Adjust to zero clutch lash?

[melectrok]

Can someone help me with adjusting my clutch cable. The instructions along with other post on here say to adjust with zero lash. I have adjusted mine until all the play was gone so that there is slight tension, enough to keep things from rattling. When I press the clutch pedal there is about 3/4" - 1" of play of what I am calling light tension, before you can feel the tension get harder. During this 3/4 inch I beleive I see the clutch fingers moving but since its such light tenstion I dont think it is yet moving the clutch. Do i need to adjust out this play as well. Or am I good where I am at. I can pull out slightly on the cable at the adjust to create a small gap but the throw out bearing is still touching the fingers and spins. Can someone tell me does the bearing wear come from the bearing spinning or only when it has the side load. I dont think I can make the bearing stop spinning unless I put alot of play in the cable.

Is the best way to adjust the cable to drive the car and fell where the clutch engages? People on here are saying you want the cluch to engage about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up from the firewall. Does engaging mean the point where the car starts to move but is still slipping or when the clutch locks up? Should I adjust the adjuster to get me a good feel about 5/8 of the way up and not worry about if the throw out bearing is touching or not?

Thanks

1996 Cobra Coupe


One last thing. When going into reverse I dont seem to have a problem but I do need to hold the clutch down about 2 seconds for the transmission to stop spinning, but then It goes right in. Does this have anything to do with the clutch adjustment or is it how it is suppose to be? It did this before I installed the adjust and quadrant.

 

[MustangBetty]

Reverse doesn't have synchros. Sounds like most every other 5 speed when going into reverse.

Use a forward gear first to keep it from grinding if you want. I normally go 5th-reverse.

 

[melectrok]

I know the first to reverse trick, just wanted to make sure it wasnt adjustment related is all.

 

[Helomech74]

These cars and every Mustang from 79 uses a constant velocity type of Throw out bearing. It needs to be seated on the fingers at all times. The best and optimal setting would be with about 4-6 pounds of pressure on the fingers. I do this by using a spring scale on the release fork. I pull it until it reads 4-6 pounds, then I have someone tighten the cable to hold the tension. Doing this puts the bearing onto the fingers with enough force to keep it from slipping/skipping across the fingers creating heat which destroys the bearings.

The things that kills the bearings isn't the contact with the fingers, it's the lack of contact. not enough force allows the bearing to skip or slide instead of spin with the Pressure plate fingers. This heats up the bearing, making it puke out all it's grease, and then you start to get the lovely chirping sound as it dies.

I have spoken at length about this with a few high end drivetrain shops as well as a few fellow Master techs. I have been doing it this way to my cars, and customer's cars for years now, with no abnormal failures of the Throwout bearing at all.

People may disagree, but call Promotion powertrain and talk to them about it, they'll tell you the same thing. Believe me this works. It also makes the clutch release at about 1/2 way through the travel which is also optimal for all forms of driving.

 

[melectrok]

so you say to use a scale to pull back on the fork itself 4-6 lbs. If i have someone adjust out the slack at that point when I release it I wont have the play they ask for when you pull the clutch cable at the firewall to create that small gap. It does make sense to me though.

So the clutch releasing is when it locks up and will do so at about 1/2 travel?

 

[Helomech74]

so you say to use a scale to pull back on the fork itself 4-6 lbs. If i have someone adjust out the slack at that point when I release it I wont have the play they ask for when you pull the clutch cable at the firewall to create that small gap. It does make sense to me though.

So the clutch releasing is when it locks up and will do so at about 1/2 travel?

Use the spring scale to pull tension on the release fork (pulling toward the front of the car.) With 4-6 pounds of pressure on the plate, there will still be a little play at the adjuster.

Ideally, the clutch should fully engage in the 1-2 to 3/4 travel area. Some folks like them to release right off the floor. I don't because the adjustment on the cable is out of whack when it's like that.

 

[RoadZOmbie]

I installed the LDC Chicago Clutch Freeplay Correction Kit and it fixed the problem. I set the space between the TOB and the PP Fingers to about 1/8 off. This prevents any premature wear on the TOB from constant contact and fixed the freeplay. The only problem I can think of with this kit is wear on the PP Fingers but to this date there is none. It's been over a year now and haven't had any problems. Clutch releases & engagement are perfect & comfortable.

Note: To use this kit you'll need a quality aftermarket quadrant and fire wall adjuster.

 

[Helomech74]

I installed the LDC Chicago Clutch Freeplay Correction Kit and it fixed the problem. I set the space between the TOB and the PP Fingers to about 1/8 off.

This is actually incorrect. You want the TOB to make contact at all times. You want it to have enough pressure against the pressure plate fingers so that it spins with the pressure plate, but not so much that the clutch is disengaging.

Like I stated earlier, if you set the TOB off the Pressure plate, or with little pressure it will skip across the pressure plate fingers causing friction, and thus heat. This is what kills the TOB, not the constant contact. Obviously if the TOB is not engaging the pressure plate fingers at all, then there won't be any heat issues, but you get the issue of the pedal slop which is why the LDC kit was created. If people would just adjust the TOB as it is supposed to be, the LDC kit would never even need to be used. Once I learned this little bit of info about the 79-04 TOB's, I adjusted the cable and TOB, removed the LDC kit, and never had another issue with TOB squeaks, pedal slop, clutch engagement or anything. Neither have any of my customers to my knowledge as well.

Obviously to set it up like this, you would need a firewall adjuster and quadrant.

 

[RoadZOmbie]

This is actually incorrect. You want the TOB to make contact at all times. You want it to have enough pressure against the pressure plate fingers so that it spins with the pressure plate, but not so much that the clutch is disengaging.

Like I stated earlier, if you set the TOB off the Pressure plate, or with little pressure it will skip across the pressure plate fingers causing friction, and thus heat. This is what kills the TOB, not the constant contact. Obviously if the TOB is not engaging the pressure plate fingers at all, then there won't be any heat issues, but you get the issue of the pedal slop which is why the LDC kit was created. If people would just adjust the TOB as it is supposed to be, the LDC kit would never even need to be used. Once I learned this little bit of info about the 79-04 TOB's, I adjusted the cable and TOB, removed the LDC kit, and never had another issue with TOB squeaks, pedal slop, clutch engagement or anything. Neither have any of my customers to my knowledge as well.

Obviously to set it up like this, you would need a firewall adjuster and quadrant.

Understood. My kit is in and no problems. I'll just leave it as it is. But good points.:thumbsup:

 

[Dano]

Excellent ... Helomech74. Great instructions on adjusting the clutch. There have always been a lot of Posts in here from owners trying to get the clutch "just right." Your procedure sounds perfect, however; I bet there aren't more than two owners in here that have a spring scale, and I doubt there are more than ... oh, I better leave that out. Great Reply, on your part.:banana:

 

[melectrok]

I didnt have a spring scale either but what I did was hang a small pulley from the the clutch cable near the trans, i ran a heavy string through the pulley and put a loop in it, putting that around the stud of my adjustable cable and slid it all the way up to the back of the fook, making sure the string came over the end of the fork and not off the side. I then hung a 5 lb weight from a dumbell set I had to the other end of the string so it wasnt touching the ground. I figured that would give me 5 lbs of force, (4-6lbs) on the end of of the fork using the pulley as a fulcrum. That way I could leave the weight hanging and adjust the clutch adjuster myself. Any issues spoted with doing it this way?

 

[P49Y-CY]

This is actually incorrect. You want the TOB to make contact at all times. You want it to have enough pressure against the pressure plate fingers so that it spins with the pressure plate, but not so much that the clutch is disengaging.

Like I stated earlier, if you set the TOB off the Pressure plate, or with little pressure it will skip across the pressure plate fingers causing friction, and thus heat. This is what kills the TOB, not the constant contact. Obviously if the TOB is not engaging the pressure plate fingers at all, then there won't be any heat issues, but you get the issue of the pedal slop which is why the LDC kit was created. If people would just adjust the TOB as it is supposed to be, the LDC kit would never even need to be used. Once I learned this little bit of info about the 79-04 TOB's, I adjusted the cable and TOB, removed the LDC kit, and never had another issue with TOB squeaks, pedal slop, clutch engagement or anything. Neither have any of my customers to my knowledge as well.

Obviously to set it up like this, you would need a firewall adjuster and quadrant.

excellent info helomech74

so if one did not have the firewall adjuster/quadrant, are you saying that the factory quadrant does not allow for keeping enough constant pressure on the fingers?

 

[Helomech74]

The factory stuff is different all together. It actually is designed to keep the TOB were it needs to be. The big issue comes when people install aftermarket clutches with with heavy duty pressure plates. This requires the installation of the firewall adjuster and a beefier quadrant. This is where all the release issues start because people don't set and adjust the cable tension correctly.

 

[P49Y-CY]

i am thinking my dfx setup (which utilizes the same pp as their df) is not playing nicely with my factory quadrant. missing too many high rpm shifts.

time for the aftermarket upgrades! thx for the info

 

[melectrok]

Okay so I did what I described with the weight but the clutch still lets out pretty high. I know I can adjust the adjuster out to tighten the cable, but wont that through off the balance we were just talkinging about with the pressure on the throughout bearing?

 

[melectrok]

I really thought this was fairly strait forward but I cant seem to narrow this down. I adjusted the firewall adjuster so that clutch released where I like. But now there is like 1 inch of completly loose play in the pedal. Its enough where I feel the cable could jump out of the hook. Besides that it functions absolutly beautiful. Its like I only need 1 half of the pedals actual travel. I can push the pedal about 2/3 down and have no problems shifting gears.(I still have the 1-2 grind but you guys tell me thats not related). Then I release the clutch I still have 1/4 of travel left in the pedal, but that is where the loose comes in. Is there any problem with running it the way I am running it? I mean there is no pressure on the tob at all to do the skipping thing you guys explained. Is this what that freeplay clutch kit is suppose to fix that you were talking about?