Clutch Pedal Not Consistent

Exile918

Member
Oct 16, 2014
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Been having this rather annoying issue and im wondering if this happens to all you 5 speed owners. Basically my clutch feels fine for the first few miles of a normal drive but eventually it feels as if the clutch engagement point either changes or its just not as consistent. After a good drive and stop and go traffic the clutch engagement becomes more of a pain. The clutch has about 10k miles on it and its never been abused. Feels more or less hydrolic related but cant pin point. Any help would be appreciated. Note Almost feels like the engament point moves further down the peddal travel. Ive bleed the car several times upgraded to steel braided line and changed brake fluid..
 
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It could be the hydraulic throw out bearing in your transmission. But that’s just a guess. Basically that’s what the clutch pedal presses on to release the clutch. If that goes bad then the engagement point can feel different or even spongy.
 
Exile918,

Have you replaced the assist spring with a Steeda spring (or just pulled the stock spring out altogether)? The assist spring makes the clutch pedal feel rather vague. Taking the spring out firms up the pedal a bit but the engagement point is very consistent. I put the Steeda spring in "just because". It is a very light spring and just ensures that the pedal is not sagging. Having said that, many Mustang owners have removed the spring to no ill effect.

HTH,

Chris
 
This car has no spring sorry for the late response! I actually went ahead and replaced the clutch master and ot really dodnt make a difference! Ive been told i have some trapped air in the system more than likely in the slave! But how do i remove that air? I noticed something is wrong since i drove it one day and it felt amazing. The engagement was linear and smooth but that seems to fade.. Im just about fed up with this any thought??
 
Exile918,

There is a bleeding procedure that uses a vacuum pump (Mitey Mite) and pumping the clutch a bunch of times (10's of times at a go). I will look for the procedure but it is something like... pull vacuum for a while, pump clutch a dozen time, release vacuum, check level, refill, repeat... Isn't this the same procedure that Ford Racing has in their clutch line installation instructions?

Maybe there is some grease or contaminant on the pressure plate that is affecting engagement? From your description it sounds like the problem begins once the fluid is hot. Splitting the clutch and brake fluid into two reservoirs has been done and it does help (according to the posts I have read).

There is also some clearance in the clutch that has to be set but this may be on the pre-2011's. I'll see if I can dig up some info for you. If all else fails, you can take your car to a reputable shop (even the dealer if they have done well for you in the past) and let them fix it.

Hang in there. Few vehicles are as fun to own and drive as the Mustang.

Chris
 
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Exile918,

There is a bleeding procedure that uses a vacuum pump (Mitey Mite) and pumping the clutch a bunch of times (10's of times at a go). I will look for the procedure but it is something like... pull vacuum for a while, pump clutch a dozen time, release vacuum, check level, refill, repeat... Isn't this the same procedure that Ford Racing has in their clutch line installation instructions?

Maybe there is some grease or contaminant on the pressure plate that is affecting engagement? From your description it sounds like the problem begins once the fluid is hot. Splitting the clutch and brake fluid into two reservoirs has been done and it does help (according to the posts I have read).

There is also some clearance in the clutch that has to be set but this may be on the pre-2011's. I'll see if I can dig up some info for you. If all else fails, you can take your car to a reputable shop (even the dealer if they have done well for you in the past) and let them fix it.

Hang in there. Few vehicles are as fun to own and drive as the Mustang.

Chris
Ive actually tried vacuum bleeding however i might of done it slightly different feel free to correct me if im wrong i applied about 15lbs of vaccume pressure and let it sit for about a minute then i released pressure! I left the plug in and i pumped several times! I did that a few times and it does seem to help a bit! Now something that i just noticed today was that it also seems like the idle dips below 500rpm when i give a little gas to take off in first gear and then climbs up And im wondering if me having issues engaging the clutch in first gear when it does that might be the problem? When the car seems to "engage properly " thr throttle also feels so much better and the car feels great. Ive replace the TPS before but didnt solve that problem. I was thinking what the idle dipping makes engagement hard and perhaps im mistakingbit for a clutch hydrolic issue..
 
Ive actually tried vacuum bleeding however i might of done it slightly different feel free to correct me if im wrong i applied about 15lbs of vaccume pressure and let it sit for about a minute then i released pressure! I left the plug in and i pumped several times! I did that a few times and it does seem to help a bit! Now something that i just noticed today was that it also seems like the idle dips below 500rpm when i give a little gas to take off in first gear and then climbs up And im wondering if me having issues engaging the clutch in first gear when it does that might be the problem? When the car seems to "engage properly " thr throttle also feels so much better and the car feels great. Ive replace the TPS before but didnt solve that problem. I was thinking what the idle dipping makes engagement hard and perhaps im mistakingbit for a clutch hydrolic issue..
Ive actually tried vacuum bleeding however i might of done it slightly different feel free to correct me if im wrong i applied about 15lbs of vaccume pressure and let it sit for about a minute then i released pressure! I left the plug in and i pumped several times! I did that a few times and it does seem to help a bit! Now something that i just noticed today was that it also seems like the idle dips below 500rpm when i give a little gas to take off in first gear and then climbs up And im wondering if me having issues engaging the clutch in first gear when it does that might be the problem? When the car seems to "engage properly " thr throttle also feels so much better and the car feels great. Ive replace the TPS before but didnt solve that problem. I was thinking what the idle dipping makes engagement hard and perhaps im mistakingbit for a clutch hydrolic issue..
Meant to say is that maybe the idle dipping is what makes the clutvh engagement a hassle? Cus it does feel like im fighting the throttle to engage it smoothly.. Maybe thats what im actualy experincing and mistaking it for hydrolic related issues?
 
Exile918,

Interesting theory! The dip could be tune related. Does your car have an aftermarket tune and, if it does, who is the tuner (you don't have to post the tuner if you don't want to)?

I didn't have my stock tune for long after I bought my car because it came with a ProCal tune (from Ford Racing) and I got that loaded in quickly, lol. It improved throttle performance significantly. The stock throttle has a bit of lag or vagueness to it and most aftermarket tunes make a nice improvement in throttle response (some better than others, of course).

A little stumble could be due to an air leak. Check connections from the air filter to the intake, and check all the connections on the intake. The stumble could be a dirty MAF (if there is an oiled air filter installed upstream or old age/mileage).

Here's a snip from the instructions for bleeding the clutch line:
  • 1. Holding the rubber stopper in place, operate the vacuum pump to 15-20 inches of vacuum. Hold the vacuum for 1 minute, then quickly relieve the vacuum. Remove the special tools.
  • 2. Check the fluid level of the reservoir. Fill the reservoir with the specified fluid to the MAX mark. Install the reservoir cap.
  • 3. Depress and release the clutch pedal 10 to 12 times or until clutch pedal effort is consistent and positive at top of clutch pedal travel.
  • Repeat Steps 1, 2, and 3 two additional times or until clutch pedal effort is consistent and positive at top of clutch pedal travel.
  • Check the fluid level of the reservoir. Add fluid as necessary. Test the clutch system for normal operation.
Please post your mods (hint, hint: make a signature!) so readers know what you have and can better figure out what is going on.

Thanks,

Chris
 
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Im probably the only mustang owner in America with a stock tune lol in fact the reason why i havent modded the car is because i want to adress this issue or issues that im having before hand. Ive cleaned the thottle body, new fuel filter new plugs and cleaned the MAF for good maintenance which seems to sorta help out a bit but not for long. Its also worth mentioning that my car is on 05 gt and the only reason why i jumped into the 10 to 14s mustangs was simply because there is no one available to offer any help! Ive read online that maybe the throttle body itself might be the problem but id have to be pretty sure thats the problem before spending 200 on a new throttle body. Ive poked around under the hood and couldnt really see anythibg that looked loose or disconnected. Im seriously stuck here i do have a k and N filter but i woulfnt really consider that a mod! Basically the car idles fine! Heres a scenario i put it in first gear as im engaging the clutch feel the bite point the idle feels like it dips or drops! Then im fighting the throttle and i have to apply more gas or it will stall. It becomes difficult to engage smoothly which is why i sometimes think its a hydrolic issue! And the throttle becomes laggy aswell. But every now and then the engagement and response feels great which really confuses the hell out of me. I wish i could just get a check engine light or something..
 
A couple of questions. Did you do the clutch install yourself? What clutch did you put in? Was the flywheel resurfaced or replaced? Does using the clutch in reverse change the feel any? In another recent clutch thread the poster installed a minimal friction surface area clutch suited more to a road track where there are no red lights and speeds forgo most torque considerations. The clutch was put on the streets and he was asking question about clutch problems.

Bleeding is the obvious first consideration but it doesn't really make much sense when the condition isn't there when you first start driving. Because it takes a while for the problem to show up IMO this suggests as the clutch system heats up, the problem shows up. Have you tried changing the hydraulic fluid and maybe with a better grade with a higher heat rating? A $15 to $20 infrared thermometer is a good investment and tool to add to the toolbox.

Have you done anything to test your clutch master cylinder?

Engaging the clutch naturally drops RPM's with the added load on the engine requiring more gas to prevent stalling. Why do you see this as unusual? Is there more to this then you've said?

With modern car electronics I avoid ruling anything out due to no obvious connections but I have a hard time imaging how the throttle body relates to the feel of your clutch pedal. If everything tests fine from the pedal to the slave cylinder I would start looking at the transmission.
 
Yes my dad and I installed the ckutch kit it was an Exedy stage 1 along witha new slave cylinder the only thing i put on used was the clutch master which i replaced recently and didnt make much of a difference. The flywheel was Not resurfaced because it was taken from a car with very low miles infact a shop told us that resurfacing on that flywheel is not necessary cus it literally had no wear on it. But i totally agree that any flywheel should be resurfaced with a new clutch kit install..ive recently found myself second guessing only because its obvious that a manual car will want to stall if not enough throttle is applied and believe me when this thing is working properly i engage smooth hardly any riding of the clutch very perfectionist about it. But when im having issues im noticing that regarless of how well i eas off the clutch and apply the right amount of throttle it wants to bog it seems and makes for a bad engagement.. Sometimes even the throttle feels weird like i try giving it a little gas and it dips to about 500rpm as it bites down so i apply more to keep it from stalling and it just revs high like crazy. Ive replaced the TPS for that reason but the threads ive read point at a faulty throttle body now.. Car goes into gear no grinding and i noticed that when the throttle is right car engagement feels good and car accelerates smooth and shifts smooth as well! Problem is its not CONSISTENT!! Some day is good some day like crap.. As you can see imntrying to avoid taking it to a dealer..
 
This is a lot more descriptive than your initial post. I would still start with replacing the clutch hydraulic fluid with a top of the line grade and the right transmission fluid.

What led you to change the clutch you had? Did you have this problem before changing the clutch?

My advice, make an appointment with a good transmission shop and spend the $50 or whatever to have your transmission\clutch checked out. Make sure the car is in the condition where the problem shows up. Have them take it for a drive. Find out what they have to say and go from there. It would take some intense explanations to convince me that your throttle is effecting where your clutch pedal engages\disengages the clutch.
 
Ive replaced the fluid and actually did the brakes as well. I did take it to a mechanic and he said there nothing mechanically wrong and he suggested bleed the slave cus there might be trapped air that wont bleed out on its own. Easier said than done since the slave has no damb bleeder so im pretty much left with vacuum bleeding which ive tried. Reason for clutch change my car was automatic my dad and i made it manual and like ive said car shufts fine goes into gear doesnt slip ect! I recently payed close attention to what im experiencing and like i said maybe im second guessing the whole thing since im noticing that this whole clutch engagement problem might also be that as the clutch bites the car feels like it wants to bog down drops in rpm and its not because im not giving it enough gas infact i give it plenty for that reason and in the process it makes for a crap engagement. But when its not acting up it feels sooth and even throttle response is good..
 
Have you replaced the factory plastic clutch line with a braided steel line? I’ve herd this William cause the pedal to act up especially after it has happened a few times.
Yes ive replaced the clutch like with steel braided line and ckutch feel did improve but didnt fix the issue! Im already accepting that maybe the the slave cylinder from exedy we installed was and is faulty and the only thing we can do is drop the trans again! I took the car in for a recal and talked to one of the mechanics he printed me the procedure to bleed the system just how youve mentioned and i actually did it again for the third time. Im thinking of installing th slave bleeder thats goes for 60 bucks and try to bleed the slave since ive heard from another mechanic that maybe air is trapped and the only way to remove it is through bleeding slave. Ive read however that those bleeders are nearly impossible to access. Im thinking of just dropping the trans and putting ford slave cylinder.
 
Yes ive replaced the clutch like with steel braided line and ckutch feel did improve but didnt fix the issue! Im already accepting that maybe the the slave cylinder from exedy we installed was and is faulty and the only thing we can do is drop the trans again! I took the car in for a recal and talked to one of the mechanics he printed me the procedure to bleed the system just how youve mentioned and i actually did it again for the third time. Im thinking of installing th slave bleeder thats goes for 60 bucks and try to bleed the slave since ive heard from another mechanic that maybe air is trapped and the only way to remove it is through bleeding slave. Ive read however that those bleeders are nearly impossible to access. Im thinking of just dropping the trans and putting ford slave cylinder.
I have installed space cylinders that were bad out of the box. I would most likely bite the bullet and go that route