Clutch cable... How????

[Wisconsin_Snake]

Ok, I will be setting up the drive train this weekend.
I am getting a ton of parts off a 1984 Mustang (that was totaled with 7000 miles on it, then it sat for 17 years)
What I am confused about is, where is the adjustment part for the clutch cable???
On the 84 Mustang’s clutch pedal bracket, it was there with a automatic adjuster. I see nothing on the CR’s bracket to hook anything up except the end of the cable.

Second question... How do I get the body on the frame (with the firewall in place and the brake booster and master cylinder hooked up?? Or do I put those on after the body has been mounted???

Thanks

[petek]

On my CR Cobra the clutch cable is adjusted at the throw out arm (threaded rod on the cable).

You can put darn near everything onto the chassis before dropping the body on. Engine, tranny, brake system. About the only thing I left out while installing the body was the steering column (as it seemed to get into the way of the inner liner.

[dscott]

Wsnake, Pete is right, the adjustment is at the clutch arm. You do need to remove the column and the master cylinder to install the body. I usually push the column forward for clearance and hang the master off to the side.
Don

[Wisconsin_Snake]

Ok, so with the clutch cable, you are saying that I need to buy a bracket so I can do the adjustment at the arm? Can I still use the clutch cable or do I need to buy a new one too???
Can you please give me some years as references to get the necessary bracket and need be, cable...
Thanks

[Jack21]

Stock setup, I believe, uses MII clutch cable and firewall adapter/mount. It adjusts at the clutch fork. Some folks have experienced difficulty in keeping clutch in adjustment if the 'glass on the firewall is a litttle thin where the MII firewall mount attaches.

I used a different approach. Used late ('79-up) Mustang aftermarket (BBK) clutch cable, quadrant, and adjustable firewall adapter from Summit. Most local speed shops carry these also.

Used a portion of the quadrant grafted onto the CR clutch pedal upper portion. Works like a Nautilus Machine cam, instead of a straight pull. The cable is longer, beefier, and teflon lined for minimal friction. The rubber piece is discarded. The BBK firewall adjuster was mounted on an aluminum "Puck" I made from a piece of scrap aluminum that positioned the firewall end of the cable the same distance from the firewall as the MII piece did, but spread the load over a larger surface, and mounted the same way. (sounds complicated, but it's not). For additional insurance, I used a rubber gasket (hardware store, plumbing dept) to cushion the puck. I used aluminum because I had a piece. Plastic, poly, even wood will work.

At any rate, the clutch pull is a lot smoother and easier (I can depress clutch - Centerforce unit - with my hand). Clutch now adjusts both at the firewall for incremental adjustments, and at the clutch fork for initial setup. The cable is long enough to be mounted away from a header.

Have shots and Summit part numbers of this if anyone is interested.

11,000 miles, and still working perfectly. Only regret is not upgrading the stock clutch pedal shaft bushings to bearings while I had it apart. Mileage includes a lot of stop and go driving, and some bushing wear is evident.

[Jim Werth]

Wisconsin snake, What part of the state are you from?

[Spanky]

Wisconsin Snake,

The "stock" clutch cable is from a '79 Mustang with a Ford part # d9zz-7k553-b or Napa 615-1008.

Spanky.

[dscott]

Snake, You will also need a clutch sleeve to go with the cable from the 79 Mustang. It mounts on the firewall and acts as a spacer and holder for the cable. The setup Jack21 uses is a good option if you are able to modify the parts as he described.
Don

[Jack21]

It's a little more of a hassle on the install, but it seemed to eliminate any hassle with the clutch, once the car was on the street, particularly with larger engines and stiffer clutches and the posts I was reading about clutches mysteriously going out of adjustment.

Only the front half of the quadrant is used. The graft involves 3 ea., 1/4" bolts. The cable end just drops into the slot, and stays put.

The firewall adjuster could be eliminated for simplicity and the BBK cable set into the OEM firewall mount and it's done. I had two objectives in the BBK adjustable firewall adapter, and beefier firewall mount. First, it makes initial install and subsequent incremental adjustments as the clutch wears a snap. Second, I wanted to spread the load applied to the fiberglass firewall as the clutch was depressed over a larger, and cushoned surface area. This would eliminate any firewall flexing, or cracking.

It worked for me.

[Double Venom]

Jack,
I gotta know. DId your firewall crack, or do you know of any that have cracked?

I've never heard of this and know you have mentioned it before.
DV

[Wisconsin_Snake]

Jack21... You said you have shots of your setup, can I please have them... Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words :-)
Thanks...

Jim, I am in Milwaukee... Shoot me an email some time.

[petek]

After driving my Cobra for a little while I'm starting to think that a floor mounted set of pedals might be in order (just to gain a little bit more leg room).

[Jack21]

e-mail is jwalsh21@ix.netcom.com. Send, and will return e-mail with shots and part #'s.

DV, Firewall never flexed or cracked on me personally. Anticipated this as a potential problem area and installed the BBK setup with firewall adapter and mount. Of several clutch adjustment posts I corresponded on, a Rick Harms out in your neck of the woods (Columbus, Ohio) had a 408W and was tearing his hair out with this. Installed this setup and clutch adjustment woes stopped. The glass doesn't crack per se', but frays...softens...becomes un-homogenious. Then it flexes, moves back and forth as clutch depresses, and cable exerts load on firewall. Given the sum of mechanical advantages in the linkage to move the throwout bearaing 3/8" through a clutch pedal travel of 4" - 5", and it doesn't take much slop to throw clutch engagement out of kilter.

Actually, this was just Phase 1 of getting a clutch pedal effort I could live with after driving another CR, stock clutch, and very unacceptable pedal effort. (Almost put a C4 automatic in the car because of this) Much to my pleasant surprise, this was all that was necessary.

Another pleasant surprise was the effortlessness with the way this T5Z shifts. T5's are the bane of all Mustang drag racers, right? They blow up. Liberty Transmissions and I had a lenghtly discussion over T5 vs Tremec 3550. The Cobra is 1000 pounds lighter than a Mustang, you can't put enough torque through the transmission with street tires to damage the trans, the tires will spin first. Overshift the trans and you break the forks. Protect the forks with an aftermarket shifter with overshift stop bolts (Hurst, among others has this) and the trans should last. The T5Z, with me driving it, should last well beyond 100,000 miles. And it shifts like a Honda.

[Jack21]

Petek,

The pedal set you have is fine. You can modify the linkages to engage/disengage further down to gain leg room.

I'm trying to fabricate a clutch pedal adapter (piece of 2x4) to put clutch pedal about 2" up for short legged wife to drive car. Then remove so I can drive car.

I used a soldering gun on the carpet to melt seat track indentations for seat tracks to sit in. Also used flat washers to position seats as low into frame as they could go. You could pick up an additional inch by eliminating adjustable seat tracks for fixed seat track brackets.

[CheeseSnake]

Jack,

Does the BBK cable then come with just a stop on the pedal end instead of the normal ring end? Do you have part numbers for the BBK cable, quadrant and firewall adjuster? I have broken 1 cable, and the pedal has rough spots in the travel as though the bushing is gone (there is no bushing on the cable mount - it attached to the pedal with just a bolt). Had to drive it home about 15 miles with no clutch - interesting when you have to stop .

[petek]

Jack,

I can see how the accelerator and clutch pedals could be adjusted to be lower, but I don't see how to adjust the brake pedal (well, unless I used a different length rod between the booster and master).