Strange sound from clutch cable???

[Bottomlesspit]

Hey guys, another question for the experts. Battling the electrical wiring just isn't enough headache for me, so I thought I would add another problem to the mix.
I have a MM non-adjust cable, steeda quadrant and firewall adjuster on this 92 hatch. The cable works smoothly and is adjusted just right. Last week a funny noise started happening.
When I push the clutch pedal all the way down to the floor a "ker-PUNK" sound occurs. I can feel it in the pedal, and it is quite loud. I cannot tell if it is inside or underneath the car. Sorry, I don't know how else to describe it.
It makes the sound ONLY: if the motor is running. It is silent with the motor off.
It makes the sound right at the bottom of the pedal travel.
It does not make the sound if I leave my foot on the pedal with light pressure after shifting. It will make the sound if I let the pedal come all the way up with my foot off the pedal. Then when I press down it pops. So, if I am say doing fast shifts and don't take my foot off the pedal I will never get the sound.
It is a definite metallic sound.
I have tried changing the cable tension, both loosened and tightened it with the FWA, but it made no difference.
I looked up at the quadrant and cable attachment area under the dash and all seems tight and inline.
I checked the FWA and all is tight.

Any ideas? It's loud enough that someone at work who was parking their car 2 slots over heard it when I pushed the clutch in when shifting to backup.
Thanks for any help you can come up with.
Ken

 

[PUNISHER RACING]

t.o.b hanging up on bearing retainer maybe?

 

[baldy1]

Get under the dash and push the pedal down with your hand wile looking at the pedal assembly and the firewall.

 

[Bottomlesspit]

Believe me, I wouldn't have asked without going under the dash for a look first! Everything looks fine, all tracking like it should. Still, it feels and sounds like that's where the noise and "tap' feel is coming from.
The one thing I haven't had the time to do yet is pull the TOB cover off. I did have my wife kneel down and listen and she said it sounds like it's coming from higher up, like in the engine compartment!
Sheesh, would it be making this sound if the car was parked in the middle of a forest and nobody was out there? With this car...probably!
Thanks guys,
Ken

 

[HISSIN50]

Other than it not doing it with the motor off, my first thought was that perhaps the firewall was flexing sometimes. That could explain why not fully releasing the pedal doesnt allow it to clunk again (because tension remains on the firewall after the initial clunk). And why you have to bottom the pedal out to make it happen.

It is probably easy enough to check (have Mrs Ken work the pedal with the car idling while you check the firewall).

I had a very similar pop before. However, mine would occur with the car off, only generally when the car was cold (even if it was 100*F outside) and it was intermittant at best (a few clunks a month). It wasn't nearly as loud as yours. I never found out what it was - I swapped out the single hook SVO quad and Ford adjustable cable (which still looked mint) for an OEM cable, shorter throw single hook and a UPR FWA and the noise never came back. None of that is neither here nor there.................

Good luck Ken.