Need Help With My 2001 Gt Clutch

[JQHNDi]

Hello all. I am new to the forum and cant wait to enjoy being a mustang enthusiast with everyone here, but currently I am in a pickle. Just recently I replaced the clutch cable and quadrant for my mustang (original cable was stretching and was a pain, the quadrant I replaced just because and plus i thought it might help the clutch feel less stiff) with an aftermarket clutch cable, quadrant, and firewall adjuster. after installing all these parts i am now having issues getting my clutch to engage/disengage properly, if i tighten it too much it prevents the clutch from fully re-engaging immidiately and burns the clutch, if I loosen it too much then it does not fully disengage and I have to grind gears to shift. i thought there must be some middle ground that I am failing to find but my latest attempt has told me otherwise, my last attempt at fixing it brought me to the point of being able to shift gears (roughly) but am still having the clutch burn from not being fully engaged. im sure my inexperience with cars is to blame for these issues. if anyone has good insight to what i am doing wrong, or to any mechanical issues that may be wrong with my car (which wouldnt be unheard of) please let me know. Thanks!

 

[silversmith82]

First off, trash the aftermarket cable, they are all junk down to even the steeda ones and ones you'd think would be higher quality. You only EVER install an OEM cable or the Max Motorsports cable which is identical to the OEM cable. Not sure what quadrant you ran but I'm assuming its an aftermarket metal one which it should be. I would never replace the stock plastic quadrant with another plastic quadrant and some of the aftermarket metal quadrants are pretty terrible honestly.

Once you get the correct clutch cable installed in your car and a good metal aftermarket quadrant (like the Max Motorsports one) you need to set the preload on the TOB (throwout bearing). You put the car up on ramps, chock the back wheels, set the E-brake and you probably should have 2 helpers. One to sit in the car with foot on the brake and hand on the ignition in case the something weird happens and another to spin the firewall adjuster while YOU crawl under the car, remove the dust cover from the clutch fork and shine a flashlight into the bellhousing. Now, with the car running and in neutral, you have the person with the firewall adjuster start from full loose and then tighten the firewall adjuster until the TOB just starts to spin. Go a little bit tighter (like 1/4 turn on a set screw adjuster or 2 clicks on a microclick adjuster) and that is your preload. Re-install the dust cover and you are good.

But again, you will not be able to have a smooth, properly adjusted clutch without the OEM cable. Aftermarket ones do not use the same OEM style internal sheaths, and the cable itself is inferior and will stretch/bind and even snap on you after awhile. Way too many ppl find this out the hard way.

edit: To anyone reading this who is about to post that the throwout bearing should have an air gap from the clutch fingers or to install a "freeplay kit" or whatever. You are wrong. The TOB is designed to always be spinning on the fingers with a slight preload, even when the clutch is fully engaged (pedal up). This is twofold. The first reason is to keep the TOB from going 0-6000+rpm in a split second which is hell on the ball bearings inside it. Second reason is to keep the surface of the TOB itself as well as the pressure plate fingers from being torn up every time you push the clutch in. It also prevents a nice burnt metal smell which you will smell after you get out of any manual mustang with a "freeplay kit" installed.

 

[JQHNDi]

thanks for your help! I likewise have heard that the aftermarket clutch adjuster kits are of poor quality but due to financial situations decided to try one, at this point I am stuck with it until I come across the money I can justify spending on another cable, the quadrant is made by SR performance if that helps any. as far as the work you suggest me doing I dont think i have the people available to do this and even if i did i wouldnt trust my ramps and jacks to hold the running car over my head as I squirm my way under it to work down there. This may be something I have my mechanic work on. my next question would be if you had any idea as to what I would be charged to have someone do this for me. again thanks for your input!

 

[silversmith82]

I actually did it myself the last time I adjusted mine which might not be the smartest thing but the car is not going to roll down rhino ramps in neutral with the wheels chocked and the e brake set on a level surface. Took me 5 minutes once the car was in the air. I just had to jump out from under the car like 10 times to keep adjusting the firewall lol.

 

[JQHNDi]

ha nice! If I had the tools and hardware I would do the same, I just dont want my last moments on earth to be me being crushed and trapped under my fun car!

 

[silversmith82]

Also, OEM clutch cable is $65 plus shipping. http://www.maximummotorsports.com/Clutch-Cable-1996-04-OEM-P894.aspx That's the one you want.

 

[silversmith82]

ha nice! If I had the tools and hardware I would do the same, I just dont want my last moments on earth to be me being crushed and trapped under my fun car!

You need a 8mm socket (IIRC, its a tiny one) and a set of ramps and that's it. The dust cover is held on by one bolt and you spin the firewall adjuster by hand. Like I said, with a good set of ramps the car is not going anywhere on a level surface.

 

[JQHNDi]

appreciate your help!