Adjust. Clutch Cable/Quadrant
- Thread starter Point-Five-O
- Start date
Seriously, we NEED to make a sticky for these clutch cable threads - I see at least one or two a week, asking the same thing. The anwer is ALWAYS the same:
Ford OEM "universal" cable + any firewall adjuster + multi-hook quadrant =
I personally recommend getting the cable from Maximum Motorsports ($75 shipped) and the FWA and quad from UPR (about $35 for both, IIRC). Do it once, do it RIGHT, and fuhgeddaboutit.
ADJUSTABLE CLUTCH CABLES ARE POO!
Go ahead and get one if you feel that you really must (getting a firewall adjuster at the same time is a moot point, it's redundant with an adjustable cable), but I can guarantee we'll be seeing another thread within the next 6-12 months saying, "Stupid adj. cable broke on me! WTF?" 
For every one or two people that swear by them, there's another 10 to 15 others that've gone through at least one of two adj. cables, apiece, and have ultimately wound up getting an OEM non-adjustable cable. And please, DO NOT buy an aftermarket "OEM-fit" cable, as they are NOT constructed the same as an actual Ford cable; take your original OEM cable to a parts store, ask them to bring out one of their generic replacements, hold them up next to one another, and you'll see what I mean.
Ford OEM "universal" cable + any firewall adjuster + multi-hook quadrant =
I personally recommend getting the cable from Maximum Motorsports ($75 shipped) and the FWA and quad from UPR (about $35 for both, IIRC). Do it once, do it RIGHT, and fuhgeddaboutit.
ADJUSTABLE CLUTCH CABLES ARE POO!
Go ahead and get one if you feel that you really must (getting a firewall adjuster at the same time is a moot point, it's redundant with an adjustable cable), but I can guarantee we'll be seeing another thread within the next 6-12 months saying, "Stupid adj. cable broke on me! WTF?" For every one or two people that swear by them, there's another 10 to 15 others that've gone through at least one of two adj. cables, apiece, and have ultimately wound up getting an OEM non-adjustable cable. And please, DO NOT buy an aftermarket "OEM-fit" cable, as they are NOT constructed the same as an actual Ford cable; take your original OEM cable to a parts store, ask them to bring out one of their generic replacements, hold them up next to one another, and you'll see what I mean.
oldschool88vert
New Member
yeah, get an oem cable. cable i recently replaced was el cheapo and the sheathing on it scrunched down accordian style at the firewall. has anyone here ever heard of that? i've worked these cars a long time and that was new to me! the black sheathing didn't pinch but crunched horizontally the way the cable runs.
I was going to suggest the Maximum Motorsports package as well. They use a modified Ford cable....which is the best cable available.
a couple of points here.....
1. you do NOT need a multiple hook quadrant. All mustang clutches are designed within factory specs. What this means, is there is no reason in hell anyone would suddenly need an extra hook that would take up an extra inch of slack, or give an extra inch of slack. It's just not the case. The only thing muliple hook quadrants do is to wind up grabbing the cable at awkward angles (upr triple hook) and putting the grab location at an "other than stock" location, which in turn gives a sloppy as hell clutch pedal. (with that triple hook UPR junk, you can't adjust it to feel good to save your life.....Adjust it so it grabs low, and you've got TONS of slack up top....Adjust the slack out up top, and it grabs way too high..Just can't win)
2. If you want the "oem" cable, maximum motorsports is the WRONG place to shop. buyfordracing.com has the oem cable along with a new clutch fork for less than $50 shipped to your door.
3. I do love single hook quadrants, and the MM single hook is one of my favorites, however, their Fire wall adjuster is pure junk. It has no locking ring or method!!!! What's up with that??!!!
4. The single best product out there is the FIORE setup. He stopped producing it for a while, but it's back, and can be had, I believe through lethal performance (I think is the name). It's got the single hook quadrant, and the best firewall adjuster out there. Not only does it lock, but it locks through a ball in groove method (no sloppy locking ring) and has a sleeve that rotates with the cable, so when you adjust it, the cable doesn't jam up into the fwa.
If any more info is needed, feel more than free to read my extensive article linked below
1. you do NOT need a multiple hook quadrant. All mustang clutches are designed within factory specs. What this means, is there is no reason in hell anyone would suddenly need an extra hook that would take up an extra inch of slack, or give an extra inch of slack. It's just not the case. The only thing muliple hook quadrants do is to wind up grabbing the cable at awkward angles (upr triple hook) and putting the grab location at an "other than stock" location, which in turn gives a sloppy as hell clutch pedal. (with that triple hook UPR junk, you can't adjust it to feel good to save your life.....Adjust it so it grabs low, and you've got TONS of slack up top....Adjust the slack out up top, and it grabs way too high..Just can't win)
2. If you want the "oem" cable, maximum motorsports is the WRONG place to shop. buyfordracing.com has the oem cable along with a new clutch fork for less than $50 shipped to your door.
3. I do love single hook quadrants, and the MM single hook is one of my favorites, however, their Fire wall adjuster is pure junk. It has no locking ring or method!!!! What's up with that??!!!
4. The single best product out there is the FIORE setup. He stopped producing it for a while, but it's back, and can be had, I believe through lethal performance (I think is the name). It's got the single hook quadrant, and the best firewall adjuster out there. Not only does it lock, but it locks through a ball in groove method (no sloppy locking ring) and has a sleeve that rotates with the cable, so when you adjust it, the cable doesn't jam up into the fwa.
If any more info is needed, feel more than free to read my extensive article linked below
Gotta disagree with #1. The reason for multiple hooks is simple. Single-hook quads are usually made for use with adjustable clutch cables. Ever tried slipping a stock-length Fox cable over a single-hook quad? Never worked for me, on two different-brand quads (Zoom and BBK). The "universal" clutch cable, I'll admit, might be an exception to the rule because it is a tad longer than the stock OEM Fox cable, whereupon you can take out the slack with the FWA, but unless you're dealing with a quad that's made shorter than the other single-hook units out there, you're not going to have enough cable to slip the end over that hook.
That's just been my experiences with 'em, though.
The UPR triple-hook quad that I'm running on my Notch and the same brand/type that Frankenstang's running on her Capri had me attaching the cable on the second (middle) hook out of the three. No problems whatsoever in either case with "catching at weird angles" or anything of the sort.
That's just been my experiences with 'em, though.
The UPR triple-hook quad that I'm running on my Notch and the same brand/type that Frankenstang's running on her Capri had me attaching the cable on the second (middle) hook out of the three. No problems whatsoever in either case with "catching at weird angles" or anything of the sort.
with all due respect, I disagree once again.
This is why it's so important to do homework before a purchase. The bbk piece, aka "grip" is a longer throw quadrant that is specifically designed to be used with an adjustable cable only, and NOT a firewall adjuster. The ancient Ford racing single hook quadrant is nearly..if not an identical design to the bbk piece. Many of the single hook quadrants out there are early designs,....before the days of firewall adjusters were invented. Because it costs so little to stamp out an existing product, there is little reason to change the design. Especially when the ball is in the 05+ end of the playing field....new designs for fox chassis cars are happening less and less, (unless it's a big ticket item, heads, intake/cam etc)
There are a ton of single hook quadrants out there that are specifically designed with a stock like radius on them.....(the MM piece, and the fiore piece) for example. These provide not only a near identical-to stock grabbing point, but they are designed specifically for use with a firewall adjuster and a non adjustable OEM cable.
Setups like this are the ONLY type to buy, as it mimicks as close to stock as possible, yet provides adjustability. Stay away from the multiple hook quadrants, and the long throw type quadrants.
One more thing worth noting...on the lethal performance web site, it says 94+ on the fiore fwa's and quadrants. they will work with a fox, it's all the same stuff. The one exception is that his quadrant doesn't have a slot cut out to get past that plate on the pedals. For this reason, I'd suggest the MM single hook quadrant with the fiore fwa.
The following picture is a ford racing quadrant (blue one on bottom) followed by a MM quadrant in the middle, followed by the fiore piece up top. You can see how the fiore and MM quadrant have a much shorter hook, and will be compliant with your firewall adjuster.
On the other hand, that blue frpp piece is the same as the bbk(grip) piece, and many others. Because it is longer, the cable grabs MUCH further back and therefore is incompatible with firewall adjusters.
This is why it's so important to do homework before a purchase. The bbk piece, aka "grip" is a longer throw quadrant that is specifically designed to be used with an adjustable cable only, and NOT a firewall adjuster. The ancient Ford racing single hook quadrant is nearly..if not an identical design to the bbk piece. Many of the single hook quadrants out there are early designs,....before the days of firewall adjusters were invented. Because it costs so little to stamp out an existing product, there is little reason to change the design. Especially when the ball is in the 05+ end of the playing field....new designs for fox chassis cars are happening less and less, (unless it's a big ticket item, heads, intake/cam etc)
There are a ton of single hook quadrants out there that are specifically designed with a stock like radius on them.....(the MM piece, and the fiore piece) for example. These provide not only a near identical-to stock grabbing point, but they are designed specifically for use with a firewall adjuster and a non adjustable OEM cable.
Setups like this are the ONLY type to buy, as it mimicks as close to stock as possible, yet provides adjustability. Stay away from the multiple hook quadrants, and the long throw type quadrants.
One more thing worth noting...on the lethal performance web site, it says 94+ on the fiore fwa's and quadrants. they will work with a fox, it's all the same stuff. The one exception is that his quadrant doesn't have a slot cut out to get past that plate on the pedals. For this reason, I'd suggest the MM single hook quadrant with the fiore fwa.
The following picture is a ford racing quadrant (blue one on bottom) followed by a MM quadrant in the middle, followed by the fiore piece up top. You can see how the fiore and MM quadrant have a much shorter hook, and will be compliant with your firewall adjuster.
On the other hand, that blue frpp piece is the same as the bbk(grip) piece, and many others. Because it is longer, the cable grabs MUCH further back and therefore is incompatible with firewall adjusters.
I've had the same experience as Jeremy. I had an old school SVO quad (like his blue one) and it required an adjustable cable (it actually came with the correct cable). I later went to an OEM cable and UPR single hook (and FWA) and it all fit like a glove.
Jeremy and I both get the PM's from guys whom cant get a triple hook quad to work for whatever reason. It happens. One brand in particular seems to be more problematic than others.
I would also add that just in my experience, I had a delightful time with the Ford Adjustable cable and SVO [long throw] quadrant (I liked it better than my current set-up). Most folks hate that Ford adjustable cable though.
Jeremy and I both get the PM's from guys whom cant get a triple hook quad to work for whatever reason. It happens. One brand in particular seems to be more problematic than others.
I would also add that just in my experience, I had a delightful time with the Ford Adjustable cable and SVO [long throw] quadrant (I liked it better than my current set-up). Most folks hate that Ford adjustable cable though.
Well, can't disagree with what you're indicating with the single-hook quads, as I'm aware there's plenty of single-hook quads out there of different makes and designs. I was basing my suggestion on experience with two different makes of quads with the same results, and the same successful results with every instance of a multi-hook quad that I've used. Obviously, I agree not all single-hook quads are the same, but I still don't get your assertation that multi-hook quads are a bad deal. If you laid, say, a triple-hook UPR quad atop that Fiore quad, you'd probably find that the middle hook is pretty close to the same length/point of engagement, and whatever difference between 'em will be compensated for with the firewall adjuster.
See, here's what I guess I'm just not getting: an aluminum quad is a solid piece, generally made to pivot on the same point (the clutch pedal rod, or whatever the exact term is), to rotate the same range of degrees at the same certain height. It engages and disengages the clutch - if it's too short (for the adjuster to compensate), it'll leave too much slack to disengage the clutch, and if it's too long, you either won't be able to hook the cable over it, or it won't allow the clutch to disengage. It just kinda seems like a deal where it either works 100% or not at all, to me...
Anyway. Regardless, I think we can all agree on at least this (modified) formula, at least:
Firewall Adjuster + aluminum quadrant + Ford non-adjustable cable =
See, here's what I guess I'm just not getting: an aluminum quad is a solid piece, generally made to pivot on the same point (the clutch pedal rod, or whatever the exact term is), to rotate the same range of degrees at the same certain height. It engages and disengages the clutch - if it's too short (for the adjuster to compensate), it'll leave too much slack to disengage the clutch, and if it's too long, you either won't be able to hook the cable over it, or it won't allow the clutch to disengage. It just kinda seems like a deal where it either works 100% or not at all, to me...
Anyway. Regardless, I think we can all agree on at least this (modified) formula, at least:
Firewall Adjuster + aluminum quadrant + Ford non-adjustable cable =
with all due respect, I disagree once again.
> snip...
The following picture is a ford racing quadrant (blue one on bottom) followed by a MM quadrant in the middle, followed by the fiore piece up top. You can see how the fiore and MM quadrant have a much shorter hook, and will be compliant with your firewall adjuster.
On the other hand, that blue frpp piece is the same as the bbk(grip) piece, and many others. Because it is longer, the cable grabs MUCH further back and therefore is incompatible with firewall adjusters.
Hey, sorry to wake up an old thread, but your photo kind of confirms my suspicions with a problem I'm having.
This weekend, I tried to install a Fiore FWA along with a MM quad, since I already had the MM quad lying around. When I hook the clutch cable up with the MM quad and the trans I have absolutely no slack, and that is with the FWA totally turned in (CW) and no gap between the FWA and the flat plastic plate on the end of the cable. As a matter of fact, I tried to turn the FWA CCW and it wouldn't budge. I had looked at some photos of both the MM and Fiore quads and it looked like the MM had a longer radius, so I just ordered the Fiore quad to see if it would give me some slack in the cable. Your photo probably confirms what I had thought might be the problem; the MM quad having a longer radius than the Fiore quad.
The problem is probably caused by the Fiore FWA being thicker at the firewall than the MM FWA. The quads are both probably engineered to work with their own FWAs. When I get my Fiore quad on, I let you know what the outcome is.
Will do. I probably only need 1/4" - 3/8" more cable to keep the pressure off of the TOB. However when I think about it, I had to remove the cable from the transmission end to release enough pressure for me to easily take the cable off of the OEM quad. I don't know if this is routine or not. Lying on my back for 2 hours getting that pawl off probably took what strength (and patience) I had in the first place.
BTW, this is for an '01 Cobra. Cable and quad are stock... Mark
mark, now that you mention this, you may be ok.
the t/o bearing is designed to have constant pressure on it. It's called preload. This is meant to be this way, and is in the ford service manuals.
the best way to adjust it is to tighten it enough so that it grabs an inch or two or more off the floor, but before halfway in it's travel.
also, so long as you can depress the clutch pedal a little before you feel the clutch actually begin to disenage, you are ok.
pressure is fine, so long as the pp isn't always disenaging with the foot off the clutch.
the t/o bearing is designed to have constant pressure on it. It's called preload. This is meant to be this way, and is in the ford service manuals.
the best way to adjust it is to tighten it enough so that it grabs an inch or two or more off the floor, but before halfway in it's travel.
also, so long as you can depress the clutch pedal a little before you feel the clutch actually begin to disenage, you are ok.
pressure is fine, so long as the pp isn't always disenaging with the foot off the clutch.
Fixed!
Okay, I finally got the Fiore quadrant delivered and swapped out the MM quadrant. That did the trick, although I still had to turn the adjuster out only maybe 6-7 clicks. Four clicks looked and felt okay with the car on the jack stands, but when I actually got the car down on the garage floor and fired the engine up, the clutch was still engaging right off the floor. I tightened (turned counter clockwise) the Fiore adjuster another four clicks but now it was the opposite, disengaging too high.
Your photo of the three adjusters was hard for me to make an honest opinion, but when I compared the two quads right in front of me, I could see that the Fiore quad had at least 1/2" if not 3/4" less radius than the Maximum Motorsports quad. The smaller radius gave me the cable slack I needed. I had mentioned in my PM to you that I think the MM quad and FWA were engineered to be used together, at least in my case. The extra thickness of the Fiore FWA compared to the MM FWA caused the clutch cable to be too tight when it was used with the MM quad.
I didn't put any washers on the two quad posts at first. I let the quad figure out how to align itself with the cable with a couple of pedel depressions. Then I marked the posts with a Sharpie to find out how much space I have on both sides of the quad. I found some nylon spacers at Tractor Supply that had a 1/2" inside diameter and cut them to the lengths I needed with a PVC pipe cutter, slipped them on the posts and just put cotter pins on the ends of the posts to keep everything in place. The factory spring clips seem to be an overkill and they are a PITA to take off.
I also put on the LDC Clutch Freeplay kit, but I doubt that I would have needed it. And I can't believe that I paid $16.95 for a common spring and a plastic black thingey that doesn't fit too well. Maybe the kit helps out other types of situations.
So, if anyone wants a MM Quadrant and FWA (still in the original plastic packaging); I'll let them go together for $35 plus shipping. I think I still have all of the washers for the quadrant. I don't know how many I had originally, but if not, you can get replacements at Tractor Supply, Home Depot, Lowes, etc. They are listed as 1/2" Machine Bushings. Maximum Motorsports has excellent instructions for both installations, just have patience and take the driver’s seat out.
Oh, how do the cables run in the engine comparment? Does the clutch cable go above or below the gas and cruize control cables?
Okay, I finally got the Fiore quadrant delivered and swapped out the MM quadrant. That did the trick, although I still had to turn the adjuster out only maybe 6-7 clicks. Four clicks looked and felt okay with the car on the jack stands, but when I actually got the car down on the garage floor and fired the engine up, the clutch was still engaging right off the floor. I tightened (turned counter clockwise) the Fiore adjuster another four clicks but now it was the opposite, disengaging too high.
Your photo of the three adjusters was hard for me to make an honest opinion, but when I compared the two quads right in front of me, I could see that the Fiore quad had at least 1/2" if not 3/4" less radius than the Maximum Motorsports quad. The smaller radius gave me the cable slack I needed. I had mentioned in my PM to you that I think the MM quad and FWA were engineered to be used together, at least in my case. The extra thickness of the Fiore FWA compared to the MM FWA caused the clutch cable to be too tight when it was used with the MM quad.
I didn't put any washers on the two quad posts at first. I let the quad figure out how to align itself with the cable with a couple of pedel depressions. Then I marked the posts with a Sharpie to find out how much space I have on both sides of the quad. I found some nylon spacers at Tractor Supply that had a 1/2" inside diameter and cut them to the lengths I needed with a PVC pipe cutter, slipped them on the posts and just put cotter pins on the ends of the posts to keep everything in place. The factory spring clips seem to be an overkill and they are a PITA to take off.
I also put on the LDC Clutch Freeplay kit, but I doubt that I would have needed it. And I can't believe that I paid $16.95 for a common spring and a plastic black thingey that doesn't fit too well. Maybe the kit helps out other types of situations.
So, if anyone wants a MM Quadrant and FWA (still in the original plastic packaging); I'll let them go together for $35 plus shipping. I think I still have all of the washers for the quadrant. I don't know how many I had originally, but if not, you can get replacements at Tractor Supply, Home Depot, Lowes, etc. They are listed as 1/2" Machine Bushings. Maximum Motorsports has excellent instructions for both installations, just have patience and take the driver’s seat out.
Oh, how do the cables run in the engine comparment? Does the clutch cable go above or below the gas and cruize control cables?
BTW, the Fiore quadrant that I got through Leathal Performance DID have the slot cut just like the MM quadrant.
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