Is this a stock firewall adjuster?

Joe 5.0

Founding Member
Feb 1, 2002
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Macomb, MI (metro detroit)
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I have a Tremec 3550, but I wasnt the owner when it was installed. I had assumed it had an adjustable clutch cable, but it appears as though it is stock. I cant find any adjusting nuts.

The reason I ask is because it has become really hard to shift from a stop and I think the cable is either stretched or out of adjustment.

Also how hard is a clutch cable replacement? I would prob go with the MM kit.
 
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Hard to say if that's an adjustable cable or not, because there are so many different ones. The Maximum Motorsports cable is not an adjustable cable per say, but requires a firewall adjuster which you buy seperately, which makes it adjustable. The adjustment screws would be on the clutch fork not the firewall. That's the only way to tell if it's adjustable.

Kurt
 
If you look at the driver's side of the trans, you'll see the cable where it attaches to the fork. If there are a couple of nuts (or at least one - someone may have lost the lock-nut) on the end of the cable, the cable is adjustable.

If you have the stock set-up, you can pull up on the clutch pedal and see if it will self-adjust.
 
Any guides or advice on how to get to the clutch forks? Its a 3550 if that matters.

Revhead, are you saying it could be adjustable just doesnt have a firewall adjuster?

That's exactly what I'm saying. You can always put a firewall adjuster on there, but it only serves the purpose of making adjustments without having to crawl under the car. If you go under the car, on the driver's side of the bellhousing, there is a metal dustcover with one screw at the bottom. That little screw should be a 10mm nut. You remove that dustcover and the outside end of the clutch fork along with the cable is extended out of the bellhousing under the dustcover. If it's adjustable cable it will have a threaded end with two nuts on it where it grabs the clutch fork. If it's not adjustable, it will just have a little end on there that is not adjustable.

Kurt
 
Well I finally got under the car and was happy to see it IS an adjustable cable. There was no dust cover, but its a Lakewood bellhousing, so maybe thats why.

I could see that there was way too much slack in the line, as the shift fork didnt even move for maybe the first 1/3rd of the pedal movement.

I threaded in tighter for about half the length, but it ended up being too much as it was then engaging right at the top of pedal travel. I think I have found a pretty close perfect middle ground where its completely disengaging but still starting to engage about halfway during pedal travel.

Thanks a ton for helping out guys. Now that I know how simple it is I feel dumb for not fixing it earlier. The car is now shifting 100% better and is alot funner to drive.
 
Well I finally got under the car and was happy to see it IS an adjustable cable. There was no dust cover, but its a Lakewood bellhousing, so maybe thats why.

I could see that there was way too much slack in the line, as the shift fork didnt even move for maybe the first 1/3rd of the pedal movement.

I threaded in tighter for about half the length, but it ended up being too much as it was then engaging right at the top of pedal travel. I think I have found a pretty close perfect middle ground where its completely disengaging but still starting to engage about halfway during pedal travel.

Thanks a ton for helping out guys. Now that I know how simple it is I feel dumb for not fixing it earlier. The car is now shifting 100% better and is alot funner to drive.

I would be much happier to see a STOCK cable, the adjustable stuff is garbage. I bet if you swap out to an OEM Ford cable, the pedal feels much lighter and smoother. You could then do a firewall adjuster (if you have an aftermarket quadrant), and never have to climb under the car to mess with it again.