Clutch grabbing height. What is normal?

[lube70]

I have a 1986 SVO with 66,000 on it. Clutch grabs very low to the floor. Just raise it about an inch and it grabs. Have to push the clutch all the way down to disengage the clutch.

I have a 1984 Mustang GT turbo that grabs much higher, at least half way up. New to the SVO so wondering.....

What is normal clutch grabbing height for an SVO? I wanted to know if mine is normal.

Otherwise, its running great.

Any help is helpful!!!


Don

[Ken Potter]

While I can't explain it I have the same weirdness between my SVOs. For example my original owner 85.5 has always grabbed near the floor. My Barrett-Jackson SVO grabs very high with it almost completely extended. These were built on 7/31/85 and 8/1/85 and were built only 23 SVOs apart.

Then my 86 Comp Prep is an early second week of production for 86s and it grabs right near the floor...

[svono50]

Some of the variation is likely due to 'production' tolerances. If you think of all the items that go into disengaging a clutch, you start to understand the meaning of "tolerance stackup".

If you don't know the 'trick', pull up/back on the clutch pedal to disengage the pawl from the quadrant. This will allow the quadrant spring to take up whatever slack it can in the cable system. If that doesn't work, you can perform the same exercise, but reach up under the dash and manually rotate the quadrant back a tooth or two to take up some slack. Hopefully one of those will help bring the engagement up a bit, but there is no guarantee of that.

Lastly, your tranny's bearing retainer snout may be beginning to get worn and not allowing the throwout bearing to move freely. I started having issues with mine at ~65K miles and finally replaced the bearing retainer at 90K miles after 6 or so dog-bone cable replacements.

[lube70]

Clutch grabs REALLY LOW!~!!

THe clutch grabs almost near the floor so that when you lift the clutch pedal only an inch, the clutch wants to grab. The adjustment is for when teh clutch is to high to too low???

ANy help is appreciated


Don

[f14peter]

As No50 mentioned, probably "acceptable production variance".

Presuming the stock components are in order, this can be dealt with ... an aftermarket quadrant with 2/3 prongs along with a firewall adjuster allows you to determine when/where clutch engagement takes place.

As a note, you'll see "adjustable clutch cables" advertised here and there, but Maximum Motorsports (who knows a thing or two about Mustangs) strongly recommends using a standard FORD clutch cable and making adjustments with the quadrant and firewall adjuster. They feel so strongly about this, they don't even sell aftermarket clutch cables, only FORD units.

Note #2, MM also sells a kit that allows you to adjust the height of the clutch pedal. I have one (uninstalled as yet) as I'm getting a bit tired of clopping myself in the chin with my knee when I go to push in the pedal. I'd like the clutch pedal more in line with the brake instead of being a couple of inches higher.

Personally, I wouldn't mind a clutch that starts engaging right off the floor. Mine right now takes several inches of lift before it starts so I'm in the habit of pivoting my my foot by the heel and letting the pedal slide up the bottom of my shoe to get a smooth engagement.

[Bruce]

My clutch engaged right of the floor for years and I liked it. Just rock your foot and your going. But fast shifts are easyer with it higher. I found this out after Dragpack adjusted my quadrant at last years reuion. Thanks Rick! He adjusted 3 or 4 cars that day! It was fast and easy, come to the reunion before you spend money on parts and see if it works for you too!

[mutant]

The adjustment is for when the clutch is to high to too low???

I'll post in case you still aren't sure of the answer to your question.

Many years ago my '9L would only disengage when the clutch pedal was all the way to the floor. Floor mat placement was a real problem! After pulling up on the pedal it now disengages at about 2/3 of the way to the floor.

-D