Clutch Cable Help Please!

I went through something like this. When you remove the cover on bellhousing. The clutch cable will almost seem as if it loose. Thats how its supposed to be. If you adjust it so its taught, even though it may not seem like it, its actually pulling out the clutch a little bit.

When I first got my car. I took the cover off and saw the cable looked loose so I tightened it up. I went to drive it, and clutch pedal all the way up the clutch was only like a half or 2/3 engaged.

The cable shouldn't look taught on the clutch fork. You want a little play, then adjust it from there.

Edit: I think I'm dyslexic today.

flashback87 said:

Hey guys,
Should i saw some of the theaded section of the cable off so i can but the dust cover back on?

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I don't think this is a great idea. Adjust it back to where it was. 1 to a few turns of the nut on the fork has a big effect.

flashback87 said:

Well, I tightened the cable now so it has very little play/slack at the clutch fork and really no/very little free play in pedal. Now the pedal is stiff the whole travel and it feels good. I drove it and it enganges about half travel. One problem is that I can't get the dust cover on now because the threaded section of the clutch cable stick out to far. How bad is it to five without the dust cover?

Also,any thought on how my clutch cable adjustment is?

Thanks a lot!

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Sometimes a visual aide helps

flashback87 said:

Hey guys,

I tightened it down some and the cable got a lot tighter, the play, left the pedal but I could not get the dust cover back on because the threaded section of the adjustable cable was too long.

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This is just ONE of the reasons I keep telling people adjustable cables are total crap. By the time you get done adjusting them, you've adjusted all the adjustability out of them, and they're still crap. You need a firewall adjuster, and you'd do well to replace that crap cable with a real Ford OEM or Maximum Motorsports equivalent. It'll fit right, and you'll get the bonus of a much lighter pull than the one offered by crap adjustable cables. What's the lesson here, kids? That's right: Adjustable cables are crap.

With an adjustable cable, the cable needs to be in the first hook or second hook on a multi hook quadrant. That should solve the too much adjuster threads left to get the clutch dust cover on problem.


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.

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.

Loosening the cable adjustment nut (throwout bearing arm moves to the rear of the car) moves the disengagement point towards the floor.

Tightening the cable adjustment nut (throwout bearing arm moves to the front of the car) moves the disengagement point towards the top of the pedal.

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

The Ford Racing Adjustable cable is available as a separate part:
Clutch Cable, Adjustable, Ford, Mercury, 5.0L, Kit

[url=http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SDA-555-7021/]Steeda Autosports 555-7021 - Steeda Autosports Firewall Cable Adjusters - Overview - SummitRacing.com Steeda firewall adjuster. $40

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flashback87 said:

Here are some pics. The first is of the fork and cable. Hopefully u can see how far out the threaded section is so the dust boot won't fit. The second is me pushing in the cable so u can hopefully see how little slack is there (not much) .
I have the cable on the firs hook oh the triple hook quadrant (closest to driver seat) .
How bad is it to drive without the dust cover?
I just drove it a little and it shifts fine. Nothing is burning. It does not disengage as high, closer to the floor now.

What do u think?

Thanks again!

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As you move the quadrant end of the cable up from the hook closest to the firewall to the center hook or hook farthest from the firewall, you will have to loosen the adjuster nut. That will move the threaded part of the cable away from the back of the dust shield.

When you have the cable properly adjusted, you will have no slack in the cable and 4-15 pounds preload tension on the cable. Cable systems are designed to run without slack in the cable so that it does not come loose from the hook or roll off the sides of the quadrant.

Don't let any one tell differently: this isn't a Chevy, so the Chevy guys don't know what they are talking about when it comes to 5.0 Mustangs. Ford designed the throwout bearing to constantly ride against the clutch fingers. Get slack in the cable and the throwout bearing can rattle like marbles in a coffee cup.

what brand cable are you running? I agree 10000% with MFE. A quality cable like mentioned makes all the difference in the world. Cheap summit and ebay cables stretch/fray and you do have to adjust all the adjustability out of them.

You should be okay for a while. Maybe not a good idea to mob it on dirt roads or mud.

I've been running my car for the last 3 years off and on with no dust cover with no problems. My jeep wrangler came from the factory with no dust boot or cover over the fork. While slogging through flooded roads may not be advisable daily driving under normal conditions will not harm your car.