Clutch Question

RATM · May 20, 2005

Hey all,

I am having problems putting the car in gear. Sometimes it goes in without problems, and sometimes i have to use two hands to get it into 1st. I have checked the play on the clutch and that isnt the problem. Also when the clutch it depressed, the clutch "arm" on the tranny moves a good 2 or 3 inches so I dont think thats the problem. Im getting really pissed about this as I dont want to mess up my Tranny by having to slam it into gear.

Could this be a problem with the clutch itself? A Throwout bearing issue? a pressure plate? Hopefully someone can help.

Thanks in advance!!!!

RATM · May 20, 2005

RsStanG1987 · May 20, 2005

Your pressure plate sounds like its shot. I had a cheap clutch in my 87 when i had it. The pressure plate sucked and it was the same thing after every 3 weeks of driving the car. So go out and buy yourself a new clutch from fordracing and see what happens.

v8only · May 20, 2005

RsStanG1987 said:
Your pressure plate sounds like its shot. I had a cheap clutch in my 87 when i had it. The pressure plate sucked and it was the same thing after every 3 weeks of driving the car. So go out and buy yourself a new clutch from fordracing and see what happens.

Yikes, that some really expensive advice, especially when it's not gonna do a thing for his problem. In your case, your adjustment was slipping every three weeks due to either a bad cable or factory plastic quadrant. It had nothing to do with your pressure plate. I only say this, because I see this every single day, day in, and day out, and haven't seen a bad pressure plate cause this yet (but sure, it is possible.

http://50stangs.com/techarticles/clutchcableadjustment.html

Read up on that link, it will tell you everything you need to know. Tightening your clutch cable adjustment will cure your problem.

too many people replacing clutches for a bad adjustment. Sorry if I got on your case, just trying to keep people from all that extra work. God knows, I did the exact same thing years back when I had a bad adjustment. Out came the clutch, really for no reason.

RsStanG1987 · May 20, 2005

v8only said:
Yikes, that some really expensive advice, especially when it's not gonna do a thing for his problem. In your case, your adjustment was slipping every three weeks due to either a bad cable or factory plastic quadrant. It had nothing to do with your pressure plate. I only say this, because I see this every single day, day in, and day out, and haven't seen a bad pressure plate cause this yet (but sure, it is possible.

http://50stangs.com/techarticles/clutchcableadjustment.html

Read up on that link, it will tell you everything you need to know. Tightening your clutch cable adjustment will cure your problem.

too many people replacing clutches for a bad adjustment. Sorry if I got on your case, just trying to keep people from all that extra work. God knows, I did the exact same thing years back when I had a bad adjustment. Out came the clutch, really for no reason.

Well When that happened to my car. I had a fire wall adjuster adjustable cable and aluminum quadrant and tried to adjust it everywich wayand diddnt work. My mecahnic came to the conclusion it was the pressure plate. I guess he can check the adjustment first but my experience was bad pressure plates from autozone.

RATM · May 20, 2005

I dont think that its the adjustment that i need, the clutch fork moves plenty, I have adjusted it both ways and still have the problem

RATM · May 20, 2005

RsStanG1987 said:
Well When that happened to my car. I had a fire wall adjuster adjustable cable and aluminum quadrant and tried to adjust it everywich wayand diddnt work. My mecahnic came to the conclusion it was the pressure plate. I guess he can check the adjustment first but my experience was bad pressure plates from autozone.

once you got the pressure plate changed did that fix your problem?

v8only · May 20, 2005

put it up on jackstands on the back, and tighten the cable with your foot depressed on the clutch all the way, have a friend tighten it till your rear wheels stop spinning. You've already verified this is your problem, your clutch fork should NOT move plenty. it's moving plenty because your adjustment is too loose. Tighten the adjustment up.

RATM · May 21, 2005

Maybe i have myself confused. When i meant the clutch fork, i meant the part that the cable attaches to at the transmission. I can see that through the engine bay and that moves plenty. I only have maybe 1/2 - 1 inch of play on the clutch pedal itself.

RATM · May 21, 2005

h8louzn · May 21, 2005

There should be no free play in your clutch pedal.
If that's what your are talking about.
Adjust like v8only said and you should be fine.

RATM · May 21, 2005

h8louzn said:
There should be no free play in your clutch pedal.
If that's what your are talking about.
Adjust like v8only said and you should be fine.

its not. Here is what happened today. This morning, while the tranny was still cold and not yet warmed up, everything worked fine. The shifts were nice and smooth. As it warmed up, it became harder and harder to put into gear so hard at times that while the clutch was fully depressed, i had to slam it into first. each time i did that, my stomach turned. Here is another example. While waiting to move at a light, the car is inching forward with it in gear while the clutch is fully depressed. Ive adjusted it at the firewall, but like I said earlier, I can see the "arm" coming out of the Tranny moving forward a good 2 or 3 inches when the clutch is fully pressed.

This is getting very frustrating

RATM · May 22, 2005

v8only · May 22, 2005

come on man, you just don't trust me, or don't understand completely what is going on, which is fine. This will be my last try on this, and I'm done. Exuse the caps here, let me say this one thing...

TIGHTEN UP YOUR CLUTCH ADJUSTMENT!!!!

At this point, for sake of arguement, have blind trust in me. if I'm wrong, just put it how it was, no damage done. Here is what is happening.

Your clutch adjustment on your cable is TOO LOOSE. Because of this, with your foot depressed to the floor, your clutch is NOT disengaging all the way, in other words, it's not pulling away from the engine enough. This is why it's hard to get into gear, and this is why you are inching forward. I know this for a fact, and I'd bet the house, wife and kids on this.

Tighten that adjustment, and you'll be fine. Regardless if you thing your clutch fork is traveling all the way, it's not. The final test would be to depress the clutch, and see if the arm is going all the way to the back of the bell.

anyhow, tighten that puppy up. That's all I can say to this.

did you TRY putting it on jackstands like I mentioned? If so, you would have adjusted it till those wheels stopped spinning in the back, and you'll be ok.

HISSIN50 · May 22, 2005

From what you have posted, I agree with Jeremy. let me ask this (if it has not been already) - where is the point of engagement? it sounds like it is on the floor. if so, follow Jeremy's good advice and tighten all the slack out of the cable. if you have your point of engagement like say halfway up the pedal's range of travel and you still have issues, THEN look elsewhere.

FWIW, the fork can have a ton of movement when the clutch pedal is pressed, but the clutch's adjustment can still be wrong (meaning the clutch fork moving is nice, but not very revealing other than to know that your cable did not break).

good luck.

RATM · May 22, 2005

OK I will try your advice. Let me see if I got this straight. To tighten up my adjustment, I unscrew the small allen nut and turn the firewall adjuster counterclock wise all the way and then tighten the small allen nut?

v8only · May 22, 2005

counterclockwise, yes, but not all the way necessarily. turn it counterclockwise until it begins to pick up halfway or a little less off the floor.

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