clutch cable problems

[Blackened302]

clutch adj problems

alright, decided i'd start a new thread since it no longer has to do w/ a snapped clutch cable, but more w/ clutch adjustment and w/ the new cable.

my clutch adj set-up consists of:
UPR triple-hook quadrant, firewall adjuster, and MaximumMotorsports cable

a little info on the triple-hook quadrant:
1st hook= furthest from firewall, tightest pull on cable
2nd hook= a little slack
3rd hook = closest to firewall, gives the most slack to the pedal


here's where i'm running into problems:

1st setup: 3rd hook, firewall adjuster out (to make up for some extra slack)
problem: cable not tight enough on the quadrant---it pops out by itself!!! not very safe while driving, but good clutch adjustment. also have a *popping sound everytime i push the pedal in. (i think the sound comes from when the cable snaps back into place into the seat of the hook properly---->not good)

2nd setup: 2nd hook, firewall adjuster all the way in (to give slack)
problem: clutch way out of adjustment, MAJOR slippage, extremely high pedal, but no popping sound.

seriously need some help. thanks, guys.

 

[94-302-vert]

This is a brand new cable? A ford cable or other?

For the first setup: did your quad come with alignment spacers? How about zip tying the cable into the quad so it can't pop out on it's own?

 

[urban96]

turn the firewall adjuster all the way in and, pick a hook on the quadrant then screw the firewall adjuster out untill you get it to a spot you like

 

[Blackened302]

cable is a brand new Maximum Motorsports cable--very good quality
http://www.maximummotorsports.com/s...age=product_info&cPath=50_160&products_id=897

quadrant did not come w/ alignment spacers, but i don't think that's the problem.

zip tying i had thought about, but it how? the curve of the quadrant makes it kinda difficult. can you suggest a way? thanks.

 

[Blackened302]

turn the firewall adjuster all the way in and, pick a hook on the quadrant then screw the firewall adjuster out untill you get it to a spot you like

that's exactly how i achieved the 2nd setup.

 

[94-302-vert]

Looking at the pic of the quadrant on the website it looks like if you just put the ziptie around the quadrant right behind the hook it should be enough to hold the cable in place. You don't need much resistance...

 

[Blackened302]

gonna try a ziptie, but i doubt it's gonna work.

i think the real problem is between the quad and fwa.

with both setups i've tried, i can't get either one to work just right.

 

[badstang123]

Don't you have an adjustment at the end of the cable where it hooks to the clutch fork too? Mine does. That may give you some more adjustment.

 

[Blackened302]

Don't you have an adjustment at the end of the cable where it hooks to the clutch fork too? Mine does. That may give you some more adjustment.

what does the end look like? mine looks like the stock end--doesn't screw in our out. from what i understand, the cable i got is non-adjustable (check the link above).

 

[badstang123]

I see what you mean. The end of mine is threaded. I slipped it through the opening in the clutch fork, slid a washer on and then screwed a nut onto it to the point where I needed for the cable to be tightened the right amount. Then another nut comes on behind it to lock it in place. That gave me maybe 2 or 3 inches that I could play with for adjustment. I doesn't look like you have that option though

 

[Blackened302]

nope, from tinkering w/ it all day, it seems my only options are the two set-ups i've tried already.

i know that there is supposed to be some play in the pedal, but play to where the cable unhooks from the quadrant?

 

[TripleBlack95]

Wow - 59.95 for that cable is ROBBERY. I think I got mine for 34.00 flat. I also find it interesting that its just an OEM cable dubbed "MM cable" - I always tought that cable was modified but its just used with their products!

Anyways I still see you're having some trouble, sucks. Check this link out it might help you:

http://www.thompsontransmission.com...justment.html#Which clutch cable should I use

You might just have to buy an adjustable cable though - like Badstang said - it gives you a couple more inches to work with that makes all the difference.

 

[Blackened302]

after a fair amount of research and w/ the advice from guys like JT and Grady, i'm going to stick w/ this cable (or other OEM equivalent).

that's a good link--thanks (adam, is it?).


94-302-vert: tried the zip tie and it seems to have alleviated the problem a bit. the popping is gone, and even when i pick up the slack on the pedal, the cable hardly moves off the hook. i did this:

let's see how long this holds up. thanks for the help, guys. hopefully i won't have to ressurect this thread.

 

[badstang123]

like Badstang said - it gives you a couple more inches to work with that makes all the difference.

You can stick with the cable you got but do you really want to come up a couple inches short. I know I wouldn't

 

[HISSIN50]

that's exactly how i achieved the 2nd setup.

Paul, when installing the cable this way, did you have to pry on anything to get the cable ferrule attached to the clutch fork (or quadrant)? If not, I agree that this should be the correct hook. If no prying was required, there should be a hair of freeplay in the cable (perfect in my book).

I have to say that from a safety standpoint, I would not do the zip-tie method. Nothing against the idea - it's just not something I'd say to do on a public forum (there are many things I do, but I don't post about because if a noob else searches a year from now and tries it, the results could be bad).

I tinkered with spacers and without - made no difference. Physics and geometry self-centered my quadrant for me.

I'm sorry to hear this has turned into such a PITA thing Paul.

Good luck.

 

[Blackened302]

hehe, thanks JT--always good to see a reply from you.

the 2nd set-up required me to pry on the clutch fork to get the cable in there.

the 1st set-up did not, and there is a little freeplay in the cable/pedal.

i'm currently running the 1st set-up, but it feels like the clutch is slipping a tiny, tiny, tiny bit. (not nearly as bad as w/ the 2nd one--that was super bad).

opinions? comments?

 

[HISSIN50]

hehe, thanks JT--always good to see a reply from you.

the 2nd set-up required me to pry on the clutch fork to get the cable in there.

the 1st set-up did not, and there is a little freeplay in the cable/pedal.

i'm currently running the 1st set-up, but it feels like the clutch is slipping a tiny, tiny, tiny bit. (not nearly as bad as w/ the 2nd one--that was super bad).

opinions? comments?

Sheesh. The only last thing I can think of is:

Did you make all cable connections and set it up before doing any zip tieing of the sheath (to get it away from accessories, etc)? Otherwise the ziptie could be causing an issue with the middle hook not working for you. The routing is proper?

Let me think on this and/or see if Jeremy can come up with something.

 

[Blackened302]

oh, sorry, guess there was a misunderstanding w/ the zipties.

the only thing i ziptied was what i showed in the pic i posted above. the cable is still roaming loose (so to speak, hehe--as in, it's not anchored to anything) in the engine compartment.

 

[v8only]

simply put, the upr triple hook quadrant is a piece of trash. Both my bro and I have run one in the past. In fact, he blew out an entire clutch in 3k miles using that tightest hook. (I wasn't around to check on his adj). The ONLY hook that will work with any setup is the middle hook, the other two are useless 100% of the time.

The catch is, because of those other hooks, the middle one is not at an optimal place to begin with. That triple hook quadrant will also provide a lousy clutch pedal feel. No matter how you adjust it, it'll always grab toward the top, or if you take the slack out, it'll have tons of play at the top.


Anyhow, that's just a rant, so ignore that, because it WILL work.

Provided your clutch install insn't jacked up somehow, and you've never messed with the pivot ball in the trans, there are two things I'm thinking that you could do.

#1 run the sn95 cable from mm, it's supposed to be a little longer, then use the middle hook.

#2 use a giant spacer, such as that rubber grommet that came on the clutch cable when you bought it, and put it between the cable, and firewall adjuster, and use the third hook.


something though is seriously wrong, and I can't put my finger on it. Did you route the cable under the dr side motor mount?? What about the clutch, how old is that? is it a fresh install?? This may sound crazy, but did you make sure the quadrant is on both pegs? I had a friend who found his quadrant was only on one peg because the original owner of the car couldn't get the small oem plastic quadrant off the top peg.

which adjuster are you using, the quick click or extreme?

just to add, when we were using that triple hook quadrant with an oem cable (not the mm cable, although I believe the mm cable to be longer) with the cable on the middle hook, there was enough slack where the fwa was turned OUT almost all the way, NOT IN.

call mm and verify the length of the cable you bought from them, and if it's not too short, start checking the mechanical aspects of the problem.

 

[Blackened302]

can't answer much right now, but i do know that the MM cable is about 2-3" longer than the stock one.

fwa is the Extreme.