Clutch Adjustment??

91stangy

Member
Jun 11, 2003
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Just recently I pulled the motor of my 87 fox. After reinstalling it and finally getting it running I noticed that every few days I have to adjust my firewall clutch adjuster because the clutch will no longer engage and I can not shift into gear. I have a pretty new cable(non-adjustable) and a Steeda clutch quadrant (the quadrant, adjuster, and cable are about 2 years old). I have to turn the adjuster so that the adjuster is coming out further from the firewall. At this point it is almost all the way out and I am starting to feel the need to adjust it again. Does anyone have any idea why this could be happening. I don't think my clutch is shot because when i do adjust it, I can shift perfectly and smoothly. I have never had this problem before I pulled the motor, but now it has just become a huge pain. if anyone has any ideas please feel free and let me know. Thanks guys.
 
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Either the cable is stretching, the FWA is losing its adjustment or the clutch itself is going. The first two are most likely. My FWA adjustment walks because I cant use the knurled lock-ring (it I tighten it, I cant get my hand in there to loosen it later on).
 
Either the cable is stretching, the FWA is losing its adjustment or the clutch itself is going. The first two are most likely. My FWA adjustment walks because I cant use the knurled lock-ring (it I tighten it, I cant get my hand in there to loosen it later on).

You must have some seriously beefy hands, or some weird kinda FWA. I've never had problems adjusting any of the FWA's I've put on. What brand is yours? (So I know to avoid getting it in the future.)

To the OP, screw the FWA all the way in and take the end of the cable off the quad and look at it - check for any signs of fraying or breakage. Do the same with the tranny end of the cable, while you're at it. You do NOT wanna have that thing break when you're in traffic, or you'll have one VERY long drive home being stuck in one gear (if you're lucky ... or unless you're good at shifting without a clutch and not killing your tranny). If all checks out, loop the cable ends back into position, and while underhood, pull back on the sheath until the cable bottoms out, then screw the FWA out until it contacts the sheath base and puts just a wee bit of tension on it. If you have to wind the thing alllllll the way out and you're using a multi-hook quad, screw the FWA back in all the way again and loop it over the next hook; if it's a single-hook quad, then your cable's stretched out and you'll likely have to invest in a new one. (You could shim it out and get by for awhile, but eventually that cable will snap at some point and leave you stranded.)
 
You must have some seriously beefy hands, or some weird kinda FWA. I've never had problems adjusting any of the FWA's I've put on. What brand is yours? (So I know to avoid getting it in the future.)

The former; it's definitely a personal issue (not a FWA issue).