Clutch Disengage Point?

[Michael Gordon]

So, the other night I was in the drive through, and all off a sudden all my gears were deadlocked. The next day, I figured I'd look at the cable first.

Fantastic. It's only the cable. So today, I was able to pick up the 40 dollar Pioneer cable and install it. Here's the thing, it's disengaging at halfway down. I don't see anywhere to adjust this. I was just above the floor before. Is this something that I should expect out of a new cable? What I'm concerned with is that I may be slightly slipping the clutch.

 

[JD1964]

Half way down is not really problem. It will just take some getting used to but should still be fine. Too low or too high is not good.

 

[Michael Gordon]

Thank you John. Yeah, I've been driving stick for twenty years now, over 8 cars. This is the first time it engages/disengages at half way. Its going to take a lot of getting used to.

 

[TOOLOW91]

If it has a factory clutch quadrant there should be a ratcheting mechanism on the pedal . If you pull up real hard it should ratchet . That's the adjustment.

 

[Boosted92LX]

My foxes have typically all been closer to the top of the pedal travel, which really screwed me up when I stepped into my S550, as it's right off the floorboard. I'm with Jeff, ratchet that pedal up and down.

 

[jrichker]

Clutch Adjustment for stock and aftermarket setups
Revised 28-Apr-2016 to include need for longer cable with single hook quadrant

Clutch adjustment
Do the clutch adjustment first before considering any other problems. With the stock plastic quadrant and cable, pull up on the clutch pedal until it comes upward toward you. It will make a ratcheting sound as the self adjuster works. To release to tension of the stock quadrant, use a screwdriver to lift the ratchet paw up and out of engagement with the quadrant teeth.

Binding clutch cable
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
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. With a non adjustable cable and a firewall adjuster, the cable needs to go in the second hook of the quadrant. Single hook quadrants used with a firewall adjuster may make the clutch too tight, causing it to slip. The possible exception to this is the Maximum Motorsports cable which is a bit longer to make it work with a single hook quadrant.

Adjustable clutch cable tips:
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.

Firewall adjuster tips
Turning the firewall adjuster IN makes the engagement point closer to the floor since it loosens the cable. You have to push the pedal to the floor to disengage the clutch. Too loose a cable and the clutch won't completely disengage and shifting will be difficult. Gears will grind and you may have difficulty getting the transmission in first gear when stopped.

Turning the firewall adjuster OUT makes the engagement point farther from the floor since it tightens the cable. You push a short distance to disengage the clutch. Too tight a cable will cause clutch slippage.

Aftermarket solutions to the problem:
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

Fix for the quadrant end of the cable popping out of the quadrant when installing a replacement cable courtesy of Grabbin' Asphalt

[/url]

 

[Michael Gordon]

Thank you very much, jrichker, for that write up. I searched for adjusting the stock quadrant, and the only video I found stopped short at pulling up at the pedal. The new cable doesn't have an adjusting nut at the fork. In fact, there aren't any threads on it. My concern is with it being closer to the top, the clutch may be slightly, not noticeably, slipping. I'd feel more comfortable if I lowered it a little.

 

[jrichker]

Thank you very much, jrichker, for that write up. I searched for adjusting the stock quadrant, and the only video I found stopped short at pulling up at the pedal. The new cable doesn't have an adjusting nut at the fork. In fact, there aren't any threads on it. My concern is with it being closer to the top, the clutch may be slightly, not noticeably, slipping. I'd feel more comfortable if I lowered it a little.

From my previous post...
"To release to tension of the stock quadrant, use a screwdriver to lift the ratchet paw up and out of engagement with the quadrant teeth."
That will enable you to have more free pedal.

 

[Michael Gordon]

Oh yeah, once I read through your post, I knew exactly what to do. I'd already been under there installing the cable, and now the whole mechanism makes perfect sense. My take, changing the tooth position on the ratchet paw will in effect lengthen the cable in relation to the pedal. Essentially allowing the fork to completely rest. I was merely speaking about my research before your post. Thank you again.

 

[Mustang5L5]

My clutch engagement point is right around mid-point. This was where my 2003 GT grabbed, so I tend to prefer it right here

 

[Michael Gordon]

My clutch engagement point is right around mid-point. This was where my 2003 GT grabbed, so I tend to prefer it right here

I'm used to it a bit more to the bottom. I'm going to have my foot all the way down as I sit, so I really don't care for all that play before it engages. It's great for speed shifting, I get that, but it stinks for getting the car moving. Especially on a hill.