Spec
New Clutch: spec or king cobra?
- Thread starter mgmustang1
- Start date
stangbear427 said:I've used quadrants and FWA's from Maximum Motorsports, UPR, Steeda, Ram, FRPP and Fiore. It's never mattered. My Cobra still has the original clutch and quadrant, and it behaves exactly the way the the KC did in the other two cars and multiple linkages I used with. While trying to diagnose a clutch problem with my TKO several years ago, I spent hours on the phone with every clutch maker I know of. Every one of their techs without exception told me linkage does not determine where your pedal height is when the clutch engages if it is adjusted properly, the pressure plate does. I also had a Motorsport tech tell me specifically that the KC clutch is designed to grab low, it isn't my imagination or lack of adjustment. I've never had a KC engage anywhere near the middle of the pedal arc- which is how most clutches operate and where it belongs- and no amount of tweaking with any combination of linkage parts has every made it engage or disengage any higher. I don't know how you've managed to use one without noticing this, unless you just aren't as picky about your engagement height as I am. Wait- doesn't the Batmobile have an auto?
What? The firewall adjustment quadrant was made for adjusting pedal height. (and replacing the cheap plastic self adjusting quadrant) My pedal engagement is adjusted a lot higher at the track vs. normal driving on the street with my forte's firewall quadrant. And yes when you adjust it, it does make a difference.
Come on Lee, you know way too much to not understand how this works. The only thing a FWA does is change tension on the cable. If you tighten it enough to make a KC clutch grab and release any higher than it does with the stock quadrant then all you've done is pre-load the clutch fork, which compromises it's ability to fully engage. The ramp of after market quadrants can change the speed and feel of the release, but it does this by manipulating the arc of the cable path, not the height of the pedal- although it does feel that way with a "speed release" design like UPR's single hook, Pro5.0's single hook, or the beautiful Fiore piece. Ultimately there is only one tension that is right. Too tight or too loose, while you may like the location of the engagement, is still out of ideal specs for the clutch. If you can't easily with two fingers pull the plastic jamb of the cable casing away from the FWA far enough to slide nickel in, it's too tight and you're losing clamp load, not to mention forcing the throwout bearing to stay continually engaged which can wear it out prematurely.
The KC clutch was designed to grab right where it does. You can see it if you put it's disc and pressure plate side by side with a spec, McLoud, Ram, or Centerforce (the ones I've had for comparison). The disc is thinner, and the diaphragm of the pressure plate is different to accommodate it. That's why so many people doing TKO conversions had trouble using their KC pressure plates with other brand discs with the new spline count- they were too thick for the KC pressure plate, so there wasn't room for them to completely disengage before the pedal hit the floor without using an extended clutch fork or over tightening the cable, which still wasn't enough in some cases. (like mine)
The KC clutch was designed to grab right where it does. You can see it if you put it's disc and pressure plate side by side with a spec, McLoud, Ram, or Centerforce (the ones I've had for comparison). The disc is thinner, and the diaphragm of the pressure plate is different to accommodate it. That's why so many people doing TKO conversions had trouble using their KC pressure plates with other brand discs with the new spline count- they were too thick for the KC pressure plate, so there wasn't room for them to completely disengage before the pedal hit the floor without using an extended clutch fork or over tightening the cable, which still wasn't enough in some cases. (like mine)
stangbear427 said:
Aluminum flywheels have less rotational mass than steel so you have to launch at a higher rpm with the aluminum to get off the line and not bog down.
stangbear427 said:
ok. i'll be open minded about this..
If what you say is true, then why do mustangs come with a self adjusting quadrant from the OEM. Are they not designed to keep constant tension (light) on the cable? So technically if what you say is true then the cable on a stock quadrant would and should have play in it and I never experienced that with mine when it had the stock setup.
I have friend/member on my forums who is an engineer for Spec. I may contact him today to see what his thoughts are on aftermarket quadrants.
The oem unit will only adjust to the tightness it belongs at. You can't over-tighten the cable with the stock one, you'll only get as many clicks as there is play in the pawl. With the stock arrangement, if you remove the single screw holding the cable to the firewall you can still pull it away about 3/32" with the stock quadrant ratcheted as tight as the pawl will allow. This doesn't mean there is slack in the cable, it simply means there isn't any appreciable preload on the clutch.
Jess I just looked at your 93 Cobra pics. You have #1386 and I have #1387. Mine was shipped to Houston, TX.
Heh! Sweet. Mine was sold from from Montrose Ford in Akron Ohio. Interesting how they got so far apart. I've been meaning to take some more/better pictures, but this is the hardest car to photo I've ever had. This red insists upon looking orange, so the pics always look like crap. I think I need a new camera.
stangbear427 said:Wait- doesn't the Batmobile have an auto?
...hahahahahah...not THIS one!
Question: what's this stuff for?
Upper center: stretches and breaks way sooner than it should. Lower left: confuses would be "tuners". Lower right: Has been known to damage upper center at the pickup, but is otherwise one of the more versatile items of it's kind, also known for confusing would be "tuners".
*edit- this post was not meant to imply insult to anyone in this discussion, most of whom I hold in the highest of respect
*edit- this post was not meant to imply insult to anyone in this discussion, most of whom I hold in the highest of respect
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Here is what my buddy at Spec said in regards to me and stangbear427's post
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op:
Yup, that sounds about the way they explained it to me too.
Went with the cobra clutch. thanks guys
Tell us: Does it release right off the floor or not?
Lol
No, it engages right off the floor.
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Does anyone know if the f1 racing alum flywheel from ebay is the same as the fidanza? Or should i just go with the steel one?
I got a KC installed in the '93 last week. The pedal is softer than my '03 and it engages (or disengages?) right off the floor compared to my '03 which is right at the top of the travel.
Engages. Actually, I think Ford may have done it that way on purpose: make it start engaging earlier than you expect so it snaps your neck a little, making the Cobra feel faster than it really was :lol:
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