What is the true fix for this gawdawful clutch?
02-18-2014, 10:14 AM
#1
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Kansas
Posts: 178
What is the true fix for this gawdawful clutch?
So I've got a new 2014 GT, and with 1300 miles on it now I've been starting to drive it 'properly'. Meaning it sees 7000rpm or so from time to time. Upon redlining the car for the first time, the clutch wanted to stay on the floor and felt like it wasn't releasing etc. So I came out here to the forums. Ah, the clutch assist spring deal; done and done. Got that taken off, and now the pedal at least comes back off the floor during high rpm shifts and I'm able to shift properly.
But frankly, it still kinda sucks. First of all, the pedal never comes all the way back up to where it should, having no spring now to force it to the upper stop. That's not so bad, but the trouble is when shifting at high rpm, it comes back up a little less, creating some variation in the pedal that generally makes it feel mushy and crappy. Now the engagement part is more precise, I have no trouble with the small increase in the weight of the pedal without the assist spring, but at the top of the travel it's crap and even though it now doesn't want to stay on the floor at high rpm you can tell the clutch and/or hydraulics just aren't up to the task of what the motor can deliver.
It is impossible for me to believe it has just been like this from 2011 until now. No car mags ever mentioned it, Randy Pobst didn't talk about it, and generally speaking it's not that hot of a topic on the forums. The transmission issues early on were, but can anyone seriously tell me they're all just like this and everyone is okay with it? Perhaps I'm picky, but this IS a new $30k+ car that I've already had to tweak to make it work properly and it still doesn't work properly due to what seems to be a design flaw in the strength of the clutch and not just a bad example.
Does the Boss have this issue? Seems like it would be markedly worse given the greater power and greater centrifugal force spinning the clutch even faster (due to the higher redline). Do they have a stouter clutch? Different pedal assembly with no assist spring but a proper spring of some sort to shove the pedal back to the upper stop?
I guess I just want to know if there's a proper fix for this that makes it operate like it should. Like my 2010, for example, which had exactly no issue with anything like this. If I need to put in a Boss clutch or Exedy or what have you, I will, but obviously wouldn't want to do that without 100% proof that it will fix the problem. Lethal, in their clutch spring removal video, also suggested a 2011 GT500 pedal assembly was the answer, but again, I'd like to hear proof of that being a fix before buying it.
Last note; when looking at pics of other folks' cars showing how to remove the clutch assist spring, it appears there are a couple different pedal assemblies over the course of 2011-2014 GTs. Some appear to have a pedal return spring up at the top (on the pivot) in addition to the assist spring, while others, like mine, do not have that on the clutch pedal. Perhaps I just need that upper return spring installed somehow?
But frankly, it still kinda sucks. First of all, the pedal never comes all the way back up to where it should, having no spring now to force it to the upper stop. That's not so bad, but the trouble is when shifting at high rpm, it comes back up a little less, creating some variation in the pedal that generally makes it feel mushy and crappy. Now the engagement part is more precise, I have no trouble with the small increase in the weight of the pedal without the assist spring, but at the top of the travel it's crap and even though it now doesn't want to stay on the floor at high rpm you can tell the clutch and/or hydraulics just aren't up to the task of what the motor can deliver.
It is impossible for me to believe it has just been like this from 2011 until now. No car mags ever mentioned it, Randy Pobst didn't talk about it, and generally speaking it's not that hot of a topic on the forums. The transmission issues early on were, but can anyone seriously tell me they're all just like this and everyone is okay with it? Perhaps I'm picky, but this IS a new $30k+ car that I've already had to tweak to make it work properly and it still doesn't work properly due to what seems to be a design flaw in the strength of the clutch and not just a bad example.
Does the Boss have this issue? Seems like it would be markedly worse given the greater power and greater centrifugal force spinning the clutch even faster (due to the higher redline). Do they have a stouter clutch? Different pedal assembly with no assist spring but a proper spring of some sort to shove the pedal back to the upper stop?
I guess I just want to know if there's a proper fix for this that makes it operate like it should. Like my 2010, for example, which had exactly no issue with anything like this. If I need to put in a Boss clutch or Exedy or what have you, I will, but obviously wouldn't want to do that without 100% proof that it will fix the problem. Lethal, in their clutch spring removal video, also suggested a 2011 GT500 pedal assembly was the answer, but again, I'd like to hear proof of that being a fix before buying it.
Last note; when looking at pics of other folks' cars showing how to remove the clutch assist spring, it appears there are a couple different pedal assemblies over the course of 2011-2014 GTs. Some appear to have a pedal return spring up at the top (on the pivot) in addition to the assist spring, while others, like mine, do not have that on the clutch pedal. Perhaps I just need that upper return spring installed somehow?
02-18-2014, 10:30 AM
#2
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Alabama
Posts: 232
There must be a fix from Ford, because I have over 60K miles on my 2012gt, plus time at the drag strip and I never had a problem with the clutch sticking. I haven't had any problems with my car other than the crappy gas milage, but that might be due to the lead in my right foot.
02-19-2014, 06:51 AM
#3
1st Gear Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Michigan
Posts: 87
Like chub I have a `12 and have not experienced the sticking clutch issue. But I did remove the assist spring to give the clutch a more linear feel. The added slop at the top of the pedal travel is nothing new to me. My F-body had it on the factory clutch and it was still there after the ZR1 twin disc was installed too.
You say that the clutch engages fine but your unhappy with this slop. If your experiencing more then an inch of slop I think your deduction on the lack of the pivot spring is right on. The pressure plate and hydraulics will only return the pedal so far.
You say that the clutch engages fine but your unhappy with this slop. If your experiencing more then an inch of slop I think your deduction on the lack of the pivot spring is right on. The pressure plate and hydraulics will only return the pedal so far.
02-19-2014, 09:18 AM
#4
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: DE
Posts: 546
I also have a '12 GT with 6MT. I don't have any issues with sticking clutch or my return spring. I have 39K+ miles on the car and the clutch has given me no problems. I get a little bit of play at the top of the clutch release but that just depends on how hard I am driving the car. I will get back to you about whether I have the second assist spring or not.
02-19-2014, 09:21 AM
#5
1st Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: La
Posts: 113
My pedal drops to the floor on my '13 GT and my buddy's '13 Boss 302. Haven't removed the spring yet because it only happens while we autocross. I too have been wondering if there is a fix besides replacing the stock pressure plate.
02-19-2014, 12:50 PM
#7
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Kansas
Posts: 178
My car is stock. So whatever the stock limiter is (6850-7000?) is the max rpm my engine has ever turned.
And with the assist spring, I should clarify that I never had the pedal actually stick down, but rather it would just come back very slowly and generally felt variable and crappy. Seemed like the clutch wasn't actually releasing too, and it made the shifting feel pretty notchy compared to now.
Without the assist spring, things are indeed much better. Just got back from a highway trip and on a few on-ramps I was able to redline 2nd thru 4th gear (very little traffic in central Kansas today, and most days really) and had no issues with the pedal wanting to return slowly or otherwise. It's just the slop at the top of the travel, which sometimes feels like a half inch and sometimes feels like over an inch (when I pull it up with my foot). If I could have the exact same pedal setup as I do now, but with a little return spring up at the pivot to push it back up all the way, I think I would be content.
From pics, it appears that a 2011 GT500 pedal assembly is exactly that, but searching across many forums I've yet to see where someone installed said assembly and it made their life complete (or at least took the slack out of the top of their clutch pedal travel). Tempted to just spend the $160 and give it a go, I was just hoping to see some kind of affirmation that it actually works before spending the time and money. I've seen numerous posts stating that remove the assist spring on a GT gives you exactly a GT500 pedal assembly, but I don't believe that's correct given it has a spring on the pivot and mine does not. That, and I seriously doubt GT500s don't have some mechanism of returning the pedal to the top of its travel.
It's interesting to me that some have zero problems with this. Hard to believe there's that much variability in the manufacturing of the clutches, but maybe there is and some pressure plates are just stouter? Or maybe they changed manufacturers or design in there somewhere?
And with the assist spring, I should clarify that I never had the pedal actually stick down, but rather it would just come back very slowly and generally felt variable and crappy. Seemed like the clutch wasn't actually releasing too, and it made the shifting feel pretty notchy compared to now.
Without the assist spring, things are indeed much better. Just got back from a highway trip and on a few on-ramps I was able to redline 2nd thru 4th gear (very little traffic in central Kansas today, and most days really) and had no issues with the pedal wanting to return slowly or otherwise. It's just the slop at the top of the travel, which sometimes feels like a half inch and sometimes feels like over an inch (when I pull it up with my foot). If I could have the exact same pedal setup as I do now, but with a little return spring up at the pivot to push it back up all the way, I think I would be content.
From pics, it appears that a 2011 GT500 pedal assembly is exactly that, but searching across many forums I've yet to see where someone installed said assembly and it made their life complete (or at least took the slack out of the top of their clutch pedal travel). Tempted to just spend the $160 and give it a go, I was just hoping to see some kind of affirmation that it actually works before spending the time and money. I've seen numerous posts stating that remove the assist spring on a GT gives you exactly a GT500 pedal assembly, but I don't believe that's correct given it has a spring on the pivot and mine does not. That, and I seriously doubt GT500s don't have some mechanism of returning the pedal to the top of its travel.
It's interesting to me that some have zero problems with this. Hard to believe there's that much variability in the manufacturing of the clutches, but maybe there is and some pressure plates are just stouter? Or maybe they changed manufacturers or design in there somewhere?
02-19-2014, 01:35 PM
#8
Gentleman's Relish
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: AZ
Posts: 13,090
Perhaps there's contamination in the hydraulic clutch lines or air in the system. What you are describing sounds like air in the lines. That would cause mushiness just like in brakes and could cause inconsistent release/engagement.
Bleed your clutch master cylinder or replace the fluid entirely. being you are a brand new car, the dealer should have a look.
Bleed your clutch master cylinder or replace the fluid entirely. being you are a brand new car, the dealer should have a look.
02-19-2014, 06:41 PM
#10
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,792
stock, this is by far the best clutch ive ever felt
havent driven many manual cars though : jeep, suzuki samurai, altima, 2003 mustang gt which i owned for 4 yrs, ford ranger, 1971 corvette which had the hardest clutch ive felt..
what clutch in what car do you prefer to this generation mustangs hydraulic clutch? I think its great.
Mine never had the sticking issue
havent driven many manual cars though : jeep, suzuki samurai, altima, 2003 mustang gt which i owned for 4 yrs, ford ranger, 1971 corvette which had the hardest clutch ive felt..
what clutch in what car do you prefer to this generation mustangs hydraulic clutch? I think its great.
Mine never had the sticking issue
Last edited by Andy13186; 02-19-2014 at 06:44 PM.