Loose TOB shaft/ manual adjustment?

[masho95]

My clutch pedal doesn't adjust with 10 lbs. of force up on the pedal. How do you manually tension the cable? Something about lifting up and the pedal and pushing something towards the firewall? I lifted up on the pedal and pushed back on the plastic piece that the clutch cable is mounted to. Is that the correct piece? If so I was able to push it pretty much all the way back with no clicks or other noises. Does this indicate a disfunctional clutch adjuster? Also the TOB shaft has a bit of play back and forth AND up and down with the car running. There is almost no play with the car off.

 

[Bank of SHO]

Mine is the same way. Per instructions given to me in my last 'clutch service update #4..." post, you have to push up on the blue plastic piece with a curved finger. As it was to difficult for me to stay on my back under the steering wheel, I'm not sure exactly where I was pushing on that plastic piece. It took several attempts to find the correct spot. Put a little downward pressure on the pedal and put pressure on the plastic piece from the bottom of the pedal lever (try to keep it high in the clutch pedal lever). Try to restrain it while you release the clutch pedal. Again, it took me several attempts to find the 'sweet spot' on the plastic piece. You won't feel the piece staying in place; you just want to hear those clicks.

Sorry if this is incoherent. I just finished tearing the car apart again. See update. frown

 

[SHO SPD]

You should be able to push the clutch pedal down with two fingers about 1/4-3/4 of an inch w/out any resistance, thats the typical amount of free play, if you have more than that you may have pressure plate wearing. I dont know why you are in need of adjusting the clutch cable, but a simple lift of the clutch pedal will adjust it to the needed amount.

 

[sdpatt]

If you pull up on the clutch pedal and push the cable end mounting pawl toward the firewall, you are un-tensioning the clutch cable. There should be a spring pressure that is felt if you perform that action. That is the spring pressure that applies the tension to the cable. Don't defeat it. The descritpions of the process in the frst sentence are to verify that the spring pressure is present, not to tension the cable.

The throwout bearing is designed to be in constant contact with the presure plate's fingers. If there is not enough contact pressure provided by the clutch cable tension, the throwout bearing will not be pressing against teh pressure plate fingers with enough force to ensure that it is spinning along with the pressure plate This is how the throwout bearing is able to wear quickly: spinning metal to stationary metal.

The Ford owner's manual that came with ny car recommends checking and tensioning the cable every 5,000 miles to prevent this problem. Chceking it every oil 3,000 mile oil change wouldn't hurt.

 

[masho95]

Ok thank you very much for clarifying what I was actually doing.. now to manually adjust the tension what do you have to do?? I didn't see anything that was blue plastic when I had my head under there. Thanks for the help Scott, it's very much appreciated. I'm wondering if the unproperly adjusted cable tension has anything to do with the violent clutch chatter that I have while taking off from first while releasing the clutch pedal. It's so violent that the "whole" car shakes. My friend watched me take off today in first and said that my license plate was even rattling. And BTW it doesn't act like this every time I take off in first. I'm running a SS 8-lb. aluminum flywheel, 9 puck fibertuff disc, HD PP, and ceramic TOB.

 

[Bank of SHO]

I too would like to know how to manually tighten the tension. My hopes to fix my tough shifting ride on this.