Squeaking when Idling

hahah thats so rough... my old 96 v6 that im trying to sell has this problem.... its like a $14 part but its inside the transmission... basicley its not worth fixing till the clutch goes, so get used to that squeak

i seriousley had such a problem driving my 96 v6 for that reason... the squeak was such an embarasment that i felt like i was driving a broken down station wagon

I've heard that many Fords (not just Mustangs) seem to have this problem. You can upgrade to a better TOB, or I've heard a shot of lithium grease will quiet it down for a time.

When I brought mine in to the dealer, I was told (once again) "it's normal." <sigh>

I have had this problem on several stangs.Is your car under warranty?They have always replaced my t/o for free.

Screaminyellow7 said:

When my are is idling is squeaks, but as soon i put the clutch in or even rest my foot on the clutch it stops. I'm thinking it might be the clutch fan?

Click to expand...

Im sorry, But WTF is a Clutch Fan???

I know the 5.0s had a clutch-type fan instead of an electric

You can adjust the stock quadrant/clutch cable assembly to put more tension on the TOB to keep it quiet, or install an aftermarket quadrant and firewall adjuster to do the same.

I tried squirting the TOB with white lithium grease but that didn't really do anything (it was quiet for maybe about 15 seconds).

Here is a link to an article over on corral.net on how to adjust the factory quadrant setup:

http://www.corral.net/tech/drivetrain/clutcha.htm

This is the method that I used and my TOB has been silent and problem free in the 6 months since I adjusted it. It literally only takes 10 seconds to adjust and is a breeze to do once you figure it out. I bought a Steeda quadrant and firewall adjuster to be able to adjust it as well but just haven't had time to install them yet. Adjusting the factory setup has proven to be just as effective though, i.e. NO MORE TOB NOISE!

One other thing, pulling up on the clutch pedal (the adjustment method stated in your owner's manual) puts more slack in the clutch cable as far as I can tell. Which of course doesn't silence the TOB since it only gets quiet when tension is applied to it. Using the adjustment as outlined in the article I posted above puts more tension on the cable and TOB which does silence it.

It will place the clutch release point higher up in the pedal travel but I like it that way anyways. And at least IMHO it was worth the tradeoff to have a quiet TOB.

HELP !!!

I tried this adjustment procedure tonight and couldn't get the quadrant to move. My he-man strength husband couldn't get it to move either. What is the secret?

My T/O bearing is squealing like a stuck pig. The self adjuster doesn't do a thing for it. According to the instructions with the clutch pedal depressed I should be able to push up on the "hook" piece and the ratchet should move up one click. It wouldn't even wiggle. What gives????

awwyea - check your PM's.

awwyea said:

I tried this adjustment procedure tonight and couldn't get the quadrant to move. My he-man strength husband couldn't get it to move either. What is the secret?

My T/O bearing is squealing like a stuck pig. The self adjuster doesn't do a thing for it. According to the instructions with the clutch pedal depressed I should be able to push up on the "hook" piece and the ratchet should move up one click. It wouldn't even wiggle. What gives????

Click to expand...

I just went out and tried the fix in about 30 seconds (including wiggle time geting under the dash). With your left hand press the pedal about 1/2 way down and watch for the ratcheting mechanism on the firewall side of the 1/3 moon "gear". Use your right thumb and apply pressure on the mechanism towards the dash and slowly let up on the pedal until you hear a "click". Instead of you trying to push that thing, just stop it from moving--MUCH easier. Your done!

Pure Genius

I just did it, and it worked perfectly. I took it for a drive around the neighborhood, and no more squeaking (although now I hear a scraping that sounds like it's coming from my brakes, sigh)....

I wasn't able to hold the mechanism next to the plastic hook with my right thumb while letting off on the clutch, so I used a hammer to hold it up while the clutch came down. One click and done. Thanks everyone.

won't the constant pressure on your t.o.b. wear it out very fast? i've been advised to have my aftermarket firewall adjuster just past the point of quadrant engagement. especially now that the bearing is squeaking which probably means it is a little under-lubricated. just a thought or i will do the same to mine to rid me of my squeek.

awwyea said:

I tried this adjustment procedure tonight and couldn't get the quadrant to move. My he-man strength husband couldn't get it to move either. What is the secret?

My T/O bearing is squealing like a stuck pig. The self adjuster doesn't do a thing for it. According to the instructions with the clutch pedal depressed I should be able to push up on the "hook" piece and the ratchet should move up one click. It wouldn't even wiggle. What gives????

Click to expand...

I have always used the handle end of a hammer instead of my thumb to press the quadrant. I use my left hand to push the clutch pedal in while using the hammer in my right hand.

Wow, I'm so glad I found this. My clutch was replaced not even 15,000 miles ago and I've been driving with that irritating noisy idle clutch for over a year now. I would think if the bearing was bad it would have gone out by now. I did this pedal adjustment today and it was gone, and the pedal is much easier to push in now as well! I just used a hammer to put pressure on the quadrant and slowly let the clutch out.

TOB wear is typical for SN95 as the way the TOB was greased when manufactured wasn't the best method for doing it. So the grease ends up drying up faster than normal