My 78 is starting to have an issue with the clutch not releasing completely.I think its the clutch. The pedal has been getting more free play instead of less free play. Im wondering if the cable might be stretching? Its the second one I had replaced,so maybe theyre just not making them very well these days? It drives fine for the first few miles but then it starts having trouble where I have to force it some,and it gets bad where I thought I would have to leave it a few times. But the next time I drive it it shifts ok again for a few miles. Maybe the heat making it stretch more? Or the usage?
Are you adjusting the cable? It should have 1/4 inch between the cable adjusting screw and the cable housing bracket (on the transmission). I hope this helps. I've had the opposite problem- there was NO free play and 3rd and 4th gear had little power no matter how I gunned the engine. I've since adjusted two Pinto clutch cables and have a grazed knuckle as a reward... well, and a great running car too! ;D
I did try to adjust it a little because its backwards usually when they wear you do get less free play and not more. So before I do it again,thinking it might only last a short time again,or was it just that it worked ok at first and I thought the adjustment helped? Im sort of confused hoping someone has some help,or had this same thing.
help please anyone
pressure plate
Ya it sounds like the pressure plate is going soft. Those cables dont usually stretch then shrink back. How many miles are on the clutch? A lot of city or highway driving?
5 years a lot is city driving maybe 3000 miles a year. Is the pressure plate affected by heat off of the motor or transmission? It is just odd to me the way the free play extended rather than shrank though. And I had two other cables break.
Thats kinda weird that you have had 2 cables break before. It doesn't sound like you have many miles on the clutch, not enough to have any pressure plate issues. Where are the cables breaking?
Have you checked your cable at the firewall? I have identical symptoms with my 78 just before my cables "broke".
I "broke" two cables on my 78 around a year ago, but the cable itself didn't break, it was where it comes in at the firewall. At the firewall there is that bracket/clip thing that goes through the wall. There are three arms that open on the inside of the firewall to keep it secured to the firewall. While those arms were just fine and hold up just fine, It was the tiny metal pieces that hold the black cable sleeve INSIDE of the bracket/clip.
The tabs at the end of the bracket that hold the cable sleeve kept breaking off, pulling the cable through the bracket/clip and into the car. I went through an NAPA cable and a Pioneer (schucks) cable, each one leaving me stranded about three miles from home. The last time it happened I was able to drive the car home without using the clutch (horrible on the transmission and U-Joints), but I made it home.
My fix for that was to use a Mustang II clutch cable, and install a Mustang II clutch adjustment tube on the firewall on the outside. I couldn't keep sinking money into new cables when the cables were just fine and it was just the stupid little clip causing the problem the whole time!
Note that the hole for the original clutch bracket/clip goes into the firewall is smaller than where the adjustment tube goes through, and has to be widened to make the tube fit and install properly.
Below are a couple photos of the tube on the firewall. There is pretty much a zero chance of having the cable pull through the firewall now!
The only problem I have seen from using the Mustang II cable is how it connects to the pedal. I no longer use the cable clip on the pedal, and now have to use a bolt through the pedal, then through the eyelet on the cable. It pulls the top of the pedal to the left, making the clutch pedal wobbly and sometimes squeaky in cold weather because the pedal isn't sitting squarely on the bushing. I need to cut the top of the pedal and weld it over about 3/8" to 1/2" to the left to center it and it should be fine. Hoping to do that this summer.
The first cable that went out I never loked at . The second one I kept when it was replaced and it looked the rubber part that stops it from going through the firewall was just worn away. I kept that one thinking someone might be able to modify with it a metal washer instead of that rubber so the firewall hole wouldnt tear up the rubber. Maybe its time to dig it out and see if it can be done now. But did that make extra free play in your pedal too? I never saw that before always less and less free play.
I had more and more free play as the tabs on the Pinto cable would start to bend outwards and break off. The reason being that the cable would be pulling itself more and more to the inside of the car. Once it broke though, stepping on the clutch pedal would just pull the cable all the way through the wall. Once that's done, the pedal won't return to it's upward position and you will know that the cable retention bracket has failed.
I still have the last Pinto cable I used in the car in storage. I will see if I can get out there on Sunday when I'm on my way to my parents for Father's Day, I"ll snap some pictures of what I'm talking about.
From what it sounds like, you have a rubber type "plug" that squeezes into the hole in the firewall and keeps the entire cable from being yanked through when you step on the clutch. The cables I have used used a circular metal bracket which did the same thing as your rubber plug does. The problem is that the metal brackets are made of cheap cast metal and can only withstand so much pressure against the cable tabs. Repeated pressure (like in city traffic) is to much for them.
Thats probably whats going on I noticed yesterday on my way home once it started getting hard to put in gear,it seemed to help a little if I put more pressure on the clutch pedal even though it was all the way to the floor,maybe my imagination. Or maybe something did stretch. So a new cable will probably only last a while again too,but at least maybe I dont need to spend 400 or 500 to get the clutch redone. I cant believe places say 500 or 600 someimes to replace a clutch. Its getting crazy. I found someone who said he could change the cable for $50 I would think someone might do it for a little less but maybe Im living in the past. $40 for the cable and $50 to put it in nearly $100 then if it is it needs the whole clutch redone after that 500 more it starts to add up. So Im not sure. Im not saying my old friend isnt worth it though just trying to be smart about it all.
put a worm type hose clamp around the cable where it goes through the firewall, it will keep the cable from pulling through.
I tried that to, with the worm hose clamp. It didn't last to long. After awhile it cut through the sleeve and I was back where I started.
I had an Mustang 2 clutch cable I got for $10 sitting around and all I needed was the adjuster tube to use it, which I found for $25 at a high price junk yard.
I've been using this setup for two years without any problems except for the squeaking during cold weather and the wobbly pedal, which should be fixed this summer!
Im having a lot of trouble engaging gears right now,so I went to adjust the cable and the adjuster wont budge even though it was out of the grooves.I guess its cross threaded . But there was a lot of freeplay in the pedal,and a lot of movement at the release lever too.So I guess either way I need a new cable.or the adjuster nut at least. I have an adjuster nut from an old cable that broke,so I could get that put on it.
Did you check out your cable from the inside of the firewall yet?
Well I had someone come fix the cable adjuster the cables ok for now at least at te firewall.So he got the old stuck adjuster nut off and put the new one and adjusted it its working ok now.But he adjusted it so far it wont grab until the very very top,and it squeals when Im driving in gear once in a while which it never did before.So maybe he adjusted it back too far now. Its releasing fine,I just wonder if Im tearing up my throwout bearing or something if I drive it this way now.
yep, your t/o bearing is spinning all the time. back it off a little to get some free play
I thought thats what it was.Is that going to wear out the fork?
no it won't wear the fork but it will kill the bearing