TKO-600 and clutch adjustment

str8stang036 · Jan 15, 2008

I have a TKO-600 and a Mcleod Street twin on the car, and yesterday I tried taking it around the block for the first time. The tranny wouldn't go intol any gear at first. I called ProMotion where I got the tranny from and they suggested I adjust the clutch.

I was told to leave about a dimes thickness on the firewall adjuster. I got it to shift into gear. But its still very notchy! Problem is here: When I turn the car on, the tranny doesn't want to go into 1st gear. I can get it into second if I struggle a little bit.

Any ideas what would cause this? And am I adjusting the clutch correctly by leaving that amount of space? The clutch grabs very high after adjusting.

ford302redneck · Jan 15, 2008

I would suggest adjusting the bottom part of the cable. The top is sorta a fine tuning thing.

HGFireHazard · Jan 15, 2008

Part of it is absolutely that the transmission is new and notchy, that's normal. After a couple thousand miles it will shift very smoothly, if not sooner.

I'm willing to bet that your clutch is still out of adjustment. I don't see how someone can tell you to leave a certain amount of space on an adjuster without seeing your car?

You need to adjust it until it engages and feels right. You could also get under the car and take a peek in the bellhousing while someone adjusts it up top. Some guys leave the appropriate air gap, some guys let the throw out bearing rest slightly on the teeth of the pressure plate, but that's your call. I used the MM kit with my TKO and Mcleod clutch and my adjuster is damn near all the way out (toward the radiator). Originally my clutch pedal slopped halfway down and I couldn't get anything to happen.

With my current adjustment my clutch fork will clang against the bellhousing, but it's the perfect engagement. The ball/base inside my bellhousing could have used a couple of washers/spacers, but I didn't know that at the time. If I ever take it apart I'll be sure to add some so my fork doesn't bottom out anymore.

Do some adjusting and report back.

str8stang036 · Jan 15, 2008

thanks guys for such quick replies.

Would that cause the high clutch engagement?

str8stang036 · Jan 16, 2008

I have the same problem. I adjusted the clutch forward and back and it doesn't want to go into 1st when the car is on. It goes into 2, 3, 4, 5 but not 1st or reverse when the car is on.

You said your FWA is adjusted almost all the way out. Is that putting too much pressure in the clutch fingers to begin with? Won't that make the clutch slip?

HGFireHazard · Jan 16, 2008

I'm not exactly sure what it is about my setup where the firewall adjuster has to be as far out as it is, but that is where the correct alignment is. The fingers aren't engaged by the throw out bearing, and my clutch doesn't slip at all.

I bought the MM kit which also came with a new cable, so it's possible that a new cable had a part to do with it.

When I first put in my TKO and got my adjustments down my first and reverse were notchy as hell, but I could get into them. My reverse would grind, so I shifted into 4th and then reverse which helped alleviate the grind. Now I can shift directly into reverse without any grinding and I've put only a couple thousand on the transmission.

I don't know any trick method of getting the car to shift into 1st. Did you shift the transmission manually before you put it into the vehicle?

It's possible this is all related to the parts being new and just need to be broken in some. Can you get it into first while the car is off?

If you can, why don't you try going for a close by test drive. See if you can get into reverse with the 4 then R method. If you can't, well, I'm not sure where else to go? Once the transmission gets moving things might work better too.

str8stang036 · Jan 16, 2008

The tranny shifts fine with the car off. The gears are notchy but it goes in. Just like you, reverse grinds if I try it without going into another gear. I will try your method.

I think the next thing is just what you said a short test drive to loosen things up a bit more. Because I can get it in any gear with the car off but its harder with the car on.

Yobi1Kanobi · Jan 16, 2008

What they were trying to tell you is to leave about a penny worth of slack in the cable...If you adjusted the clutch correctly you should be able to put the car in NEUTRAL, push in the clutch , wait a couple seconds and try REVERSE, it should not grind, If it does you need less slack...Give it a shot I have had more problems with this than anybody in here but after a bit you will get it. It does take a little bit to get the intial ADJ. Then you have to keep checking it

str8stang036 · Jan 19, 2008

I still continue to have problems. I called Mcleod directly to ask how they suggest I adjust the street twin. They advised me that my current UPR quadrant doesn't have a tall enough ramp rate to pull the cable enough. They suggested that the ProMotion quadrant will work well, tested by Mcleod themselves.

So I installed the ProMotion quadrant and still have the same S*#% going on. I have adjusted the FWA from slack to no slack, I have adjusted the cable by the fork and nothing. Its still a pain to get into 1st and reverse grinds no matter what I do. What the hell is wrong?

I don't want to pull excess slack from the cable because it may cause the street twin to slip. I don't want a $1000 clutch to slip. What do you guys suggest?

HGFireHazard · Jan 19, 2008

The only other thing I can think of is your pinion angle. Did you use a driveshaft spacer?

I didn't use a spacer, but I was told that with the FR DS the slip yoke was long enough that I wouldn't need it and that it wouldn't change my angle enough. Some people have attributed their TKO swap vibrations and other problems to the driveshaft, others to the pinion angle.

I also installed an Energy Suspension transmission mount.

I don't have any experience with the street twin clutch, so I'm not sure what other variables play with the transmission swap.

It's too bad, I was hoping you would come back and tell us everything worked perfect

str8stang036 · Jan 19, 2008

I have a driveshaft spacer installed now. I am going to keep trying some other things and see how it goes. This tranny and clutch has been a nightmare from the start. I was hoping to make the Bradenton NMRA's but this is making it real hard for me.

thanks for the help though. It really helps me think outside the box

Yobi1Kanobi · Jan 19, 2008

If you like I might be able to take a look at it and maybe give you a quick hand?

str8stang036 · Jan 19, 2008

Its been getting better. This afternoon my dad and I started messing below at the cable and at the FWA. We are now able to get it into 1st. Reverse still grinds if I go directly into it, but not if I go to 4th then reverse. Im slowly but surely getting there.

HGFireHazard · Jan 20, 2008

That's fantastic. You sound to be exactly where I was just a couple days after my install.

Hopefully it will be smooth sailing from here. Maybe it was just the new transmission after all?

SublimeRT · Jan 20, 2008

My TKO600 will grind into reverse if I don't throw it in a forward gear first. Has about 2k miles on it now. The more I drive it though, the better this tranny gets. I'm really happy with it.

urban96 · Jan 20, 2008

str8stang036 said:
Its been getting better. This afternoon my dad and I started messing below at the cable and at the FWA. We are now able to get it into 1st. Reverse still grinds if I go directly into it, but not if I go to 4th then reverse. Im slowly but surely getting there.

reverse will do that... its not syncronised. try putting it in 2nd b4 u go into reverse

also what fluid are you using? synchromesh only!!!! ive heard anything else can cause the trans to be notchy and hard to shift at high RPM

str8stang036 · Jan 20, 2008

yes GM synchromesh

TKO-600 and clutch adjustment

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