Clutch Unable To Disengage

Jeremy F · Jun 9, 2014

On my 92 5.0 5spd I just replaced the clutch, pressure plate, flywheel, throwout bearing, and pilot bearing. The problem I am having is when the clutch petal is not pressed there is a little slack in the line and when I press it all the way to the floor the clutch will still be engaged. Here is what I did step by step:
1. Remove all the old parts. Pulled up on clutch petal and pulled the cable with vise grips
2. Installed and greased throwout bearing and pilot bearing
3. Installed flywheel, clutch, and pressure plate. Tightened everything to appropriate torque>
4. Reinstalled transmission. When I was doing this everything was aligned and the transmission was partially engaged but would not slide on all the way. From this point we tightened the bolts down and the transmission finally met with the block.
5. Tried to reset the cable by pulling up on the petal or pulling down on the gear next to the auto-set

So the only things I can think of that would be the problem is that when i pulled on the clutch cable it stretched it and wont retract. I got the wrong sized pilot bearing and its hurting the transmission. Or the auto-set gears on the clutch petal have gone bad.

Does anyone have any other ideas or can you point me in the right direction?

modulistic · Jun 9, 2014

Is there any force required to push the clutch, or does it just fall to the floor? Those cables are tough, they do stretch out over time, but its not a something you are going to stretch in one sitting.

What happened to me once is that I left an engine without a transmission for a couple months (still installed in the truck) it was an 88 ranger with the 2.9 cologne engine... love that little motor. Anyways, the clutch rusted to the flywheel, lol. This was in kodiak, ak where it rains almost every day. I had to get push started in second and then floor the gas with the clutch in to break it loose. I was accelerating in 2nd with the clutch pushed in, which was weird.

Is it possible you got the shift fork out of whack inside the bellhousing?

TOOLOW91 · Jun 9, 2014

Im thinking the stock prall adjuster and quadrant is bad. If you installed any type of heavier clutch then stock then you may need to put a firewall adjuster and quadrant in it and that should solve your issue. Maximum motorsports gets my vote and they have the original ford manufacture make there cable not the ford racing Chinese junk you see out there.

FoxMustangLvr · Jun 9, 2014

Adjust the double nut on the fork and pull the cable tighter. However I'm with @TOOLOW91 about getting a double hook quadrant and new cable with firewall adjuster. I have a BBK version of it because I too had the same problem as you did and it solved the problem. Stock cable sucks. It's inexpensive and well worth the $$$$.

My advice if you purchase one, remove the driver seat to install the new quadrant. It's a tight fit to get in there and you need all the room you can get.

modulistic · Jun 10, 2014

Hmm, yeah you two are probably right. I was thinking of replacing stock for stock. He probably did go with a stiffer clutch that the stock quad and cable can't handle.

Jeremy F · Jun 10, 2014

Well yeah I did go with a heavier clutch, and to answer your question modulistic it moves about 1-2" before there's any tension on the petal. I will try to adjust the cable on the fork first but if thats not working then I'll go ahead and order a new cable, quadrant, and firewall adjuster. If youre gonna replace some replace all right? haha

TOOLOW91 · Jun 10, 2014

Jeremy F said:
Well yeah I did go with a heavier clutch, and to answer your question modulistic it moves about 1-2" before there's any tension on the petal. I will try to adjust the cable on the fork first but if thats not working then I'll go ahead and order a new cable, quadrant, and firewall adjuster. If youre gonna replace some replace all right? haha

Maximum motoraports kit and never look back the pedal will be like butter !

7991LXnSHO · Jun 10, 2014

Is it possible to not have the cable routed right? I am picturing it not on the quadrant track. If the fork is right and the cable is engaged there, it seems like there are only a few spots where it could get off that far in a before and after situation. If adjusting the nuts does not do it, replace as suggested. It is a horrible pop sound when it breaks and leaves you stranded in one gear.

FoxMustangLvr · Jun 10, 2014

7991LXnSHO said:
Is it possible to not have the cable routed right? I am picturing it not on the quadrant track. If the fork is right and the cable is engaged there, it seems like there are only a few spots where it could get off that far in a before and after situation. If adjusting the nuts does not do it, replace as suggested. It is a horrible pop sound when it breaks and leaves you stranded in one gear.

Very true, that 22+ year old plastic quadrant should be mandatory replacement like a throw out bearing when people pull a tranny

JD1964 · Jun 10, 2014

I jammed some big fender washers (slotted kind) between the cable housing and firewall to take the slack out of my cable. It brought the pedal engage point up about 1" higher.

No wait, maybe they were C-clips from an old GM rear end. I got all kinds of crazy stuff in my 5 gallon bucket of nuts and bolts and crap. Pouring it out on the floor has saved me many a trips to the hardware store.

jrichker · Jun 13, 2014

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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Clutch Unable To Disengage

Jeremy F

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modulistic

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TOOLOW91

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FoxMustangLvr

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modulistic

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Jeremy F

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TOOLOW91

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7991LXnSHO

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JD1964

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Clutch Unable To Disengage

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