Clutch Problems

[FoxGT87]

Hello, im new to the forums.
i am having clutch problems in my 87 GT that i just bought a week and a half ago. i thought it was transmission problems but when i brought it to a tranny guy the first thing he did was tell me that it was probably my clutch "you have messed up pressure plates, feels like the have completely collapsed." i thought i just had a cobra clutch in the car it felt so tight, i had never driven a car with a sporty clutch. so he told me instead of replacing the transmission cause of the grinding i was having in 2nd 3rd and reverse said let me take care of the clutch for you. turns out i dont have all the money for either. so i am basically wondering what would be a good clutch to go with for a hearty 275 HP maybe 300. i plan on putting a 75-100 shot of N2O on it if this fixes my grind. so i am thinking something rated at around 500-600 HP but again im not sure.

this car really is beautiful and i want to try and make it run as good as possible help would be appreciated much.

 

[BYRDPE]

1st of all welcome to the site
2nd of all


3rd of all is centerforce dual friction clutch

 

[trbkrb]

It could just be as simple as a mis adjusted or stretched clutch cable. If the clutch is not disengaging completely, it will cause grinding when you shift, especially in 1st and reverse.

What kind of cable does it have? Stock, or does it have an aftermarket clutch quadrant under the dash above the accelerator pedal? Not knowing how much you know about Mustangs, here is some info. Stock clutch quadrants are adjustable by pulling up on the clutch pedal. It will "click" and adjust to take up some slack. BUT the stockers are plastic, and they tend to wear out over time and don't adjust properly, especially with an aftermarket clutch.

A popular clutch cable is the manually adjustable one. It has a couple of nuts and a threaded rod on the tranny end that you can adjust. The most popular clutch cable now is the firewall adjuster that uses a stock cable, metal quadrant and is adjusted by turning the adjuster under the hood.

I would first make sure the clutch is adjusted right, since it is the cheapest and easiest to fix. It should start to engage a bit up from the floor and you should be able to shift no problems through all the gears with the pedal all the way down or just slightly up. As long as the clutch is not slipping when fully engaged, I doubt if the clutch is bad.

Good luck!

 

[FoxGT87]

i just got done waxing and shining my pony. now my fiance is dragging me out to a nice dinner with her family lol. no time to get on it again today. i will check to see what kind of clutch cable i have tomorrow and see if i can adjust it. i have knowledge of cars as i am an avid reader of MM&FF and i like doing research on stuff i dont understand about mechanichs but as far as actual mechanichs its like wandering through the woods with out a compus for me. okay im getting drug out the door right now... do you want pics of the car its self or the trans/clutch... lol

 

[BYRDPE]

i just got done waxing and shining my pony. now my fiance is dragging me out to a nice dinner with her family lol. no time to get on it again today. i will check to see what kind of clutch cable i have tomorrow and see if i can adjust it. i have knowledge of cars as i am an avid reader of MM&FF and i like doing research on stuff i dont understand about mechanichs but as far as actual mechanichs its like wandering through the woods with out a compus for me. okay im getting drug out the door right now... do you want pics of the car its self or the trans/clutch... lol

i'm looking for pics of the car.

 

[FoxGT87]

i cant figure out how to post more than 2 pictures so multiple replys is in due

here is the body

 

[FoxGT87]

going to try uploading from a URL

and for good measures a picture of the two owners of the mustang right before that dinner.

View attachment 249882

 

[FoxGT87]

this is the clutch kit i decided to go with it was the right price and the reviews on it were pretty darned good. also its rated for 450 sqftlbs of torque which i figured the clutch should stay in tact for quite a bit of abuse.

RAM HDX Clutch (86-Mid 00 GT and 93-98 Cobra) at AmericanMuscle.com - Free Shipping!

also i found a decent looking short throw shifter that is getting some pretty good reviews on american muscle for my T5 for 70 bucks. there doesnt seem like anyone has too many problems with it and i only saw one sketchy review out of 16.

Mustang Short Throw Sport Shifter (All 83 - Early 01 & 01-04 V6 T-5/T-45 Transmission) at AmericanMuscle.com - Free Shipping!

has anyone heard of this shifter before? does anyone use it? should i buy it to save dough or should i save for a triax? opinions!