Drivetrain Clutch cable?

Dohc valve cover clearance issues. I had to cut the last off with a grinder. It barely adjusted and hit the cover. Even with the interior lock nut off, it wouldn't come out. The cable runs perfectly in over the top of the valve cover.
 
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It hasn't been available for a couple of years now.

Ford Performance Parts also has a clutch cable. I can't vouch for it's quality though.


The none adjustable is ok but fox length blue oval/ Yates sells them separately from the clutch linkage kits you would buy from ford racing pretty cheap..... MM cable is 04 length. Haven't used an adjustable since they stopped selling the hays blue one.
 
The Steeda absolutely is reliable. About 20 years ago, I almost got out of fox bodies because I had one bad parts store cable after the next. So, I'm a stickler on this.

I don't know of any other cable that currently is. I would appreciate any feedback whether the cable is adjustable or not adjustable on any other ones that you guys recommend. I reckon with my stash, I probably won't need to buy another one for a very long time, but I do like to keep my eye out. No cable lasts forever.
 
I have run a Steeda adjustable cable for years. On my third one with the first lasting about 6 or so years daily driving the car and cot changed when I swapped clutches just because I was under the car and it seemed like good maintenance. The second one lasted about the same time but the driving was reduced to off and on (failed due to poor routing and melted so my stupidity) and the current one has been in the car for over ten years of off and on driving. I inspected it when I R&R'd the trans for a minor rebuild and it still looks good. I have another one that is brand new and a new non-adjustable Ford cable that came with the new clutch fork I needed.
 
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Just an uodate...

After tightening the cable, I drove it a decent amount this evening and did not smell anything. It drove and shifted well. The pedal is a little stiffer wit more spring. It also engages a little closer to the top of travel.

So, tightening the clutch may have fixed this.

Thanks!
 
Just an uodate...

After tightening the cable, I drove it a decent amount this evening and did not smell anything. It drove and shifted well. The pedal is a little stiffer wit more spring. It also engages a little closer to the top of travel.

So, tightening the clutch may have fixed this.

Thanks!
If the same thing happens again, you're welcome for telling you to go buy a steeda. :poo:ty clutch cables make things miserable.
 
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Not a popular opinion here but..... I put one of the original BBK adjustable cables in my car and my brother's car in 1993 or 94. He actually got under the dash and swapped the quadrant and hooked the cable because even when i was skinny i didn't fit under these dashes! Anyway, my car was sponsored by DP Mustang Supply back in the Fun Ford Weekend days. I ran all the races. But most importantly, I ran...errrrr....unsanctioned races multiple times almost every weekend for 15 or 20 years. The car went thru the original engine for 248k miles with this cable. It then got a Panhandle Performance engine that finally put out good power. Then I built a simple 306 mostly stock to put the car back to daily driving comfort. Don't get me wrong, it was always a daily driver. But it had gotten too loud and obnoxious for me as I got older. This is the current engine in the car and it is right at 175k on that engine. And I'm still driving it most days. And here's the fun part. It still has the same BBK adjustable cable and quadrant. My brother's car is also still running that same cable we put in his at the same time.
Caveat......a few months ago I ordered one of the Steeda adjustable cables because I'm assuming at some point mine will break. I studied every thread that you guys posted about cables. No doubt the consensus was MM cable or Steeda. I chose the Steeda. I do not use a firewall adjuster since they didn't exist back then and if it will run for 36 years and over 400k miles without one, I think I'm good....lol.
Just some long term info for us. Having fun with your car is the important thing!
 
Were you running a stock clutch with a pretty light pedal, wayne? If so, and it's routed well with no sharp bends and far enough from the headers, I'm still surprised but get it. That's a good data point.
 
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Unfortunately I was running a new Motorsport HD clutch when I swapped to the BBK cable. Held great but terrible on the leg. Drove it to Talladega one year and almost cried in traffic leaving the race. When I changed the engine at 248k I went to a Centerforce Dual Friction. I've never used anything but those since. They are awesome.
 
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The none adjustable is available in the clutch linkage kit, they only sell the adjustment cables solo and those have been made in Taiwan for 20 years now..

M7553A302 is the kit with a fox length none adjustable cable, its not oem... Its Taiwan also or was last one I bought a few years back, works ok if you don't need the longer 04 style cable for clearance issues.. Yates / blue oval breaks up the kits and sells the cable separately for like $25
 
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https://www.holley.com/products/discontinued_product/parts/76-229. That was the only adjustable cable I ever liked and I had frpp & steeda on cars. Actually had the frpp/svo full adjustable cable , quadrant kit back in the late 90's and while the cable never snapped, swapping it for a ford cable, tripple hook and firewall adjuster made the pedal effort a ton lighter. I probably have 10 different quadrants in my parts stash since I always swap out the single hooks if that's what the car had when I picked up. The cheapy upr Tripple hook copy China ones all over market place sites work fine with any decent cable. And these days I stick with what ever junk yard ford cable I can find. 3.8 is pretty close to fox lenght, the new edge GT stuff is a few inches longer.
 
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I took the car out yesterday and the smell is back. It seems to only happen when i feather the clutch a little. It's weird because I wouldn't say I'm riding the clutch when taking off just feathering it at the engagement point for a smooth shift. Or it happens when I get on it a little. I don't drive the car hard but it seems if I give it a little I will smell something burning. Again, it's intermittent and not every shift but only smell it when shifting.

I have an 89 wrangler with a 5speed that i will tow a trailer with. I'm not good at backing up with the trailer and 5speed so i ride the clutch pretty hard when attempting to back up. I have never smelled the clutch burning while doing this so this is why I'm surprised I smell this in the mustang. I'm on the clutch way less in the mustange and only have my foot on the clutch when shifting.

It shifts fine qith no slipping but this smell has me a little concerned.

I know my explanation is probably not the greatest but any thoughts or ideas of what's going on?

Thanks!
 
The Throw Out Bearing on our clutches is designed to rest against the flywheel. If however, it's not fully disengaging when you press the clutch to switch gears then yeah, than cause the clutch smell.

I do not run adjustable cables. The braid is not as good as the OEM cables and more recently we've seen OEM "style" cables are close but not 100% like the OEM.

Your current fix should last for a bit but it may not be a bad idea to have another cable on-hand. We have a cable thread around here someplace. I think MM carries one of the cables that is most like the OEM cable.
I'll chime in quickly to comment that when my factory cable went at around 200,000 miles, not knowing any better I picked up a replacement from Napa - it lasted several dozen miles before it broke...
The MM replacement I put in hasn't given me any trouble for better than a decade and more than 50,000 mi.
 
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MM doesn’t have supply anymore as far as I know.

Good thread on replacement cables here: