!

Wow Man!! Glad you and the young'uns got home safe before
that happened. Could'a been worse..

Yep, driving home in 2nd or 3rd without a clutch can be a real PITA!

Any updates?

I realize the manuals don't call for it, but I'm installing a flat washer under the e-brake yoke just above the cotter pin. That yoke working up and down on that cotter pin can't be a good thing and I can't come up with a reason not to other than it wasn't shipped that way.

Wonder if maybe your clutch cotter pin working out may have had something similar happen.

Weird there was not one called for, but maybe the idea was regular maintenance would have seen a problem long before it became critical.
Brian

Hey Brett I just realized I've got a good takeout clutch cable
i'll shoot ya if it'll ease your pain.. lemme know.

Thanks brotherman, but my parts order is on its way and should be here on Saturday.

Brett

Follow up:
Got everything back together. In between last post and now, I did get in a new cable and fork in. After installing them though, I found that I had a grumble noise in between shifts. This noise may have always been present and maybe I didn't notice till the tranny was under the microscope. Anyways, I ripped into it and dropped the gear boxes to take a look. Found that the key-holes in the clutch bracket/pressure plate had opened up, allowing the pressure plate to wobble about when the clutch was released. So I welded up the tolerances and added additional spring clips that I made up out of music wire. It now functions great and no more noise.
I'll never know how that cotter pin ever dropped. The one that vanished had no more than 1K miles, so it was still new.