clutch cable adjustment

Rosco · 10-08-2004, 06:17 PM

i was having problems with the clutch not fully disengaging. I have the cable off the clutch fork, and i was wondering how far to adjust it? I am not sure how far the clutch fork has to move to disengage the clutch? Right now i have the clutch fork held with a C-Clamp, and it is all the way towards the front of the car. Can anyone give me an idea of how far forward the fork should be to disengage the clutch?

Ieatcamaros · 10-09-2004, 04:45 PM

Do you have the firewall adjuster too? You need to adjust the clutch to where you push the pedal down and feel it totally release before you hit the floor board. A good starting point is to release the c clamp and hold the release lever where the t.o.b. is just against the pressure plate, then put in the cable in snug it up to that point. I can't describe it exactly, but you will know it when you get it. The firewall adjuster comes in handy so you can fine tune it. And you don't have to get under the car to adjust it. Just for kicks:

Scrapla · 10-09-2004, 10:07 PM

When I replaced my cable it took me a hour or 2 of crawling under the car and then back in the car and checking it before I got it right so just be patient and you can get it perfect without the firewall adjuster but for about $50 bucks I would invest in one

Rosco · 10-11-2004, 12:30 PM

Ok, well I had it all adjusted perfectly and everything. Pushing the pedal half way would disengage the clutch. But last night something seemingly went wrong. I was driving normal getting used to the new feel and all, and I pushed the clutch in, and pop. OK, so the problem now is that I have about 2 inches of free play, and no matter how far I push the pedal in, the clutch is still engaged. Also when I push the clutch in, I keep hearing the pop noise?? I haven't gotten a chance to get back under the car yet, but you can deffintly tell that the pop noise is coming from the inside of the car itself. I also noticed that the previous owner had installed a steeda quadrant in place of the stock one, and the self adjusting mechanism is still in place. Not sure exactly what I should be looking for inside the car?? And no, there is no firewall adjuster either.

Rosco · 10-11-2004, 12:31 PM

Oh yeah, and when should I start looking for a new cable? The nuts on my cable are about 3/4 of the distance closer to the end? Meaning, the 2 nuts are closer to the cable itself then away from it?

Ieatcamaros · 10-11-2004, 05:13 PM

Well, for one, the self adjusting unit needs to come out. Sounds like your in for a new cable cause it won't keep its adjustment. I doubt it, but the nut on the cable could be loosening up on you. Take out the self adjusting thing, toss it, and buy a firewall adjuster. Then, set your cable. If it still ain't right, you probably need a new cable. Does the steeda quadrant have two hooks or one?

Rosco · 10-12-2004, 12:12 AM

the quadrant has two hooks. The problem the first time when I adjusted it was the cable was on the farther hook. So i actually kept the nuts on the cable the same. I just moved it up to the closest hook which gave me alot more pedal. Yeah, it sounds like that popping noise I am hearing is coming from somewhere right above the pedal itself. So what about the self adjusting unit? Just take it right out? I am not sure if there is something else that hooks up to it or what? Do I just remove it and leave everything else the way it is? Sucks, I have to nurse it to work tomorrow, then I will have to take a look at it after I get out.

Dark_5.0 · 10-12-2004, 10:22 AM

The popping sound you here is the teeth on the stock quadrant stripping out.

The adjustable cables suck. What has happened is the rubber sleeve on the outside on the cable has wadded up and has froze up the cable.

Get a firewall adjuster and aluminum clutch quadrant and stay away from adjustable cables.

Same thing happened to me.

Rosco · 10-13-2004, 07:33 AM

well...it has happened...had to adjust the cable again so i could drive it. But this time I had it perfect. SO i was on the way to work and POP...there goes my cable. I did notice that after I adjusted the cable again, that poping noise went away. Kinda fun when the clutch pedal just kinda flops forward and backward. Unfortunatly I don't exactly have the funds to replace it right now. My question is, without the self adjusting mechanism, do I need the firewall adjuster? I mean, can i just run it with an adjustable cable and the steeda quadrant, without the firewall adjuster or the self adjusting unit? I just need something to get me by for a month until I can put it away in storage for winter.

Dark_5.0 · 10-13-2004, 11:56 AM

I went and bought a new stock cable at a ford dealership and have had no problems since.

Its about 30 bux.

~The Jester~ · 10-13-2004, 03:27 PM

I agree with the stock cable boys. BUT for a get away quick deal, go with a cheapo adjustable cable. Park it this winter, ask for a NON-adjustable cable and a firewall adjuster for Christmas, and stick with the steeda quadrant. A SMALL dab of never seeze on the quadrant where the cable rides, lubes things up and keeps things working nice and easy.

Oh, and make sure NOTHING from the original quadrant is still up there, it'll just get in the way of the good parts.

Rosco · 10-13-2004, 10:05 PM

Well for now, I think i'm going to go the cheap route, and get just a stock cable to get me through the month. Sucks to because I also need to buy some tires for the front, 245/45/17's..anyone know someone selling a pair?

~The Jester~ · 10-13-2004, 10:37 PM

F~<k sakes dude, most of the guys here aren't running that big a tire on the BACK! LOL

Rosco · 10-14-2004, 07:00 AM

eh, i'm running that all around. Although, I do have a pair of 275/45/17's that I was going to use on the back of my other car. I wonder if they would fit on the '99 GT wheels....

Rosco · 10-16-2004, 02:45 PM

ok, so i finally got around to replacing my clutch cable. I was wondering if the break location on the cable can tell you anything? I was expecting the cable to have snapped farther down near the clutch fork...But the cable actually broke about 4 inches from the quadrant inside the car...?

10-08-2004, 06:17 PM	#1
Rosco Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Vestal, NY Posts: 307	clutch cable adjustment i was having problems with the clutch not fully disengaging. I have the cable off the clutch fork, and i was wondering how far to adjust it? I am not sure how far the clutch fork has to move to disengage the clutch? Right now i have the clutch fork held with a C-Clamp, and it is all the way towards the front of the car. Can anyone give me an idea of how far forward the fork should be to disengage the clutch? __________________ 1989 Mustang 5.0 Conversion, Full Saleen ground effects and spoiler, '94 saleen decal set, '93 Saleen Seats, Black interior from a '93, Steeda quadrant, smog pump delete, a/c delete, Steeda Tri-Ax shifter, '97 rear differential, aluminum driveshaft, 5 lug conversion, '97 rear disc brakes, southside upper and lower control arms, '99 GT Anniversary wheels, flowtech longtubes, flowtech offroad H-pipe, saleen lowering springs, kyb shocks, caster/camber plates

10-09-2004, 04:45 PM	#2
Ieatcamaros Domestic Rice really sucks! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: KY Posts: 973	Do you have the firewall adjuster too? You need to adjust the clutch to where you push the pedal down and feel it totally release before you hit the floor board. A good starting point is to release the c clamp and hold the release lever where the t.o.b. is just against the pressure plate, then put in the cable in snug it up to that point. I can't describe it exactly, but you will know it when you get it. The firewall adjuster comes in handy so you can fine tune it. And you don't have to get under the car to adjust it. Just for kicks: __________________ The sig says it all.

10-09-2004, 10:07 PM	#3
Scrapla Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Florida Posts: 532	When I replaced my cable it took me a hour or 2 of crawling under the car and then back in the car and checking it before I got it right so just be patient and you can get it perfect without the firewall adjuster but for about $50 bucks I would invest in one __________________ 90gt 347 and some bolt ons :-) RICE HATERS MEMBER #73

10-11-2004, 12:30 PM	#4
Rosco Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Vestal, NY Posts: 307	Bigger Problem Ok, well I had it all adjusted perfectly and everything. Pushing the pedal half way would disengage the clutch. But last night something seemingly went wrong. I was driving normal getting used to the new feel and all, and I pushed the clutch in, and pop. OK, so the problem now is that I have about 2 inches of free play, and no matter how far I push the pedal in, the clutch is still engaged. Also when I push the clutch in, I keep hearing the pop noise?? I haven't gotten a chance to get back under the car yet, but you can deffintly tell that the pop noise is coming from the inside of the car itself. I also noticed that the previous owner had installed a steeda quadrant in place of the stock one, and the self adjusting mechanism is still in place. Not sure exactly what I should be looking for inside the car?? And no, there is no firewall adjuster either. __________________ 1989 Mustang 5.0 Conversion, Full Saleen ground effects and spoiler, '94 saleen decal set, '93 Saleen Seats, Black interior from a '93, Steeda quadrant, smog pump delete, a/c delete, Steeda Tri-Ax shifter, '97 rear differential, aluminum driveshaft, 5 lug conversion, '97 rear disc brakes, southside upper and lower control arms, '99 GT Anniversary wheels, flowtech longtubes, flowtech offroad H-pipe, saleen lowering springs, kyb shocks, caster/camber plates

10-11-2004, 12:31 PM	#5
Rosco Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Vestal, NY Posts: 307	Oh yeah, and when should I start looking for a new cable? The nuts on my cable are about 3/4 of the distance closer to the end? Meaning, the 2 nuts are closer to the cable itself then away from it? __________________ 1989 Mustang 5.0 Conversion, Full Saleen ground effects and spoiler, '94 saleen decal set, '93 Saleen Seats, Black interior from a '93, Steeda quadrant, smog pump delete, a/c delete, Steeda Tri-Ax shifter, '97 rear differential, aluminum driveshaft, 5 lug conversion, '97 rear disc brakes, southside upper and lower control arms, '99 GT Anniversary wheels, flowtech longtubes, flowtech offroad H-pipe, saleen lowering springs, kyb shocks, caster/camber plates

10-11-2004, 05:13 PM	#6
Ieatcamaros Domestic Rice really sucks! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: KY Posts: 973	Well, for one, the self adjusting unit needs to come out. Sounds like your in for a new cable cause it won't keep its adjustment. I doubt it, but the nut on the cable could be loosening up on you. Take out the self adjusting thing, toss it, and buy a firewall adjuster. Then, set your cable. If it still ain't right, you probably need a new cable. Does the steeda quadrant have two hooks or one? __________________ The sig says it all.

10-12-2004, 12:12 AM	#7
Rosco Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Vestal, NY Posts: 307	the quadrant has two hooks. The problem the first time when I adjusted it was the cable was on the farther hook. So i actually kept the nuts on the cable the same. I just moved it up to the closest hook which gave me alot more pedal. Yeah, it sounds like that popping noise I am hearing is coming from somewhere right above the pedal itself. So what about the self adjusting unit? Just take it right out? I am not sure if there is something else that hooks up to it or what? Do I just remove it and leave everything else the way it is? Sucks, I have to nurse it to work tomorrow, then I will have to take a look at it after I get out. __________________ 1989 Mustang 5.0 Conversion, Full Saleen ground effects and spoiler, '94 saleen decal set, '93 Saleen Seats, Black interior from a '93, Steeda quadrant, smog pump delete, a/c delete, Steeda Tri-Ax shifter, '97 rear differential, aluminum driveshaft, 5 lug conversion, '97 rear disc brakes, southside upper and lower control arms, '99 GT Anniversary wheels, flowtech longtubes, flowtech offroad H-pipe, saleen lowering springs, kyb shocks, caster/camber plates

10-12-2004, 10:22 AM	#8
Dark_5.0 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Staging lane Posts: 4,337	The popping sound you here is the teeth on the stock quadrant stripping out. The adjustable cables suck. What has happened is the rubber sleeve on the outside on the cable has wadded up and has froze up the cable. Get a firewall adjuster and aluminum clutch quadrant and stay away from adjustable cables. Same thing happened to me. __________________ 92' LX-Big brakes, Lots and lots of suspension, GT40X heads, Ported cobra intake, stock cam, Vortech SC trim. 00' Lightning-Stock 88'CRX-13 second ego killer

10-13-2004, 07:33 AM	#9
Rosco Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Vestal, NY Posts: 307	well...it has happened...had to adjust the cable again so i could drive it. But this time I had it perfect. SO i was on the way to work and POP...there goes my cable. I did notice that after I adjusted the cable again, that poping noise went away. Kinda fun when the clutch pedal just kinda flops forward and backward. Unfortunatly I don't exactly have the funds to replace it right now. My question is, without the self adjusting mechanism, do I need the firewall adjuster? I mean, can i just run it with an adjustable cable and the steeda quadrant, without the firewall adjuster or the self adjusting unit? I just need something to get me by for a month until I can put it away in storage for winter. __________________ 1989 Mustang 5.0 Conversion, Full Saleen ground effects and spoiler, '94 saleen decal set, '93 Saleen Seats, Black interior from a '93, Steeda quadrant, smog pump delete, a/c delete, Steeda Tri-Ax shifter, '97 rear differential, aluminum driveshaft, 5 lug conversion, '97 rear disc brakes, southside upper and lower control arms, '99 GT Anniversary wheels, flowtech longtubes, flowtech offroad H-pipe, saleen lowering springs, kyb shocks, caster/camber plates

10-13-2004, 11:56 AM	#10
Dark_5.0 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Staging lane Posts: 4,337	I went and bought a new stock cable at a ford dealership and have had no problems since. Its about 30 bux. __________________ 92' LX-Big brakes, Lots and lots of suspension, GT40X heads, Ported cobra intake, stock cam, Vortech SC trim. 00' Lightning-Stock 88'CRX-13 second ego killer

10-13-2004, 03:27 PM	#11
~The Jester~ Rat Killer Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Cold ass Ohio Posts: 1,143	I agree with the stock cable boys. BUT for a get away quick deal, go with a cheapo adjustable cable. Park it this winter, ask for a NON-adjustable cable and a firewall adjuster for Christmas, and stick with the steeda quadrant. A SMALL dab of never seeze on the quadrant where the cable rides, lubes things up and keeps things working nice and easy. Oh, and make sure NOTHING from the original quadrant is still up there, it'll just get in the way of the good parts. __________________ d-Con Racing "Nothing fancy, just 347 inches of RAT POISON!" MICE need not apply.....

10-13-2004, 10:05 PM	#12
Rosco Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Vestal, NY Posts: 307	Well for now, I think i'm going to go the cheap route, and get just a stock cable to get me through the month. Sucks to because I also need to buy some tires for the front, 245/45/17's..anyone know someone selling a pair? __________________ 1989 Mustang 5.0 Conversion, Full Saleen ground effects and spoiler, '94 saleen decal set, '93 Saleen Seats, Black interior from a '93, Steeda quadrant, smog pump delete, a/c delete, Steeda Tri-Ax shifter, '97 rear differential, aluminum driveshaft, 5 lug conversion, '97 rear disc brakes, southside upper and lower control arms, '99 GT Anniversary wheels, flowtech longtubes, flowtech offroad H-pipe, saleen lowering springs, kyb shocks, caster/camber plates

10-13-2004, 10:37 PM	#13
~The Jester~ Rat Killer Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Cold ass Ohio Posts: 1,143	F~<k sakes dude, most of the guys here aren't running that big a tire on the BACK! LOL __________________ d-Con Racing "Nothing fancy, just 347 inches of RAT POISON!" MICE need not apply.....

10-14-2004, 07:00 AM	#14
Rosco Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Vestal, NY Posts: 307	eh, i'm running that all around. Although, I do have a pair of 275/45/17's that I was going to use on the back of my other car. I wonder if they would fit on the '99 GT wheels.... __________________ 1989 Mustang 5.0 Conversion, Full Saleen ground effects and spoiler, '94 saleen decal set, '93 Saleen Seats, Black interior from a '93, Steeda quadrant, smog pump delete, a/c delete, Steeda Tri-Ax shifter, '97 rear differential, aluminum driveshaft, 5 lug conversion, '97 rear disc brakes, southside upper and lower control arms, '99 GT Anniversary wheels, flowtech longtubes, flowtech offroad H-pipe, saleen lowering springs, kyb shocks, caster/camber plates

10-16-2004, 02:45 PM	#15
Rosco Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Vestal, NY Posts: 307	ok, so i finally got around to replacing my clutch cable. I was wondering if the break location on the cable can tell you anything? I was expecting the cable to have snapped farther down near the clutch fork...But the cable actually broke about 4 inches from the quadrant inside the car...? __________________ 1989 Mustang 5.0 Conversion, Full Saleen ground effects and spoiler, '94 saleen decal set, '93 Saleen Seats, Black interior from a '93, Steeda quadrant, smog pump delete, a/c delete, Steeda Tri-Ax shifter, '97 rear differential, aluminum driveshaft, 5 lug conversion, '97 rear disc brakes, southside upper and lower control arms, '99 GT Anniversary wheels, flowtech longtubes, flowtech offroad H-pipe, saleen lowering springs, kyb shocks, caster/camber plates

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