replacing my clutch....need advice asap

[levs302]

i just got the following parts from summit to replace my clutch:
-king cobra clutch kit
-new flywheel
-tob
-pilot bearing
-clutch alignment tool
-and the bolts/hardware recommended by summit

is the stock clutch linkage fine? or is it something i should replace while i have it apart? and what would i need to get (quadrant, firewall adjuster, etc)?

if i need any of this than i need to find out and get the parts asap as this weekend is basically the only time i have to do it.

thanks for the advice

 

[Chythar]

The stock clutch linkage will work just as well as any stock parts do - mediocre. If you want to improve pedal feel and make it easy to take up cable slack, get Maximum Motorsports' Clutch Cable, Quadrant, and Firewall Adjuster Package. Well worth the small cost.

 

[5spd GT]

The link in my signature may help you out.

Good Luck!

 

[WhiteCobra95]

I spent a lot of time and money obsessing over the whole quadrant/adjustable cable/firewall adjuster a couple years ago.

One of my friends bought a cheapie quadrant kit off of Ebay and it was junk. The effort required to push in his clutch was incredible due to the crappy cable (lots of bind). I bought a Steeda kit for my car, and ended up removing it. The holes in the quadrant were so much bigger than the dowels on the pedal arm that it gave the pedal about 10 degrees of dead travel and it would make a clanking noise ever time I hit the clutch. Their cable didn’t feel right and increased the pedal effort over the stock cable.

Here’s my recommendation for a tight combination:
- Maximum Motorsports quadrant (nice part, excellent fit, very well thought out)
- Stock cable (a lot of people claim the factory cable is very strong, and does not bind up like other do).
- UPR firewall adjuster (the detent type or the jam nut style).

I’m running this setup on my ’95 and it feels way better than stock, but still has the tight factory feel with normal pedal effort. In any case, I suggest you do a lot of research before you spend $$$ amd judge what makes sense to you. I thought the kits were all the same since it’s such a standard part listed in most ads and so many different mustang suppliers sell them. I was very wrong, and it cost me a lot of time/money to go through the discovery process. (After this and some other experiences, I have come to the realization that a lot of the aftermarket parts out there are garbage. Magazine articles don’t review them fairly and over-simplify the installation process!)

As far as the clutch install goes, some people make it a habit to replace the pivot ball that screws into the bell housing for the clutch fork. I think it’s only about $15 from the dealer.

I hope this helps,
- Mike

 

[HISSIN50]

David's write-ups are very good and must-reads.

To be explicit, the RMS, bearing retainer and other such ancillary items should atleast be inspected, if not renewed.

Good luck.

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

The clutch pivot ball is a good idea to replace because it's cheap, however, my 135K T5 didn't show any where on the pivot ball and everything looked original.

Inspect the bearing retainer...it bols to the front of the transmission around the input shaft. Mine was shot. The throwout bearing rides on this and wears it out. You can get new ones cheap. Aluminum or steel are available, steel being the upgraded part.

Stock clutch cables are a friend on mine in all 3 of my Mustangs.