Clutch adjustment problums!! pulling hair out

[DemonGT]

ok guys..im about to give up on this crap...nothing i do seems to work right, i think either something is really not correct somewhere..or im seriously misunderstanding how the clutch/tranny works....

ok...i have it on the middle hook...i had the firewall adjuster as tight as it would go..but then it was so tight id put it in gear and let the clutch all the way out and the wheels wouldnt move at all...but then i had it screwed real close to the firewall and id put it in 4th gear and with the clutch pushed in the wheels would keep turning....then i tightend it some more...this is the weird part and mabe where im misunderstanding something....id put it in 4th(easyest to get into) and let the clutch out and the wheels wouldnt move..but then id rev the motor alittle and pop it in 2nd and the wheels would move??? and i managed to pop it in first and it would move the tires even more(lower gear) what is going on here man!!?? and i adjusted it in meny spots and in some spots in 4th id let the clutch out but it would take a moment for the wheels to start turning...they would start slowly then speed up to idle speed?? WTF....im bout to pull a damn for sale sign on this beast..

 

[blk92stangg]

Hey dude, do a search on the user name v8only, I think. He did a good how to on clutch cable adjustment.

In a nutshell, the cable should be just tight enough to keep the clutch pedal from flopping around. It should actually apply 10lbs of preload to the pressure plate. I am not sure how you are adjusting it with the rear tires spinning, but do that search and you will get a bunch of info.

 

[ECU5.0]

yeah v8only definetly knows whats goin on with the trans and clutch. he helped me out a lot in the past couple weeks. ok, what setup are you running first off. second, you want to adjust the clutch so that there is about 1/2" to 1" of free play at the top of the pedal before it gets tight. if you adjust the cable as tight as it will go, it is never going to engage and if you adjust it as loose as it will go it will never disengage. i was having the same sort of problem, kind of. it was hard for me to figure out which way i needed to turn the firewall adjuster to get it right. if you get it so the pedal is where it should be and you cant get it into gear than you have the exact same problem that i do. which i really dont know what it is because im not paying aamco 250 bucks to rip my trans apart....im just buying a new one. but anyways, get the pedal to have about an inch of free play at the top and you should be set if your trans is in good shape....and your clutch is in good shape. also, do a search for v8only and check out some of the things he had to say, and shoot him a PM if you dont find what youre lookin for

 

[cobradvm]

I am not a clutch genius, but most of the time, if you think about it logically, you should be able to figure it out. If the car is in gear, and your foot is not on the clutch pedal, and the wheels are not turning (I'm assuming that the car is up on jack stands), it means that the clutch is not engaging. If it is not engaging, it means that your clutch cable is not properly adjusted (duh!)
If you are screwing the firewall adjuster out, it effectively shortens your clutch cable and should progressively disengage the clutch - if you screw it all the way out, you will likely end up at a point where the clutch is completely disengaged and the wheels will not turn when the car is in gear. Conversely if you screw it all the way in, it effectively lengthens the cable, and you could get to a point, where you are not able to disengage the clutch at all, which means when it is in gear, the wheels will keep turning.
From what you have described you have had it all the way out from the firewall and the wheels wouldn't move, then you screwed it all the way in and the wheels wouldn't move until you revved the engine and put it in 2nd. So this would seem to indicate that you are not engaging the clutch fully regardless where your adjuster is set at. Sooo what I would try is since you said you had the cable on the middle hook, I would move it to a hook closer to the firewall - this should effectively lengthen your cable, and allow the clutch to engage fully.
Have you gotten under the car and watched what is going on with the clutch fork. Jeremy (V8only) likes to have the TO bearing preloaded so there is some tension on the clutch cable at all times. I must confess I have mine set to right before there is tension on the TO bearing so it is barely slack. I have about 1 to 1.5" of mush in my clutch pedal and it works well for me. If my theory is correct, if you get under the car your fork should be pulled forward when the clutch pedal is out and not allowing the clutch to disengage.

Hope this helps. If anyone anyone thinks my head is up my arse, please feel free to set me right.

Howard

 

[HISSIN50]

i got a headache trying to read this, so i may repeat something already said (i did not make it through it all).
Howard is right to get under the car and see what is goin on with the fork. you need a point of reference.
i would adjust it (have a friend help out) so that there is just a smidge of slack in the cable at the fork. now you know you are on the verge of disengaging the clutch when you step on the pedal. then fine tune from there.
right now, i think it is like you are setting timing by turning the dizzy w/o having a timing light, and hoping it works.

once you get it to work, you can dial in the 10 pounds of preload or whatever is recommended.

Howard, i keep hearing the same about dialing in preload. i dont - mine is set up like yours. if i had a fat new clutch, and was engaging right off the floor, i would have to dial in preload. but i engage half way up or more (about the height of the brake pedal), so i dont see the need.
the preload is good for if a TOB is making noise too..........

this is all just my two cents.
good luck.

 

[DemonGT]

my combo is spec stage 3 clutch TKO tranny UPR firewall adjuster and quadrent along with a mcloud bellhousing

i have tryed some of the things suggested and it dosnt work...i still dont understand why the tires wouldnt move in 4th but move in 2nd...there really is no "mush" to the pedal..there is constent presure all the way down....in the best possition iv found so far the fork is real close to the front of the bell and when let out is about a inch and a half from the bell, and out of all the different adjustments tryed it always engages at the top of the pedal travel...i did try the quadrent on the first hook with the adjuster all the way out but was still to loose

yes car is on jack stands