EDIT: Problem "fixed". Main culprit was a broken clutch cable sheath. Thanks for everyone's help!
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Hello,
I'm thinking my clutch quadrant is probably broken. Also, the cable sheath is broken near the clutch housing.
I've done lots of searches for info.
My clutch is totally stock, like almost everything else on the car. I got the car a few months ago, and the original owner said that the clutch has never been worked on.
I was driving last night, and suddenly I had to push really hard on the shift knob, to get it into and out of gear. Also, I heard a grinding noise when I shifted from neutral to first. It was especially hard to shift into reverse. In fact, I never successfully shifted into reverse.
So, it seems like the clutch is not disengaging.
With the engine off, when I push down the clutch pedal, I hear a racheting noise, and a creaking noise. Strangely though, I hear the racheting from underneath the car, rather than from underneath the dashboard. It seems like a broken clutch quadrant should make a racheting noise underneath the dashboard, but I'm just guessing. The creaking noise also comes from underneath the car.
Here's a photo of the clutch fork, with the clutch pedal pressed all the way to the floor. Is the clutch fork supposed to travel farther than this? It travels less than an inch from the back.
http://www.mustangmods.com/ims/u/2198/3911/77305.jpg
Also, the clutch cable sheath seems to be broken, near where the cable goes into the clutch housing. Unfortunately, I don't know if the sheath broke last night, or if it's been broken a long time. Here's a photo of the sheath, with the clutch pedal pressed all the way to the floor. See how the sheath is broken, and the sheath wires are flexing outward.
http://www.mustangmods.com/ims/u/2198/3911/77311.jpg
It seems like a broken sheath could act like the reverse of a firewall adjuster, and making the cable more loose, which may be adding to the problem I'm having. But, because of the racheting noise, I'm guessing that the main problem is the quadrant/pawl. Here's a nice article on the subject.
http://www.thompsontransmission.com/techarticles/clutchcableadjustment.html
I'm leaning toward getting a new sheath, a Fiore quadrant and firewall adjuster, and a new OEM cable.
I know I should start it, put it into 1st, push the clutch pedal all the way down, and see if it moves forward. However, I've got it on Rhino ramps, and I don't really want to attempt to get it off the Rhino ramps, and risk damaging the tranny any further.
Do you guys agree, that it seems like the quadrant is broken?
********************************************************
Hello,
I'm thinking my clutch quadrant is probably broken. Also, the cable sheath is broken near the clutch housing.
I've done lots of searches for info.
My clutch is totally stock, like almost everything else on the car. I got the car a few months ago, and the original owner said that the clutch has never been worked on.
I was driving last night, and suddenly I had to push really hard on the shift knob, to get it into and out of gear. Also, I heard a grinding noise when I shifted from neutral to first. It was especially hard to shift into reverse. In fact, I never successfully shifted into reverse.
So, it seems like the clutch is not disengaging.
With the engine off, when I push down the clutch pedal, I hear a racheting noise, and a creaking noise. Strangely though, I hear the racheting from underneath the car, rather than from underneath the dashboard. It seems like a broken clutch quadrant should make a racheting noise underneath the dashboard, but I'm just guessing. The creaking noise also comes from underneath the car.
Here's a photo of the clutch fork, with the clutch pedal pressed all the way to the floor. Is the clutch fork supposed to travel farther than this? It travels less than an inch from the back.
http://www.mustangmods.com/ims/u/2198/3911/77305.jpg
Also, the clutch cable sheath seems to be broken, near where the cable goes into the clutch housing. Unfortunately, I don't know if the sheath broke last night, or if it's been broken a long time. Here's a photo of the sheath, with the clutch pedal pressed all the way to the floor. See how the sheath is broken, and the sheath wires are flexing outward.
http://www.mustangmods.com/ims/u/2198/3911/77311.jpg
It seems like a broken sheath could act like the reverse of a firewall adjuster, and making the cable more loose, which may be adding to the problem I'm having. But, because of the racheting noise, I'm guessing that the main problem is the quadrant/pawl. Here's a nice article on the subject.
http://www.thompsontransmission.com/techarticles/clutchcableadjustment.html
I'm leaning toward getting a new sheath, a Fiore quadrant and firewall adjuster, and a new OEM cable.
I know I should start it, put it into 1st, push the clutch pedal all the way down, and see if it moves forward. However, I've got it on Rhino ramps, and I don't really want to attempt to get it off the Rhino ramps, and risk damaging the tranny any further.
Do you guys agree, that it seems like the quadrant is broken?