clutch/pedal issues. NEED HELP!!!

Clean90GT · Apr 26, 2013

How's it going guys. I know I'm in a fox now but you all were loads of help when I had my 95GT. Sorry but I can't remember my old screen name , it's been a few years. Ok so here's where I'm at , hope a fresh point of view can help me out here...

I'll start off with the car: It's a 1990 GT 5 speed. Tremec tko , fire wall adjuster , quadrant and adjustable steeda cable. H/C/I car with all of the basics bolt ons... A few months ago I noticed my clutch pedal feeling a bit spongy , I was working a lot and drug my feet looking at thinking I'd get to it when I could , figured it was something stupid. About a week or so after I noticed that on my way home my clutch cable snapped on me (of course in the middle of a 4 way intersection)

Ok , no big deal right? Ordered the new steeda adjustable clutch cable to replace the one that was there. Get it all installed , jump in for a test drive and my clutch pedal was like kicking a brick wall... First thought was I bought a bad cable or I routed it wrong. Nope , cable moves nice and free. A friend of mine had the same thing happen to him. Turns out he broke a few springs in the clutch.

After a bit of looking and waiting I ordered a ford racing hd clutch. Took it to a shop to have it installed. Got it back and it was better , but not right. It's the worse when it's say for a day or two in cold weather. You really have to nail the pedal to get it to down. When you first press the pedal (I use "press" very loosely) alot of the times it will make a metallic chirping sound the first few times.

The more you drive the better it gets. The shop swears they put in a new throw out bearing and the shaft/retainer was fine when they did so. New polite bearing aswell. I've checked the fork , it's not rubbing on anything , cable is free moving when in hooked , replaced all I can think of. I really don't have a clue where to look at this point. As a mechanical clutch I've replaced everything but the pedal it's self. I wouldn't think a cable operated clutch would be that effected by weather/temperature either. Any ideal?

the.greg · Apr 26, 2013

Clean90GT said:
How's it going guys. I know I'm in a fox now but you all were loads of help when I had my 95GT. Sorry but I can't remember my old screen name , it's been a few years. Ok so here's where I'm at , hope a fresh point of view can help me out here...

I'll start off with the car: It's a 1990 GT 5 speed. Tremec tko , fire wall adjuster , quadrant and adjustable steeda cable. H/C/I car with all of the basics bolt ons... A few months ago I noticed my clutch pedal feeling a bit spongy , I was working a lot and drug my feet looking at thinking I'd get to it when I could , figured it was something stupid. About a week or so after I noticed that on my way home my clutch cable snapped on me (of course in the middle of a 4 way intersection)

Ok , no big deal right? Ordered the new steeda adjustable clutch cable to replace the one that was there. Get it all installed , jump in for a test drive and my clutch pedal was like kicking a brick wall... First thought was I bought a bad cable or I routed it wrong. Nope , cable moves nice and free. A friend of mine had the same thing happen to him. Turns out he broke a few springs in the clutch.

After a bit of looking and waiting I ordered a ford racing hd clutch. Took it to a shop to have it installed. Got it back and it was better , but not right. It's the worse when it's say for a day or two in cold weather. You really have to nail the pedal to get it to down. When you first press the pedal (I use "press" very loosely) alot of the times it will make a metallic chirping sound the first few times.

The more you drive the better it gets. The shop swears they put in a new throw out bearing and the shaft/retainer was fine when they did so. New polite bearing aswell. I've checked the fork , it's not rubbing on anything , cable is free moving when in hooked , replaced all I can think of. I really don't have a clue where to look at this point. As a mechanical clutch I've replaced everything but the pedal it's self. I wouldn't think a cable operated clutch would be that effected by weather/temperature either. Any ideal?

Check to see that the clutch cable is seated properly on the quadrant and its not binding where it goes through the firewall. I had a similar issue, but otherwise I can't think of anything.

Clean90GT · Apr 27, 2013

I can't really tell if it's binding in the firewall adjuster. How would you suggest I check that? I don't see any outher way the cable could mount on quadrant. I'm going to say its on correctly

MustangChris · Apr 27, 2013

do you have a firewall adjuster as well? is that properly adjusted?

id get a friend to step on the clutch while you peak in the transmission dust-cover with a flash light.

if the quadrant isnt binding, the cable is routed properly (and functioning properly), all that leaves is the internals.

take the cable off the fork and ask the friend to step on the clutch again. still stiff? still problems? etc. -- then its up top. If not -- its down low.

Clean90GT · Apr 28, 2013

I do have a firewall adjuster. Best I can tell , yes it is adjusted properly. When the cable is not attached everything seems to move fine. Here's what I'm thinking , someone correct me if I'm wrong... New cable (it is adjustable but everyone is telling me there crap...) , new clutch , new pilot bearing , new throw out bearing... So that leaves possibly something with the quadrant (I don't think it's that it is a after market one) clutch fork , retainer and pivot ball. At this point I'm thinking pull the tranny for the 3rd time replace the fork , pivot ball and retainer along with going to a oem style cable... Thats everything that i could imagine it could be. If that don't work I swear I'm going to drive it off a cliff... Probly with me still in it...

MustangChris · Apr 28, 2013

lol. damn man... id make the shop do it.... "i paid you to fix my clutch -- its not fixed."

Clean90GT · Apr 30, 2013

It's back at the shop... Lets see what b.s. they try to feed me now...

Clean90GT · May 1, 2013

Well... Shop said its something from the where the cable attaches to the clutch fork to the actual pedal. They didnt charge me anything to check the clutch/ throw out bearing but didnt want to tear into the underside of the dash. So looks like I've got a fun project this weekend... I'm going to order a oem style and start at the fork working my way inside the car going thru everything I can. The cable is right at the top of my firewall adjuster (on the inside) any ideal how to center that more also? I'm having a really hard time wrapping my head around anything inside the car making it this stiff or binding bad enough to break the cable like it did before...

MustangChris · May 1, 2013

pics might help out a little in reference to your adjuster. I'm a little lost there...

Clean90GT · May 1, 2013

Not my car , but you can see the engine bay side of a firewall cable adjuster great in the first photo. Good luck ever seeing the under the dash view. You would have to be 2' tall and stand on you head to take a picture...

http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthread.php?t=139509

Clean90GT · May 16, 2013

So after weeks of cussing , alot of money and even more time I'm finally close to getting this sorted out. Found a crack in my firewall adjuster (not sure this was even part of the problem) quadrant had cheep plastic spacers that were falling apart and my brand new steeda cable was rubbing on the inside like it was a damn chain saw blade. New firewall adjuster , metal washers on the quadrant and a cheepy auto zone cable later.... My clutch is like pushing on a cloud! Everything is good right? Went out and tore up a 01 SS camaro... Headed back home and my pedal fades fast. S***.... Pop the hood only to discover I now have 2 clutch cables , it melted in 1/2. Ok , not that big of a deal. I figure it's a auto zone cheepy , it's not that good any how. Pick up a new auto zone cheepy cable and some fiberglass/header wrap heat tape. It's good for 500â€¢f direct contact to 2000â€¢f surrounding. Put it on , install the new cable (on the side of the road in the rain of course) get about 15 miles and same thing. So now I'm at a nos oem cable (apperntally from what I hear there the best for our cars) header wrap and heat sheild/tape on the clutch cable aswell. Lets see how round 5 goes...

Id reccamend everyone stay away from steeda cables as mine failed from the start. Also never try to header wrap equal length headers. 65 feel of 1 inch wrap and 4 hours later , my driver side header is wrapped....

96gt4.6 · May 16, 2013

yep there cables are crap, i went threw the same thing, bought a oem ford cable never had a problem again

Clean90GT · May 16, 2013

Ever have an issue melting any cables?

96gt4.6 · May 17, 2013

nope, i havent maybe check your routing again. post up a pic of how you have it routed, it shouldnt be close enough to melt the cable. and this is just my opinion (i know some will dissagree) but i would take the header wrap off it holds moisture in and rusts out your header making holes in it.

brian95 · May 19, 2013

i had the same problem with my bbk cable it was about i inch shorter than my stock cable. i was told the cables for the 96 and up are 6inches longer and the one bbk sold me is for 87 to 95. with equal headers its tight i just used be cool pipe wrap its like foil outside and rubber coated inside. solved my problem for 4 years until i went to auto