Clutch Cable Replacement, which is the best to get?

larrym1961

larrym1961

5 Year Member
Dec 18, 2010
570
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49
Idaho Falls Id
#1
I did an AOD to 5 speed conversion 10 years ago and the clutch cable I installed then has streched over time and the adjustment for it @ the clutch fork is right at the end of the threads and can be adjusted no more. I am planing on replacing it this Spring and would like a recomendation on a quality replacement cable.
 
#4
Good cables don't stretch that much. The clutch friction disk wears and the resulting adjustment to take up the slack makes it look like the cable stretched. Light and medium sized aircraft use cables very similar to the the Mustang clutch cable. It is extremely rare to replace a cable that runs from the cockpit to the middle of the wing of a good sized airplane due to cable stretching.

Clutch pedal adjustment with aftermarket quadrant and cable: I like to have the clutch completely disengaged and still have about 1.5” travel left before the pedal hits the floor. This means that I have only about 1” of free play at the top before the pedal starts to disengage the clutch. Keep in mind that these figures are all approximate. When properly adjusted, there will not be any slack in the clutch cable. You will have 4-15 lbs preload on the clutch cable.

The quadrant needs to be replaced if you use any type of aftermarket cable or adjuster. My preference is a Ford Racing quadrant, adjustable cable and Steeda firewall adjuster. The adjustable Ford Racing cable is just as good as the stock OEM cable. It allows a greater range of adjustment than a stock cable with a aftermarket quadrant and firewall adjuster. Combined with the Steeda adjuster, it lets you set the initial cable preload and then fine tune the clutch engagement point to your liking without getting under the car.

Using a stock OEM cable, firewall adjuster and a single hook quadrant may result in not having any free pedal travel before the clutch starts to disengage. I found this out the hard way.
See Summit Racing - High Performance Car and Truck Parts l 800-230-3030 for the following parts.
Ford Racing M-7553-B302 - Ford Racing V-8 Mustang Adjustable Clutch Linkage Kits - Overview - SummitRacing.com Cable and quadrant assembly $90
Steeda Autosports 555-7021 - Steeda Autosports Firewall Cable Adjusters - Overview - SummitRacing.com Steeda firewall adjuster. $40

A binding clutch cable will make the clutch very stiff. If the cable is misrouted or has gotten too close to the exhaust, it will definitely bind. The binding common to adjustable cables is often due to misplacement of the adjusting nuts on the fork end of the cable. This will also cause the cable to wear and fray. Both nuts should be on the back side of the fork so that the domed nut faces the fork and the other nut serves as jam or locknut to the domed nut.
 
#5
I was having clutch cable problems and decided to buy a cable from maximum motorsports after hearing alot of positive feedback on them. All my problems have since ceased. It was around $100 but comparing it side by side to some of the other cables you can really see how much of a difference there was in quality. Will be the only cable i run from here on out! Check it out. You wont regret it.
 
#6
Oh, thank God I can grow a beard and am uninterested in picking up other men on message forums!
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#11
I broke 2 aftermarket cables before I switched to the MM cable, which is night and day difference. I will say though, the first aftermarket cable I had SLOWLY split the jacket, which made it FEEL like it was stretching, instead of outright breaking. Like jrichker said, I don't think cables actually stretch that much. You've either got something off, or the jacket has started splitting open.
 
#12
I don't have a problem with the cable itself other than I like the clutch to start to engage with the pedal at least a 1 1/2 to 2 inches off the floor, it was like that when I first installed clutch with new motor 7 years ago, but it engages a little farther up the pedal off the floor now as Joe Richker says they will with clutch wear. And the adjustment nut for the clutch cable is threaded all the way in so I can not adjust the clutch to engage 2 inches off the floor anymore.

So If a new cable won't get me there again I really don't see a need to get a new cable if nothing is really wrong with my present cable. And I can attribute the lack of adjustment to clutch wear.

Just for record the one I have on there now is a BBK adjustable Clutch Cable with a BBK clutch Quadrant.
 
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#13
larrym1961 said:
I don't have a problem with the cable itself other than I like the clutch to start to engage with the pedal at least a 1 1/2 to 2 inches off the floor, it was like that when I first installed clutch with new motor 7 years ago, but it engages a little farther up the pedal off the floor now as Joe Richker says they will with clutch wear. And the adjustment nut for the clutch cable is threaded all the way in so I can not adjust the clutch to engage 2 inches off the floor anymore.

So If a new cable won't get me there again I really don't see a need to get a new cable if nothing is really wrong with my present cable. And I can attribute the lack of adjustment to clutch wear.

Just for record the one I have on there now is a BBK adjustable Clutch Cable with a BBK clutch Quadrant.
Click to expand...

do you have a firewall adjuster as well? if you dont, you really should with an aftermarket quad no matter which cable you have. that being said, most of the adjustable cables out there really are crap, i had a steeda on mine for a couple years before it finally decided to die, replaced it with the mm universal and kept the steeda fwa/quad, and its a night and day difference in pedal feel, and i can set it to engage/disengage wherever i want to.
 
#15
Chuckman said:
do you have a firewall adjuster as well? if you dont, you really should with an aftermarket quad no matter which cable you have. that being said, most of the adjustable cables out there really are crap, i had a steeda on mine for a couple years before it finally decided to die, replaced it with the mm universal and kept the steeda fwa/quad, and its a night and day difference in pedal feel, and i can set it to engage/disengage wherever i want to.
Click to expand...

Is this the cable you bought?
http://www.maximummotorsports.com/s...age=product_info&cPath=50_160&products_id=897
 
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