garlic

Hello,
I have a slipping clutch. being the cheap **** person that I am, I want to make sure that the clutch pedal is properly adjusted and is actually engaging correctly. (the only "adjust" option in the FSM for this problem...)

Having never done this before (or anything trickier than changing the oil and coolent) i want to make sure I am not going to destroy my tranny or anything else. I dont really care about the clutch, I figure I would have replaced it anyway.

The reason I think the pedal needs adjusting is as follows:
* It is really heavy (not much I can do about this, just leads me to believe the clutch/pp isnt stock)
* has about 3cm of free play (like you can "lift" it up that far)
* the friction point is <15mm before completely disengaging the clutch (what a good clutch to learn how to drive a manual on... )

now the only other experience i have had with manual cars is in a new nissan pulsar in which the clutch really light and the friction point is about 5cm before completely disengaging the clutch.

I have read a good number of posts about clutch's, but none really explained this for me, any help apreciated

fc3sfreek

iTrader: (6)

my clutch is the same way but its always been like that since i put the stage 3 in it. and only recently it started slipping but i think thats cuz i didnt let it break in.

ramses666

iTrader: (1)

Clutch is slipping how? 1st gear at idle? Or maybe pulling 4th on the hwy? Rattling sound? Grinding while slipping or what? More description might help. My clutch started slipping pulling 4th gear on the highway. Had to have the clutch & plate replaced. I had just got the car & had been downshifting quite a bit... I burned the plate. My bad. Start sniffing!!

Ramses666

garlic

I know I have burnt it a couple of times... I dont really drive the car hard... I mean I am still learning how to drive manual... I figure that has something to do with it (me learning), I have noticed it slipping quite a bit accellerating in 4th, sometimes in 3rd too... like if I stomp on it and get some boost happening... the rpms climb.. the speed doesnt etc.

I can drive the car pretty casually and it doesnt seem to slip so much

devin12a

my clutch does this as well. slips in 1st gear 2500 rpm and up. 2nd gear bout the same. 3rd gear slips about same and 4th and 5th i can drive casually but still slips over about 2200 rpm. i want to see if there are adjustments before i buy a new one.

clokker

iTrader: (2)

The adjustment is conceptually simple but as it requires accessing the clutch master>pedal pushrod, physically irritating.
Unless you enjoy trying to lay on your back in the footwell, in which case this is your day.

Having contorted your way into position, use the light you thoughtfully brought to see the pushrod coming to the clutch pedal. This pushrod threads into a clevis (a u-shaped bracket, essentially) thats pinned to the clutch pedal. The pushrod adjustment is where the rod goes into the clevis.

This adjustment is secured by a nut that jambs the rod to the clevis, I believe the nut takes a 14mm open end wrench. Which you brought along with the flashlight when you first crawled in.
Loosen the nut.

You can now spin the rod by hand, one way "lengthens" the rod, the other "shortens" it.
When you've taken out all the excessive slack, tighten the nut against the rear of the clevis and you're done.
Call your assistants to come help pry you out of the footwell.

If the car was cold when you do this, drive it and get up to operating temp and then recheck the freeplay, make sure that heated brake fluid didn't expand away all the clearance you need (about 3/16").
This will require getting back in the footwell and I usually like to hire Chinese gymnasts to do that for me.

fcdrifter13

Adjusting the pedal freeplay unless it was to tight will not adjust the actual clutch. Freeplay is measured in the downward stroke until you feel that the hydraulics have taken all of the slack from the system and started to apply pressure onto the pressure plate. So unless the rod was so far extended that the pedal was maxed out and it was applying force unto the clutch master this is not your problem.

bumpstart

mixing an NA slave onto a turbo gearbox makes for a combo that loses its dead drop at the pedal and rides when the fluid is hot


you need to have 1 inch dead drop at the pedal .. then go to the engine bay and see if you can wiggle the rod in the slave , or pull it back a fraction

if it is tight on the fork.. it is over adjusted

clokker

iTrader: (2)

Except garlic described excessive freeplay ("3 cm"), which certainly does call for, and would benefit from, adjustment.
Might benefit from bleeding and may require new master/slave.

None of which will solve a slipping clutch but at least the hydraulic actuation side would be good.

bumpstart

PS

if you are not getting very many kms on your pressure plate and disk combos then check the following

NA slave on a turbo gearbox

incorrect deck heights on the flywheel
( usually when heavily worn . or when only the friction face is machined , and the deck height is not readjusted )

badly over-adjusted hydraulics

driving technique

too much HP for the pressure plate or friction surface




////if it wont go into gear

check slave and master hydraulics throw fully, and stay thrown when clutch is depressed

check the spigot bearing

check for under adjustment of pedal ( too much dead drop )

broken clutch disk
( the organic ones tend to fracture sections between rivets and trap a double thickness , and the plate cannot disengage )

gearbox syncros

fcdrifter13

Pulling up on the pedal I dont describe as free play. Pulling up and adjusting the pedal to be tight can cause and over extension of the hydraulics and clutch components which is why it is only measured on the down stroke. There should be a couple of CM before you feel the pedal hit, that is what is described as freepedal, freetravel, deadpedal, who knows what else. Lifting up on the pedal could mean a couple of things, a bad return or worn components it should return its highest position on its own and adjusting the rod may just be masking another problem.

I am not saying that the movment up at 3cm is normal, as it is not, but adjusting the linkage, unless incorrectly adjusted before will only mask another problem. Much like a peterbilt, they have 2.5in of freeplay before the pedal engages the forks to the bearing, any more than this or inoperative clutch brake is the cause of a clutch being out of adjustment, which is adjusted on the clutch. The whole linkage system is set by the factory and any adjustment on this system indicates wear in the linkage system, fork, or throw out bearing so adjusting the slack out of that only masks a problem that should be looked into.

I dont like the internet, so hard to explain things, I am more of a let me show you what im talking abotu than let me type it out. The message gets lost and I sound like a jackass

clokker

iTrader: (2)

Well, the FC doesn't have much linkage per se and the only adjustment is at the pedal, so that's the only thing he can change.

I agree about diagnosing/describing in pixels rather than in person and actually don't think his problem is adjustment but that's the info he asked for and that's what I gave him.

fcdrifter13

Totally understandable

misterstyx69

iTrader: (142)

Clokker's avatar is imagining a 200 pound guy stuck in the driver's side footwell..!