Just picked up my 1988 mustang gt, and I have a question about the transmission. When the car is off, I can press the clutch and easily move the shifter into any gear position. When the car is running, it is pretty hard to get it to go into first, but then shifts like I am told a T5 shifts. So when I am driving, and it comes time to stop, it takes quite a while to get it to go into first, even if I try to downshift. I don't hear any grinding while trying to get it into first, only once in a while when I am shifting to second. Also, just to be sure I could still drive stick, I drove my friends firebird, and shifted through everything fine. Thanks in advance for any help you guys/girls can provide.
T5 Tranny Question
- Thread starter SoFlStang
- Start date
Thanks for the info. I am not sure if its adjustable, or how to identify if its adjustable. The seller told me it has a stage 3 clutch in it, not sure how to verify that either. I do know that the clutch pedal is very easy to push to the floor, and if you barely move your foot off the clutch pedal the car inches forward when in gear, most other manuals I have driven the clutch pedal is harder and it has to be released more before the car moves forward. Does that help any with the diagnosis? Thanks again!
Clutch adjustment
Do the clutch adjustment first before considering any other problems. With the stock plastic quadrant and cable, pull up on the clutch pedal until it comes upward toward you. It will make a ratcheting sound as the self adjuster works. To release to tension of the stock quadrant, use a screwdriver to lift the ratchet paw up and out of engagement with the quadrant teeth.
A binding clutch cable will make the clutch very stiff. If the cable is misrouted or has gotten too close to the exhaust, it will definitely bind. The binding common to adjustable cables is often due to misplacement of the adjusting nuts on the fork end of the cable. This will also cause the cable to wear and fray. Both nuts should be on the back side of the fork so that the domed nut faces the fork and the other nut serves as jam or locknut to the domed nut.
Clutch pedal adjustment with aftermarket quadrant and cable: I like to have the clutch completely disengaged and still have about 1.5” travel left before the pedal hits the floor. This means that I have only about 1” of free play at the top before the pedal starts to disengage the clutch. Keep in mind that these figures are all approximate. When properly adjusted, there will not be any slack in the clutch cable. You will have 4-15 lbs preload on the clutch cable.
The quadrant needs to be replaced if you use any type of aftermarket cable or adjuster. My preference is a Ford Racing quadrant, adjustable cable and Steeda firewall adjuster. The adjustable Ford Racing cable is just as good as the stock OEM cable. It allows a greater range of adjustment than a stock cable with a aftermarket quadrant and firewall adjuster. Combined with the Steeda adjuster, it lets you set the initial cable preload and then fine tune the clutch engagement point to your liking without getting under the car.
Using a stock OEM cable, firewall adjuster and a single hook quadrant may result in not having any free pedal travel before the clutch starts to disengage. I found this out the hard way.
See Summit Racing - High Performance Car and Truck Parts l 800-230-3030 for the following parts.
Ford Racing M-7553-B302 - Ford Racing V-8 Mustang Adjustable Clutch Linkage Kits - Overview - SummitRacing.com Cable and quadrant assembly $90
Steeda Autosports 555-7021 - Steeda Autosports Firewall Cable Adjusters - Overview - SummitRacing.com Steeda firewall adjuster. $40
Do the clutch adjustment first before considering any other problems. With the stock plastic quadrant and cable, pull up on the clutch pedal until it comes upward toward you. It will make a ratcheting sound as the self adjuster works. To release to tension of the stock quadrant, use a screwdriver to lift the ratchet paw up and out of engagement with the quadrant teeth.
A binding clutch cable will make the clutch very stiff. If the cable is misrouted or has gotten too close to the exhaust, it will definitely bind. The binding common to adjustable cables is often due to misplacement of the adjusting nuts on the fork end of the cable. This will also cause the cable to wear and fray. Both nuts should be on the back side of the fork so that the domed nut faces the fork and the other nut serves as jam or locknut to the domed nut.
Clutch pedal adjustment with aftermarket quadrant and cable: I like to have the clutch completely disengaged and still have about 1.5” travel left before the pedal hits the floor. This means that I have only about 1” of free play at the top before the pedal starts to disengage the clutch. Keep in mind that these figures are all approximate. When properly adjusted, there will not be any slack in the clutch cable. You will have 4-15 lbs preload on the clutch cable.
The quadrant needs to be replaced if you use any type of aftermarket cable or adjuster. My preference is a Ford Racing quadrant, adjustable cable and Steeda firewall adjuster. The adjustable Ford Racing cable is just as good as the stock OEM cable. It allows a greater range of adjustment than a stock cable with a aftermarket quadrant and firewall adjuster. Combined with the Steeda adjuster, it lets you set the initial cable preload and then fine tune the clutch engagement point to your liking without getting under the car.
Using a stock OEM cable, firewall adjuster and a single hook quadrant may result in not having any free pedal travel before the clutch starts to disengage. I found this out the hard way.
See Summit Racing - High Performance Car and Truck Parts l 800-230-3030 for the following parts.
Ford Racing M-7553-B302 - Ford Racing V-8 Mustang Adjustable Clutch Linkage Kits - Overview - SummitRacing.com Cable and quadrant assembly $90
Steeda Autosports 555-7021 - Steeda Autosports Firewall Cable Adjusters - Overview - SummitRacing.com Steeda firewall adjuster. $40
Thanks for the information! I went out and tried the adjustment, pulled the pedal up and then slowly pressed it back down. Now when the car is running, I can shift it into any gear without issue. I am going to purchase a replacement cable and install it, just because I was reading about cable stretching, and don't want the issue to pop up again. I guess when the seller replaced the clutch, they did not adjust the cable? I'll take your advice jrichker and look into gertting the setup you described above.
All due respect to jrichker, I much prefer NON-adjustable cables, specifically the Ford or Maximum Motorsports units. They're constructed much better than any of the adjustable ones and have a much lighter "pull". Then you can handle the adjustability with the firewall adjuster.
I've been reading about the difference from the adjustable and non-adjustable cables, seems people are pretty split about it. I've read the plastic quadrant is fine and replace with stock cable and I've read adjustable is the way to go. Let me describe my driving and maybe someone can tell me which would be better, or if the way you drive matters in regards to the cable at all. This is going to be my project and daily driver while I am working on it. I don't mash the pedal and speed around. I like to ease off a stop and cruise, no fast take offs or quick speedy shifting for me. Although the car has some nice pickup and that may change in the future.
I've driven both kinds, and if you do enough digging you'll see similar sentiments: "I can't believe how much better the non-adjustables are to drive". The first time I went back to a non-adjustable from an adjustable on the same exact clutch, I thought I was going to stick my foot right through the floorboard, it was so much easier.
