Clutch Adjustment Concern

[CRZN 427]

I'm just getting my MK-II running.

I initially adjusted the clutch to just have the slack taken out, no free-play that is. Then when I did my first start, and first trip, across the drive way onto the trailer, I had to adjust the fire wall adjuster to where it is almost threaded all the way out. I have 1-3/8" thread showing on the outside, and almost flush on the quadrant side, to be able to engage the gears. (Note that I moved the upper adjuster that amount, from no slack, to be able to shift into gear.)

I believe that I need to do an additional adjustment because the pedal needs to be pushed quite a ways down to release the clutch to where I can shift into gear. I also need to push farther down, practically as far as it will go, to get the clutch safety switch to engage. Also it feels quite stiff for an ordinary '88 GT clutch.

I need to adjust the nut at the fork, to take some cable up there, so I can have more movement available at the upper adjuster. I think I need to have the upper adjuster showing about 1/2" to 3/4" of thread. In the process of doing that I need to take up a little more cable so the clutch disengages a little higher in the pedal travel.

My concern is that I won't have enough clutch pedal travel to make the clutch safety switch activate, since it is activated independently, once I raise the engagement point of the pedal.

I don't think that I can get at the clutch safety switch with the body on, I don't remember seeing that it was adjustble anyway.

Will I have a problem after I make the cable adjustment???

Is a stiff clutch normal???

Regards, Rick.

When

[bbk347]

You are correct in thinking that you should take up the slack at the adjuster near the fork and then fine tune the pedal release with the firewall adjuster. If you are using Mustang pedals, then the clutch should feel the same as it did in a Mustang unless you are using a more performance style of pressure plate. I don't remember if the clutch switch has any movement to it but it seems to make sense that it would; next to impossible to get to with the body on though.

[Michael Everson]

Are you using the factory quaudrent? If so all the slack should be taken out there first. Loosen your firewall adjuster then pull up on the clutch pedal to take up the slack.

On the starter enable switch, there is a small adjuster on the switch shaft that can be moved so that the switch engages earlier. It will be next to impossible to work on in the car. The adjuster is a 2 piece clamp that will need to be removed and repositioned. It self adjusts the next time you press the pedal. I could send you the adjuster and you could just put it on in front of the one that is there. Or just remove the switch and do it out of the car. It becomes very obvious once it's in your hand.
Mike

[Mike Forte]

Hi Rick,
I make a cable spacer that will take up the space that will put the screw adjuster back in.
It's easy to install and works perfectly.

Originally Posted by CRZN 427

I'm just getting my MK-II running.

I initially adjusted the clutch to just have the slack taken out, no free-play that is. Then when I did my first start, and first trip, across the drive way onto the trailer, I had to adjust the fire wall adjuster to where it is almost threaded all the way out. I have 1-3/8" thread showing on the outside, and almost flush on the quadrant side, to be able to engage the gears. (Note that I moved the upper adjuster that amount, from no slack, to be able to shift into gear.)

I believe that I need to do an additional adjustment because the pedal needs to be pushed quite a ways down to release the clutch to where I can shift into gear. I also need to push farther down, practically as far as it will go, to get the clutch safety switch to engage. Also it feels quite stiff for an ordinary '88 GT clutch.

I need to adjust the nut at the fork, to take some cable up there, so I can have more movement available at the upper adjuster. I think I need to have the upper adjuster showing about 1/2" to 3/4" of thread. In the process of doing that I need to take up a little more cable so the clutch disengages a little higher in the pedal travel.

My concern is that I won't have enough clutch pedal travel to make the clutch safety switch activate, since it is activated independently, once I raise the engagement point of the pedal.

I don't think that I can get at the clutch safety switch with the body on, I don't remember seeing that it was adjustble anyway.

Will I have a problem after I make the cable adjustment???

Is a stiff clutch normal???

Regards, Rick.

When

[CraigS]

Mike seems to have something for you but here is my thought in case you can't get to your clutch switch. You could use a brake pedal switch of the plunger style that rests against the top of the pedal arm. This would only require a partial clutch pedal movement and the clutch could still be partially engaged so it's not the perfect safety solution. Possibly if you mounted it close to the pedal pivot, you could work it so the pedal needed to be pushed enough to disengage the clutch. good luck

[CRZN 427]

bbk347,

What you describe is essentially what I did, take the slack out of the cable with the foot box adjuster full in, then adjust the cable to get clutch release until I could engage the gears. I'm using the assembly that came out of my "88 donor. I don't have any reason to believe there was a clutch change in it.

Michael Everson,

As far as I know it is the factory quadrant, it is what was in my donor. I remember looking at the clutch switch and thought it was adjusted to engage the enable function at as high of a clutch pedal position as possible. That was some time back (I'm 10 years into the build) so I could have a false memory (at least I'll admit it). In addition, due to the ten years I don't remember having a strong clutch in the donor, but that was then.

Mike Forte,

I am not sure that is what I need right now. I do have quite a bit of adjustment on the bellhousing end of the cable. At the time I set the initial adjustment I wasn't aware of how much pre-pull to put on the clutch fork. I had read that the throw-out bearing is in constant contact but not how much much the clutch fingers had to be depressed for a proper adjustment. In the end, this might indicate that my clutch disc is worn, I'm still in the initial "get it running " mode.

CraigS,

Installing a differnt switch might be what I need to do. I could also mount one that is activated off the quadrant. I'm always up for a fabricaton challenge.

Thanks for the advice and help.

Regards, Rick.

[CraigS]

As reference, the normal adjustment from the factory in the mustang has very little freeplay noticeable at the pedal. And the auto adjuster kept it that way so the t/o bearing is barely in contact w/ the PP fingers.

[CRZN 427]

Originally Posted by CraigS

As reference, the normal adjustment from the factory in the mustang has very little freeplay noticeable at the pedal. And the auto adjuster kept it that way so the t/o bearing is barely in contact w/ the PP fingers.

I'm not sure I have an "auto adjuster" on the clutch cable. I have the fork, at the bellhousing that just has a nut on either side of the arm, and the quadrant in the foot box. I bought and added the manual adjuster at the front of the foot box.

It is probably one of those things that I'm not used to, so I feel that the clutch is a little stiff. I may need to raise the pedal engagement point, I'll know for sure when I actually get it out for a drive, but I do think that I need to re-position the cable so I have some adjustment at the foot box end, I'll do what I need to so I have a clutch safety switch.

Thanks for all the information and advice.

Regards, Rick.