NikwoaC's "Commitment Issues" Engine Build

[NIKwoaC]

But it is the one that you have to go under the car to adjust.

That is how my current one is, and if you think about it, that is the worst idea ever. You have to lift the car to adjust it, but you have to drive the car to test it.

Lift car, remove cover, loosen lock nut, turn set nut, lower car, start car, test pedal, shut car off, lift car, turn set nut, lower car, start car, test pedal, pedal feels good, lift car, tighten lock nut, install cover, lower car, start car, go drive.

Adjusting the clutch is a 30 minute ordeal, when it should be a 5 minute thing.

 

[VibrantRedGT]

This kit. Micro click firewall adjuster and quadrant. Rick91GT is UPR dealer so he can get you a deal.

79-04 Mustang Triple Hook Quadrant & Double Lock Firewall Adjuster

 

[Mr. Rustypwnz]

Is the FRPP quadrant junk? I don't want to piss away money on replacing something that isn't broke knowwhaddI'msaying?

nope that quadrant is the same as a steeda, only why i know this is, because we machined them for frpp lol.

you can use any cable from a 79-04, use a cable off a older car, becasue its shorter, and it wont stretch as bad with a heavy ass clutch, it will feel more direct. they went to the longer cable in 94.

 

[NIKwoaC]

nope that quadrant is the same as a steeda, only why i know this is, because we machined them for frpp lol.

you can use any cable from a 79-04, use a cable off a older car, becasue its shorter, and it wont stretch as bad with a heavy ass clutch, it will feel more direct. they went to the longer cable in 94.

Did you work for Steeda?

 

[Mr. Rustypwnz]

yeah i did.

 

[NIKwoaC]

Got the new clutch parts in. Wanted to show you guys a couple pics.

First off, this seems like a bonehead move on UPR's part. There seems to be no good way to install their firewall adjuster as-is. The rotating part with the knurl on it is too big to get a screwdriver past it to the mounting screw, but you can't install it without the rotating part in, because it has this tiny little spring plunger ball that will fall out if you try to remove it. So it's kind of a mess. I ended up grinding a chunk out of the knurl so I could get a screwdriver in there. Other than that, it seems like a decent piece.

Check out my old clutch cable. Think this could be why I was having problems?

 

[90lxcoupe]

Ive blown an adjustable cable out like that, they just stretch till that happens. Junk.

 

[NIKwoaC]

Yea, I'm lucky it didn't leave me stranded somewhere.

 

[FastDriver]

strange, what you're saying about the UPR adjuster. I don't have any spring/ball, no knurl, and had no problem with installaion. I've taken it out and put it in several times. The only issue I ever had was cross-threading the outer threads one time when I backed out the adjuster too far with the cable still on it. I ran it through backwards a few times until the threads were clean and then carefully reinstalled it and never had another problem.

 

[NIKwoaC]

strange, what you're saying about the UPR adjuster. I don't have any spring/ball, no knurl, and had no problem with installaion. I've taken it out and put it in several times. The only issue I ever had was cross-threading the outer threads one time when I backed out the adjuster too far with the cable still on it. I ran it through backwards a few times until the threads were clean and then carefully reinstalled it and never had another problem.

Yep. You can see in the pictures how the knurled section covers up the mounting screw holes, or at least interferes with any attempt to get a screwdriver in there straight-on. I think the ball plunger design is relatively new. It's a nice design because it (supposedly) doesn't require any sort of a set screw or a lock nut to hold it in place once you have it set where you want it to be. The ball plunger just pops down into the groove every 45 degrees around the thread, and provides resistance against turning.

 

[90lxcoupe]

Is the clutch "broken in" yet? When ya hitting the dyno?

 

[NIKwoaC]

Is the clutch "broken in" yet? When ya hitting the dyno?

Clutch better be broken in... I've been beating the dog **** out of the car. As for the dyno, it will happen as soon as the wife lets me spend money, haha. I'd like to put a wideband in it before it goes to the dyno, which the wideband will likely happen after a couple weeks. So who knows, in a month maybe. Not in a terrible hurry to go to the dyno, I'm more interested in getting back to the track. I'd really like to finally click off a 12, which this car should be more than capable of doing. Unfortunately I've been crazy busy with work and homeownership. My next "objective" is building a 300ft^2 brick patio with a built-in fire pit in our back yard as soon as I have some free time. After that, the wife wants pseudo-hardwood floors, some french doors installed in our office, another ceiling fan put in... Etc. The Mustang is drivable and I've just been enjoying it as-is, so spending time/money on it has been low on the priority list.

 

[VibrantRedGT]

I haven't put it on the car yet. Looks like the same one I got on Monday.

 

[NIKwoaC]

I haven't put it on the car yet. Looks like the same one I got on Monday.

Actually, I think that one there is the standard design. It has the "lock nut" that you spin against the base to lock it into place so that it doesn't want to thread in/out and screw up your pedal setting. That design will be easier to install, since you can remove the thumb screw/threaded section and just attach the base to the firewall without it, then spin in the thumb screw afterwords.

The problem with mine is that you can't fully remove the thumb screw without losing the ball plunger, so you have to install the whole thing together, which makes it impossible to get a screwdriver to the screw(s).

 

[FastDriver]

Mine looks like the second one, only I had the triple fork quadrant. That's definitely the one I remember.

 

[NIKwoaC]

That ****ing cable from LRS broke! I can't believe it. I had MAYBE 50 miles on it, if even that.

I was lucky enough that it happened in the neighborhood as i was coming home from work. Still had to push the car up the driveway and into the garage, though.

Going to call LRS tomorrow.

 

[FastDriver]

Stop F-in around and get the actual OEM cable.

 

[NIKwoaC]

I know it, man. I went with that cable from LRS only because I had some unused credit with them. Definitely going to go with something more legit this time. What cable should I get though? The Ford OEM cables are discontinued, supposedly the ones that are sold by FRPP aren't even the original ones. MM claims that their cable is made special for them by the same company that used to make the Ford OEM cables; I may go with that.

I'm just trying to figure out what went wrong. Is it really that the cable was that weak? I still have the same aluminum quadrant that has been in the car for 30,000+ miles, the original clutch fork and everything. The only thing that changed is I went from a FRPP "HD" clutch to this Ram HDX. That's it. Pedal feel is even pretty much the exact same.

I'm thinking that cable from LRS had to be on the weak side. The cable that was in the car before was installed at the same time as the old aluminum quadrant, so it also had 30,000+ miles on it, PLUS 700 or so since the engine build. When I took it out, it was beginning to fail, but was still somewhat working. This Dorman cable from LRS just completely exploded, and like I said, I hardly put any miles on it.

Maybe I'm just over thinking it and I just need to buy the right cable.

 

[90lxcoupe]

Nic, for future reference, if you match the input shaft speed with the engine you can get the car in and out of gear with no clutch. Then when you come to stop lights just shut the car off, put it in first gear and start the car in gear. Its not fun, but it beats pushing it, or paying for a tow home.

I had to do this for about 25 miles once to get to a friends transmission shop. Luckliy that day by some miracle, i didnt hit one red light the whole way. Only time thats ever happened

 

[NIKwoaC]

Nic, for future reference, if you match the input shaft speed with the engine you can get the car in and out of gear with no clutch. Then when you come to stop lights just shut the car off, put it in first gear and start the car in gear. Its not fun, but it beats pushing it, or paying for a tow home.

I had to do this for about 25 miles once to get to a friends transmission shop. Luckliy that day by some miracle, i didnt hit one red light the whole way. Only time thats ever happened

Hahaha, yep, I knew that you could rev-match shift, and I've done it a few times, but it never occurred to me that I could use that in the event of a clutch cable failure. So, good advice! I also never realized that you could start the car in gear, that makes sense.

A buddy of mine taught me to rev-match shift a few years back. When he told me how to do it, I was convinced that it couldn't be good for your trans, but really, if you do it right, it's smooth as butter. Just gotta be patient and gentle with it.