new clutch, strange problem

[02red4point6]

My throwout bearing was busted and replaced the entire clutch with a mcleod street pro clutch with their throwout bearing. after the install, the clutch grabs EXTREMELY high up the clutch pedal.

before the install, with my old clutch, it grabbed sort of near the floor, maybe an inch or inch and a half off the floor, in the same position as it was after the install (aftermarket firewall adjuster, american muscle clutch quadrant, stock ford clutch cable).

so after the install when i drove it home, the thing caught onto gear, or engaged, right at the tippy tippy top of the travel of the clutch pedal. note: the adjuster is in the same position as it was before the install...

i had a little bit of room left to screw in (loosen the cable) the adjuster, and put the cable on the second hook (i forget if it was on there or not to begin with after the install of my new clutch), and it might have loosened it maybe a half inch. still, there's no soft spot at the top of the clutch, and it grabs super high up.

what could be the problem? the ford cable? should i get a different quadrant that holds the cable closer to the firewall? something wrong with the install? i need any kind of help!!

 

[JymboSlice]

get a new clutch cable.. an aftermarket one, not a oem ford one (they're like $40) It's not the clutch's fault it's doing this. It sounds like you just need to adjust the clutch pedal

 

[02red4point6]

i have an aftermarket quadrant with it screwed all the way in, letting the maximum amount of cable out. and i have the cable hooked onto the 1st hook of my double hook quadrant, also letting the maximum amount of cable out.

would an adjustable cable be longer?
would a quadrant that holds the cable closer to the firewall be ok?

i called my mechanic and he said it should be just fine like it is, but i've heard of it being a problem with the clutch letting out at the top of the travel... can you guys chime in on this? i really don't want to ruin my new clutch or blow my throwout bearing after dropping some serious cash on this

 

[N8Dogg98]

Are you saying it grabs just right away when you pull your foot off of the clutch? If so its completely normal for it to grab right away because it needs to be broken in properly. I killed my car like 10 times right after my clutch install for this very reason.

If you're saying that it doesn't engage until the pedal is nearly all the way released then you have an adjustment issue. I'd say go buy yourself a new OEM cable. Don't buy aftermarket cables because they are junk.

 

[JymboSlice]

Are you saying it grabs just right away when you pull your foot off of the clutch? If so its completely normal for it to grab right away because it needs to be broken in properly. I killed my car like 10 times right after my clutch install for this very reason.

If you're saying that it doesn't engage until the pedal is nearly all the way released then you have an adjustment issue. I'd say go buy yourself a new OEM cable. Don't buy aftermarket cables because they are junk.

why are the aftermarket cables junk? Mine doesnt have any issues

 

[joshjwc9]

The majority of them are junk. Many of my friends have had a UPR or BBK stretch or break. Hell, I've had one of each and they both snapped. I have having great luck with my Steeda cable however. Steeda's quality of parts is equal to OEM pieces, IMO. There is a reason Ford went to Steeda for several performance parts over the years. And don't forget Steeda UDP's use an engineered by Ford crank dampener.

 

[02red4point6]

ok cool man. but does this seem like a problem that needs to be fixed ASAP? my mechanic said nothing should be wrong with how it's rigged...

 

[SaleenGT2001]

try an adjustable cable. not really much that can go wrong with your setup. if the clutch is new (and thicker than the worn one) it will engage differently than your old one.

 

[02red4point6]

i guess what i'm thinking the problem could be is the TOB rubbing against the pressure plate fingers, which would pre-load the clutch and cause it to wear quicker or ruin my TOB

since the install, the whirring noise of the clutch spinning (when the clutch pedal is normal, when the car is running) has gotten somewhat louder... hinting me to the TOB spinning too much and starting to wear. i remember being amazed at how quiet the clutch noise was when the car was running. (my old one had a loud whirring noise to it, and i could easily hear the engine only when the clutch pedal was pushed in, and heard the loud whirring noise when i let it back out)

slipping the clutch in first to get up and go from, say, a light or stop sign, has gotten less smooth. slipping it in 3rd or 4th even has gotten less smooth. it doesn't slip as well as it used to.

now, are these things normal symptoms fora new clutch being broken in? is there any chance i'm damaging the TOB? i've never broken in a new clutch before, so i'm not sure. quite honestly, i'd just like this new clutch thing to go as smoothly as possible.

 

[02red4point6]

i guess what i'm thinking the problem could be is the TOB rubbing against the pressure plate fingers, which would pre-load the clutch and cause it to wear quicker or ruin my TOB

since the install, the whirring noise of the clutch spinning (when the clutch pedal is normal, when the car is running) has gotten somewhat louder... hinting me to the TOB spinning too much and starting to wear. i remember being amazed at how quiet the clutch noise was when the car was running. (my old one had a loud whirring noise to it, and i could easily hear the engine only when the clutch pedal was pushed in, and heard the loud whirring noise when i let it back out)

slipping the clutch in first to get up and go from, say, a light or stop sign, has gotten less smooth. slipping it in 3rd or 4th even has gotten less smooth. it doesn't slip as well as it used to.

now, are these things normal symptoms fora new clutch being broken in? is there any chance i'm damaging the TOB? i've never broken in a new clutch before, so i'm not sure. quite honestly, i'd just like this new clutch thing to go as smoothly as possible.

 

[02red4point6]

bump?