'69 4-speed clutch fork rod question

[BJ8Healeys]

Hello, Charger fans!

I discovered a retaining clip missing from the clutch fork pushrod.  I ordered and received a clip, but am having a lot of difficulty installing it.  The eye end of the pushrod fits over a stud on the torque shaft and is retained by a clip, but the eye end has an angle to it and I'm not sure it was installed correctly as I found it.   The picture shows the orientation of the rod AS IT WAS INSTALLED.  Is this correct, or should the rod be rotated 180 degrees so that the angle is in the other direction?  Neither the '69 Charger workshop manual nor the parts manual illustrations show the rod large enough to tell what is correct.  The clip itself is not symmetrical and wants to twist as I install it.  Because of the angle, there isn't much clearance for the clip on one side.

Thanks for any help and advice!

Steve Byers
XP29H9B280166 (original owner)
Havelock, NC

[rt green]

clutch rod bent?

[BJ8Healeys]

It isn't bent from any accident.  I had the clutch release bearing replaced in the '70s, and the clutch itself replaced in the '80s.  But otherwise the rod hasn't been disconnected from the torque shaft from new.  I'm pretty sure it's supposed to have the bend in it.  I just don't know which direction the bend goes.

 

[maxwellwedge]

I would slide it on both ways and see what looks right/square etc. to the pin.

Here is a pic of mine on an untouched car....

[BJ8Healeys]

Thanks, Max.  I tried it both ways but either way looked right, and both ways looked wrong!  Either way, the rod doesn't point directly at the hole in the fork.  I appreciate the photo.  I'll have another look tomorrow.  Yours looks straighter than mine.

[maxwellwedge]

Found another pic - Only a slight bend. The rubber bushing should allow for a little alignment tweaking.

[BJ8Healeys]

Thanks again, Max.  That picture suggests that the bend should be inboard.  But without the eye being connected to anything, I think it is pretty easy to rotate the rod so that the bend is in either direction.  Are you sure that rod hasn't been turned?  The problem comes when the eye is placed over the stud.  The bend makes the rod point either outboard or inboard of the hole in the fork, depending on which way the bend goes.  With the eye secured to the stud with the new clip, I'm not sure there is enough movement of the rod to allow it to align with the fork hole either way.  But it seems to me that the inboard bend would be better.  I'll try it again tomorrow.

I appreciate the pictures.