HELP!!
11-23-2005, 01:47 AM
#1
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HELP!!
I am so pissed, I just spent probably a total of 15 hours putting longtube headers, x-pipe and a new clutch. My problem is I started it, and I find out my clutch grabs way too late, almost at the very last centimeter or travel. I am pretty sure I did everything correctly. Plus to add to my problem theres alot of smoke coming out of the driver side motor, where the headers are, I think its just the clutch slipping like mad. Coming from the clutch cable opening. Im not totally sure. Mabye the headers but I am pretty sure its the clutch since I have that big problem with that. I replaced the pilot bearing, put a spec stage 1 clutch and pressure plate, new throw out bearing anf had the flywheel resurfaced. I cleaned the matting surfaces of the pressure plate and flywheel with rubbing alcohol to get an grease off of it. I have changed my clutch on my last car once before and used the rubbing alcohol with no problems. I dont know why its doing this!!?? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!
11-23-2005, 01:49 AM
#2
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RE: HELP!!
Also another point I have to add, is my clutch pedal feels different than stock. Its stiff all the way up intil about an inch before the floor and then it seems like I have depressed the pressure plate all the way and it loses resistance. Like it gets alot lighter pedal feel.
11-23-2005, 02:04 AM
#3
Join Date: Mar 2005
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RE: HELP!!
Funny you posted this, because I just finished posting this on another board, AAAHhhh the clutch.
This can be very tricky for many people, and there tends to be a lot of taboo surrounding clutch adjustment. A common myth is that you need slack in the cable. This is not completely true. The pressure plates are designed to have constant preload-cable pressure on them. If you have a loose cable with slack, your clutch will be adjusted too loosely, and will grab right off the floor, causing the clutch not to disengage all the way. The Transmission will be tough to put into gear, and may even roll forward on flat ground (this all happened to me).
Adjust the firewall adjuster to the left to tighten the cable. Tighten it until you feel pressure on the cable. If you have a locking type firewall adjuster, then you will need to screw the inner ring away from the firewall to unlock and adjust. If you’ve got the UPR quadrant, or any other that uses an allen wrench key to secure adjustment, loosen that.
Get into the car. Press the clutch down, carefully and slowly. Really pay attention to the feel of the clutch. If you pay attention, right about where the clutch pedal is even in height with the brake pedal, the clutch pedal will suddenly get stiffer to press down. Everything before that point will feel kind of mushy. THIS IS KEY TO ADJUSTMENT! That point where the clutch pedal gets stiffer is where the clutch actually begins to disengage from the engine so you can shift gears.
This is where it gets a little tricky, and personal preference takes over. The trick is to get it adjusted tight enough so that it disengages all the way, yet is not so tight that it is constantly disengaging (like riding the clutch).
Most often, the most common way to adjust, is to adjust to within a half inch/inch of that disengagement point, so that you have just a tiny bit of slack in the cable.
Properly adjusted, the clutch will begin to engage or grab about halfway up or so in its travel. If the clutch engages/grabs right off the floor, then you are adjusted too loosely, and if it engages/grabs way too high, then you are too tight, (or your clutch is toast if adjustment won’t fix that). A clutch that grabs right off of the floor will cause difficult putting into gears, will cause it to roll on flat surfaces, and will premature clutch wear, and transmission wear. On the other hand, a clutch that grabs too high can cause it to be constantly disengaging when driving, (just like riding the clutch pedal with your left leg) and will cause clutch wear. If you don’t feel that inch/half inch of play, you are too tight. Oppositely, if you have too much slack up top, you may not be disengaging all the way.
If, when tightening the adjustment, it causes your clutch to engage higher than what you prefer when letting up on the pedal, loosen up on the adjustment. In this case, just be sure that when you let off the clutch from the floor that you have to let up an inch or so before it begins to engage. This will ensure that your clutch is not adjusted too loosely, and is disengaging all the way. If it picks up right off the floor, this is too loose.
To lock the adjustment in, screw the inner ring against the firewall, or tighten that Allen wrench.
Note: According to Maximum Motor Sports, with proper adjustment of the clutch, the clutch pedal will physically sit approximately two inches above the brake pedal. If you want to bring the clutch pedal height down where it is equal with the brake pedal, Maximum Motor Sports sells a kit to do this.
If you run out of adjustment room on that quadrant, and it screws out too far, I have placed a very large nut between the plastic cable backing and the face of the firewall adjuster, essentially pulling the cable sheath out further. (Goes between where the cable and the firewall adjuster meet, and slips around the cable housing that the rubber grommet previously sat on.) It’s not pretty, but it’ll work in a bind. In fact, my brother has an 88 5.0 notch with a 1998 sn95 brake booster. We found with this booster and the extreme firewall adjuster, we could not back out the adjuster far enough without hitting the booster. This nut gave us the extra room we needed for adjustment.
This can be very tricky for many people, and there tends to be a lot of taboo surrounding clutch adjustment. A common myth is that you need slack in the cable. This is not completely true. The pressure plates are designed to have constant preload-cable pressure on them. If you have a loose cable with slack, your clutch will be adjusted too loosely, and will grab right off the floor, causing the clutch not to disengage all the way. The Transmission will be tough to put into gear, and may even roll forward on flat ground (this all happened to me).
Adjust the firewall adjuster to the left to tighten the cable. Tighten it until you feel pressure on the cable. If you have a locking type firewall adjuster, then you will need to screw the inner ring away from the firewall to unlock and adjust. If you’ve got the UPR quadrant, or any other that uses an allen wrench key to secure adjustment, loosen that.
Get into the car. Press the clutch down, carefully and slowly. Really pay attention to the feel of the clutch. If you pay attention, right about where the clutch pedal is even in height with the brake pedal, the clutch pedal will suddenly get stiffer to press down. Everything before that point will feel kind of mushy. THIS IS KEY TO ADJUSTMENT! That point where the clutch pedal gets stiffer is where the clutch actually begins to disengage from the engine so you can shift gears.
This is where it gets a little tricky, and personal preference takes over. The trick is to get it adjusted tight enough so that it disengages all the way, yet is not so tight that it is constantly disengaging (like riding the clutch).
Most often, the most common way to adjust, is to adjust to within a half inch/inch of that disengagement point, so that you have just a tiny bit of slack in the cable.
Properly adjusted, the clutch will begin to engage or grab about halfway up or so in its travel. If the clutch engages/grabs right off the floor, then you are adjusted too loosely, and if it engages/grabs way too high, then you are too tight, (or your clutch is toast if adjustment won’t fix that). A clutch that grabs right off of the floor will cause difficult putting into gears, will cause it to roll on flat surfaces, and will premature clutch wear, and transmission wear. On the other hand, a clutch that grabs too high can cause it to be constantly disengaging when driving, (just like riding the clutch pedal with your left leg) and will cause clutch wear. If you don’t feel that inch/half inch of play, you are too tight. Oppositely, if you have too much slack up top, you may not be disengaging all the way.
If, when tightening the adjustment, it causes your clutch to engage higher than what you prefer when letting up on the pedal, loosen up on the adjustment. In this case, just be sure that when you let off the clutch from the floor that you have to let up an inch or so before it begins to engage. This will ensure that your clutch is not adjusted too loosely, and is disengaging all the way. If it picks up right off the floor, this is too loose.
To lock the adjustment in, screw the inner ring against the firewall, or tighten that Allen wrench.
Note: According to Maximum Motor Sports, with proper adjustment of the clutch, the clutch pedal will physically sit approximately two inches above the brake pedal. If you want to bring the clutch pedal height down where it is equal with the brake pedal, Maximum Motor Sports sells a kit to do this.
If you run out of adjustment room on that quadrant, and it screws out too far, I have placed a very large nut between the plastic cable backing and the face of the firewall adjuster, essentially pulling the cable sheath out further. (Goes between where the cable and the firewall adjuster meet, and slips around the cable housing that the rubber grommet previously sat on.) It’s not pretty, but it’ll work in a bind. In fact, my brother has an 88 5.0 notch with a 1998 sn95 brake booster. We found with this booster and the extreme firewall adjuster, we could not back out the adjuster far enough without hitting the booster. This nut gave us the extra room we needed for adjustment.
11-23-2005, 02:29 AM
#5
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RE: HELP!!
Wow thanks for going out of your way and spending all that time writing that good info for me. I am using the stock clutch cable, sotck quadrant and no firewall adjuster. I did notice, that it was a bit tougher to get the clutch cable on the clutch fork, I figured it was because it is a stiffer pressure plate. I thing now from what you say, I have too much preload in my cable. I had to move the clutch fork about 3/4 -1" to get it on the cable. So the pressure plate has about mabye 1/4-1/2" of preload in it. I thought it was too much when I put it on. Since it was a stock replacement clutch it would be fine. And yes I cleaned the surface of the flywheel and pressure plate with rubbing alcohol, after I had my hands on it. But I had to buy new rubbing alcohol and there were two types, I got the one with "Isopropyl" I dont think it makes a difference, but thought I would mention it. I am going to order a adjustable cable, qaudrant and firewall adjuster from Steeda tonight.
Just so you know it smokes alot. Its slipping BAD!! Im totally dumbfounded. But you made a very good point Cobracharmer, you gave me hope its something simple. I dont want to have to remove everything again.
Just so you know it smokes alot. Its slipping BAD!! Im totally dumbfounded. But you made a very good point Cobracharmer, you gave me hope its something simple. I dont want to have to remove everything again.
11-23-2005, 02:30 AM
#6
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RE: HELP!!
Also since I feel about an inch before I hit the ground with the clutch pedal it gets very weak. That makes me think there is to much preload on the clutch. I hope to god all it needs is just a adjustment of the cable.
