Clutch hard to push in??????
 

OK, here is my deal. My clutch has always been more hard to push in compared to other Stangs the same as my year. I put in a new cable and quadrant with adjustable fire wall mount to see if it would help. Nope it didnt. Put new throw out bearing to see if it would help, it didnt. It just has an A302 clutch in it so it really shouldnt be that hard to push in. Also I have had several T-5's in it so its not the tranny. Any ideas????????? The only thing I havent changed is the clutch. Im thinking it has to be the clutch. It is quite old but it still doesnt slip.

I have no experience with clutches whatsoever, but I might as well toss an idea out....is the clutch hydraulic? Maybe something's off with your hydraulic system, sort of like when your power steering pump starts to go, the wheel gets hard to turn.

Well, if it is in a 91 Stang and he already replaced the cable, I am going to rule out the Hydraulic theory :p :D .


But at least you had a theory.....I don't know what the problem is.

ok... another theory...

if the cable is NEW and it was smooth before you installed it.. then there's two other places... the clutch mechanism is stiff... or the pedal assy. is stiff... if you disconnect the cable from the pedal assy, is it still hard? maybe some WD on the pedal assy would help... or maybe something is bend and just causing alot of tension.

sorry.. i just loved writing assy..
-as

Just wondering... you say its hard to push in.. How is it letting off the clutch? Is there any difference in how the clutch pedal can be pressed and depressed when the engine is running and when the engine isnt running?

Bradley

Your cable is binding.

somewhere along the line you misrouted the cable. You have the cable routed too close to the firewall, and it is kinking up on itself.

take the cable and route it in a bigger loop, route it closer to the front end of the car. This should fix your problem.

Also look at the entry through the firewall and into your quadrant, it could be binding there as well,

Man, is EVERYTHING cable driven on these damn things? I thought cable driven speedometers were ditched in the 80's and here I am with my 91 and come to find I've got one! Can't blame me for the clutch thing though. ;) Never owned a clutch car PERIOD, and only driven a clutched Stang once... With his damn short throw shifter assembly and hardcore clutch, I couldn't find 2nd trying to shift it on the go....took me about 5 seconds of wandering around....that damn pattern gate is a nightmare!!

don't rule out a cheesy quality pressure plate! the stiffer the pressure plate the less force needed to push in the clutch.....given that there is no bind in the cable.

I know the cable assy isnt binding because I disconnected the cable at the clutch fork and the pedal moves freely. The cable IS routed properly. It is a VERY old A302 clutch, the the clutch disk is still ok (no slippage) but the pressure plate might be the prob. Who knows, it might be binding somewhere internally. Im gonna put a King Cobra clutch in it anyway soon. Ill let you guys know if the clutch was the prob. If anyone else has an idea before the clutch replacement let me know.

What kind of cable did you replace it with? a stock replacement cable? or a good one from an aftermarket place? My old cable broke and I replaced it with stock replacement that moved smoothly when not hooked up and it was binging bad when on the clutch. I have a heavy duty ford motorsports clutch and it is a lil stiffer than stock but not much. I ordered a bbk cable to replace it and when I took the stock replacement one off it was completely chewed up inside. The bbe works just great no binding at all.

WHILE YOU HAVE THE TRANNY OUT, PUT IN A STEEL BEARING RETAINER. IT'S STRONGER THAN STOCK AND IT SHOULD GIVE YOU A SMOOTHER CLUTCH FEEL. IF YOU HAVEN'T BOUGHT A CLUTCH YET I STRONGLY ADVISE A CENTERFORCE DUAL FRICTION CLUTCH. THE COUNTER WEIGHTS ON THE PRESSURE PLATE PROVIDE AN EASIER CLUTCH ENGAGEMENT. MY 89 WHICH I RACE HAS HAD ONE IN IT FOR TWO YEARS AND IT STILL HAS ALOT OF MEAT ON IT.MY DRIVER IS AN 83 WITH A MOTORSPORT CLUTCH AND IT'S A STIFFER FEELING PEDAL. ALSO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A BETTER BRAND OF CABLE. I BOUGHT A MOTORSPORT ADJUSTABLE CABLE AT SUMMIT OFF OF THE SCRATCH AND DING SHELF AND I BENT MY PEDAL TRYING TO ENGAGE IT. THE CABLE MOVED GOOD WHEN THERE WAS NO PRESSURE ON IT.I ALSO SUGGEST A BBK CABLE.YOU MAY WANT TO CONTACT ONE OF THE TRANNY GUYS IN THE MAGAZINES LIKE D&D PERFORMANCE (248)926-6220 I BOUGHT TRANNY PARTS FROM THEM BEFORE AND THEY SEEM PRETTY KNOWLEDGABLE. GOOD LUCK:)

Update on the clutch problem. It was very hard to find. Took 2 people in fact. I pulled the little dust cover off and had a friend push the clutch in slowly. As the throwout bearing was pushing on the clutch fingers I could see one of the fingers start to bend sideways and bind on the finger next to it. I guess that is what that intermittent popping sound was. I have never seen this before. I guess it is because the clutch is so old and I beat the living hell out of it. :D