Is it bad for a clutch to use it for a parking brake? I did it for years and I wonder if it leads to premature failures. Im getting ready to have my clutch replaced ( after getting the cable checked and adjusted,but not holding out a lot of hope on that fixing it) . If its bad and its the pressure plate it seems I get more worn out pressure plates than discs if I ever had a disc wear out before the pressure plate at all in 24 years.
I've basically done it all my life unless the vehicle is parked on a really steep slope. Your actually using the engine as the parking brake when you do that. My personal opinion is that it doesn't hurt the clutch system. How many miles do you have on the clutch thats in the car now?
I don't ever leave my 78 in gear, always use the e-brake. I suppose I would leave it in gear if I was on an incline, but I never have to park on an incline!
I lost track of how many miles but it was over 5 years ago and lots of city driving. 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.
1st gear for a park brake is fine. it doesn't matter if its in gear or not when the clutch lever is out the plate puts pressure on the disk
if you keep killing pressure plates you are cooking the clutch on occasion and getting it really hot or have an issue with constant slippage generating heat. something is making enough heat to kill the tension in the springs on the plate
as far as you issues with the adjustment. What grove are you talking about. the cable adjusts at the tranny side and has a jam nut setup. one is usually plastic and the other metal. 2 wrenches. back the one nut off the other and then adjust and lock the two together to hold the setting
Good luck
OhSix'
The plastic nut has two ears that have to come out of the bellhousing slot so it can turn, I loosened the metal jam nut enough to pull the plastic nut far enough away from the bellhousing so it could turn but it wont.So I assume the plastic nut must have moved under pressure and got the threads crossed. I have another one from a cable that broke,if I can figure out how to get the old one off I could just replace the nut. Maybe vice grips or cut it off somehow?
Should there be a lot of free movement at the release lever?
haha right.... original bellhousing tabs. 15 years since i have seen one.anyways if it had slipped you would see a "clean spot" on the threads where it had pulled out of the plastic.likely just old and crusty. try cleaning the threads with a wire brush. a little penetrating lube and lock the plastic in its slot and wiggle the outer tube with some vice grips or take the spare metal nut from your other cable and jamb the steels together to break the plastic one loose. or slot it with a cut off wheel on 2 sides and snap it apart with a screwdriver so you don't have to cut all the way down to the threads and replace it with the spare.
without the cable the trans side should have lots of freeplay. the arm should be secure on its pivot point but have free forward and back movement until the throwout contacts the pressure plate. if it feels notchy there may be a groove worn in the input shaft housing that the throwout bearing slides on which may cause engagement issues. also good to check with the cable connected all the way through the range of movement. have someone operate the clutch while you hold a finger on the arm to feel for rough spots in the throw.
well it has a lot of free movement at the release arm with the cable the way it was adjusted.Should the cable be adjusted to where there isnt much free movement at the realease lever?