Did I screw up my clutch cable tensioner install?

[myotis1134]

Gents,
I managed to replace the tensioner and clutch cable today, but I'm not sure if I messed something up in the process. After putting the car back together, the clutch felt more stiff than it did before. Granted, that's what I wanted - but when I hooked the cable to the clutch arm on the tranny, and pushed the peddle down, I didn't hear it ratchet.
Also, later on when I was moving the car around the driveway, and a little unnerved by the stiffness, I attempted to reset the tensioner and nothing happened when I pressed up on the peddle.

I'm pretty sure I did the installation correctly. I took pictures, and followed my '89 car shop manual's procedure on page 16-03-3.

The clutch is new - I installed it in March. Is this what it's supposed to feel like? Why doesn't the mechanism reset when I press up on it?

I've resigned myself to pulling the peddle out again tomorrow, just to look everything over again. Really don't want to do that though. Did I get it right, and am just second-guessing myself? Help please.

 

[JDL]

I don’t have any wisdom to offer, only that I am having a similar clutch issue on my 94. I Hope someone can give us both some guidance.

 

[Devin]

Did you completely remove the pedal for the install? When I replaced my cable I did not have any adjustment of the quadrant, but I did not remove my pedal. There was also no change in clutch feel, but it is a CM stage 1 installed back in 2007.

 

[BaySHO Performance]

Here are the steps you should have followed:

Replacing the clutch cable - V6SHO

wiki.wikisho.com

I have never known the quadrant to self adjust, but you could try manually adjusting it. If you can, it's probably installed correctly. It's a way to raise the pedal engagement point off the floor on an old clutch with worn fingers:

If you look closely at the pedal, you will see a light blue rectangle. This is the end of the toothed quadrant. Push the pedal down with one hand, and then let it go while holding the end of the quadrant in place with the thumb of your other hand, or a suitable socket if too painful. If done right, you will hear one or more loud clicks and the pedal engagement point when the clutch starts to grab will be further off the floor.

As you appear to know, raising the clutch pedal beyond its normal resting point releases the clutch quadrant, and you will be back to square one.

 

[myotis1134]

I completely removed the pedal, as well as the mounting plate, per the procedure in the '89 shop manual.

The new pawl and quadrant may possibly be really tight. Right after I put the new clutch in, and stomped the pedal for the first time back in March, it ratcheted a little, and released when I pushed up the pedal, then ratcheted again.

The new clutch cables aren't shorter than OE are they? that might account for no slack for the quadrant to remove.

The quadrant has to be totally released to be able to get the cable tip between it and the pawl. The procedure has several pictures of the pawl/spring alignment and positioning, and I took pictures just to be safe. The quadrant can only install with the tension spring on the bottom, so it would be difficult to mess up assembly.

I cleaned and greased everything, and the pedal seems to pivot smoothly. It just feels more stiff.

The one thing I didn't compare was the interior end of the new clutch cable vs the old. They both nose up into the isolator, and it's damn hard to see if the alignment is correct back there, although considering the force involved, I imagine it would be squarely seated just from depressing the pedal.

I didn't tear it apart again. I'm going to drive it around for a couple days and see if it actually feels weird, or if I was just weirded out because the quadrant didn't ratchet immediately.