How To Install Factory Clutch Cable!?
- Thread starter Tman64
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Do you have the factory quadrant on the pedal, or an aftermarket quadrant. The factory one has a self adjusting mechanism that you would need to release the tension on.
https://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/threads/clutch-cable-adjustment.896272/
https://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/threads/clutch-cable-adjustment.896272/
Yes factory quadrant, so I would release it, install it on the fork (after making sure its on the pedal) and then put the tension back on?
- Mar 2, 2015
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Tie a string to the little plastic point on the quadrant....push adjuster pawl away from quadrant to disengage it....pull the string and tie it to the steering wheel. Then, put the cable in the quadrant...go under to the trans and it should go in the fork.
With the stock quadrant you shouldn't have to......but....you can put a pry bar between the fork and bell housing and push it forward ( towards front of car ) and install lower end of cable.
My advise would be to buy a different quadrant. The plastic ones are known to strip after a new cable is installed. There'll be a pop noise and the pedal will drop to the floor. Once it does this one time its all over.
New quadrants are cheap. Firewall adjuster and aluminum quadrants are one of the best inventions for our cars.
With the stock quadrant you shouldn't have to......but....you can put a pry bar between the fork and bell housing and push it forward ( towards front of car ) and install lower end of cable.
My advise would be to buy a different quadrant. The plastic ones are known to strip after a new cable is installed. There'll be a pop noise and the pedal will drop to the floor. Once it does this one time its all over.
New quadrants are cheap. Firewall adjuster and aluminum quadrants are one of the best inventions for our cars.
Ok thanks, I'll have to try tomorrow. If I would have known I would have gotten aftermarket quadrant and adjustable cable but I figured going stock you couldn't go wrong. If I hadn't gone so far over budget on my build I would just say screw it and get a aftermarket set up.
I'm not sure what our budget is, but an aftermarket quadrant and firewall adjuster are not really that expensive. You can use your stock cable with the aftermarket firewall adjuster and quadrant, I actually prefer the stock cable with firewall adjuster.
Never waste time with cheap parts store clutch cables. Do it right: original, Steeda, or Maximum Motorsports clutch cable. Aluminum quadrant with aggressive ramp rate, and a firewall adjuster.
Clutch Adjustment for stock and aftermarket setups
Revised 28-Apr-2016 to include need for longer cable with single hook quadrant
Clutch adjustment with stock cable and quadrant
There is a self-adjusting mechanism for the clutch cable. As the clutch wears the cable tension changes, that is why there is a self-adjusting mechanism built into the clutch pedal. There is a toothed plastic quadrant with a ratchet pawl that engages the quadrant. As you pull up on the clutch pedal, it ratchets and takes any slack out of the clutch cable. Mess around with the pedal or even bump it while the end that fits in the clutch fork is loose, and it tries to take up the slack in the cable. That has the effect of shortening the cable.
Do the clutch adjustment first before considering any other problems. With the stock plastic quadrant and cable, pull up on the clutch pedal until it comes upward toward you. It will make a ratcheting sound as the self-adjuster works. To release to tension of the stock quadrant, use a screwdriver to lift the ratchet paw up and out of engagement with the quadrant teeth.
You can use a screwdriver to lift the ratchet pawl off the quadrant teeth. That will allow you to move the quadrant to allow more slack in the cable. If the cable is too loose, pull up on the pedal. The ratchet pawl will allow the quadrant to take up the slack in the cable and lock the adjustment.
Adjustable cables are used when the plastic quadrant is replaced with an aftermarket metal quadrant. The downside to this setup is that you have to get under the car to adjust the clutch. Add a firewall adjuster to an adjustable cable setup and you can spare yourself from getting back under the car to make any fine adjustment that you desire.
The fancy 2 and 3 hook quadrants are for use with stock length cable and a firewall adjuster. Use the firewall adjuster and screw in and out to take the slack out of the cable and get the clutch engagement point just where you want it.
Binding clutch cable
A binding clutch cable will make the clutch very stiff. If the cable is misrouted or has gotten too close to the exhaust, it will definitely bind. The binding common to adjustable cables is often due to misplacement of the adjusting nuts on the fork end of the cable. This will also cause the cable to wear and fray. Both nuts should be on the back side of the fork so that the domed nut faces the fork and the other nut serves as jam or locknut to the domed nut.
Clutch pedal adjustment
Clutch pedal adjustment with aftermarket quadrant and cable: I like to have the clutch completely disengaged and still have about 1.5” travel left before the pedal hits the floor. This means that I have only about 1” of free play at the top before the pedal starts to disengage the clutch. Keep in mind that these figures are all approximate. When properly adjusted, there will not be any slack in the clutch cable. You will have 4-15 lbs. preload on the clutch cable. With a non-adjustable cable and a firewall adjuster, the cable needs to go in the second hook of the quadrant. Single hook quadrants used with a firewall adjuster may make the clutch too tight, causing it to slip. The possible exception to this is the Maximum Motorsports cable which is a bit longer to make it work with a single hook quadrant.
Adjustable clutch cable tips:
Loosening the cable adjustment nut (throwout bearing arm moves to the rear of the car) moves the disengagement point towards the floor.
Tightening the cable adjustment nut (throwout bearing arm moves to the front of the car) moves the disengagement point towards the top of the pedal.
Firewall adjuster tips
Turning the firewall adjuster IN makes the engagement point closer to the floor since it loosens the cable. You have to push the pedal to the floor to disengage the clutch. Too loose a cable and the clutch won't completely disengage and shifting will be difficult. Gears will grind and you may have difficulty getting the transmission in first gear when stopped.
Turning the firewall adjuster OUT makes the engagement point farther from the floor since it tightens the cable. You push a short distance to disengage the clutch. Too tight a cable will cause clutch slippage.
Aftermarket solutions to the problem:
The quadrant needs to be replaced if you use any type of aftermarket cable or adjuster. My preference is a Ford Racing quadrant, adjustable cable and Steeda firewall adjuster. The adjustable Ford Racing cable is just as good as the stock OEM cable. It allows a greater range of adjustment than a stock cable with a aftermarket quadrant and firewall adjuster. Combined with the Steeda adjuster, it lets you set the initial cable preload and then fine tune the clutch engagement point to your liking without getting under the car.
Using a stock OEM cable, firewall adjuster and a single hook quadrant may result in not having any free pedal travel before the clutch starts to disengage. I found this out the hard way.
See Summit Racing - High Performance Car and Truck Parts l 800-230-3030 for the following parts.
Ford Racing M-7553-B302 - Ford Racing V-8 Mustang Adjustable Clutch Linkage Kits - Overview - SummitRacing.com Cable and quadrant assembly $90
The Ford Racing Adjustable cable is available as a separate part:
Clutch Cable, Adjustable, Ford, Mercury, 5.0L, Kit
[url=http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SDA-555-7021/]Steeda Autosports 555-7021 - Steeda Autosports Firewall Cable Adjusters - Overview - SummitRacing.com Steeda firewall adjuster. $40
Fix for the quadrant end of the cable popping out of the quadrant when installing a replacement cable courtesy of Grabbin' Asphalt
Help for those who have replaced the clutch assembly and are still having problems with adjustment:
The next step doesn't make much sense it you already have the transmission installed, but just for sake of discussion, here it is:
The throwout bearing sits in the clutch fork arm with the wave springs pressing on the rear flange of the throwout bearing.
Major differences between the distance between the flywheel surface and the clutch fingers may require tinkering with the clutch fork pivot ball. Stack your old pressure plate, clutch disc and flywheel up like they were when installed in the car. Tighten down all the pressure plate bolts and measure the distance between the clutch fingertips and the flywheel face.
Too much thickness will cause the clutch fork arm to sit too far back to get the clutch cable on the quadrant. It may even sit against the rear or the bell housing hole for the clutch fork arm. In that case, reduce the pivot ball height.
Too little thickness will cause the clutch fork arm to sit too far forward and bottom out against the front side of the bell housing hole for the clutch fork arm.. This will prevent the clutch from fully disengaging.
In other words, the clutch fork arm should sit positioned midway or a little towards the rear in the bell housing hole for the clutch fork arm when the cable is properly tensioned.[/url]
Revised 28-Apr-2016 to include need for longer cable with single hook quadrant
Clutch adjustment with stock cable and quadrant
There is a self-adjusting mechanism for the clutch cable. As the clutch wears the cable tension changes, that is why there is a self-adjusting mechanism built into the clutch pedal. There is a toothed plastic quadrant with a ratchet pawl that engages the quadrant. As you pull up on the clutch pedal, it ratchets and takes any slack out of the clutch cable. Mess around with the pedal or even bump it while the end that fits in the clutch fork is loose, and it tries to take up the slack in the cable. That has the effect of shortening the cable.
Do the clutch adjustment first before considering any other problems. With the stock plastic quadrant and cable, pull up on the clutch pedal until it comes upward toward you. It will make a ratcheting sound as the self-adjuster works. To release to tension of the stock quadrant, use a screwdriver to lift the ratchet paw up and out of engagement with the quadrant teeth.
You can use a screwdriver to lift the ratchet pawl off the quadrant teeth. That will allow you to move the quadrant to allow more slack in the cable. If the cable is too loose, pull up on the pedal. The ratchet pawl will allow the quadrant to take up the slack in the cable and lock the adjustment.
Adjustable cables are used when the plastic quadrant is replaced with an aftermarket metal quadrant. The downside to this setup is that you have to get under the car to adjust the clutch. Add a firewall adjuster to an adjustable cable setup and you can spare yourself from getting back under the car to make any fine adjustment that you desire.
The fancy 2 and 3 hook quadrants are for use with stock length cable and a firewall adjuster. Use the firewall adjuster and screw in and out to take the slack out of the cable and get the clutch engagement point just where you want it.
Binding clutch cable
A binding clutch cable will make the clutch very stiff. If the cable is misrouted or has gotten too close to the exhaust, it will definitely bind. The binding common to adjustable cables is often due to misplacement of the adjusting nuts on the fork end of the cable. This will also cause the cable to wear and fray. Both nuts should be on the back side of the fork so that the domed nut faces the fork and the other nut serves as jam or locknut to the domed nut.
Clutch pedal adjustment
Clutch pedal adjustment with aftermarket quadrant and cable: I like to have the clutch completely disengaged and still have about 1.5” travel left before the pedal hits the floor. This means that I have only about 1” of free play at the top before the pedal starts to disengage the clutch. Keep in mind that these figures are all approximate. When properly adjusted, there will not be any slack in the clutch cable. You will have 4-15 lbs. preload on the clutch cable. With a non-adjustable cable and a firewall adjuster, the cable needs to go in the second hook of the quadrant. Single hook quadrants used with a firewall adjuster may make the clutch too tight, causing it to slip. The possible exception to this is the Maximum Motorsports cable which is a bit longer to make it work with a single hook quadrant.
Adjustable clutch cable tips:
Loosening the cable adjustment nut (throwout bearing arm moves to the rear of the car) moves the disengagement point towards the floor.
Tightening the cable adjustment nut (throwout bearing arm moves to the front of the car) moves the disengagement point towards the top of the pedal.
Firewall adjuster tips
Turning the firewall adjuster IN makes the engagement point closer to the floor since it loosens the cable. You have to push the pedal to the floor to disengage the clutch. Too loose a cable and the clutch won't completely disengage and shifting will be difficult. Gears will grind and you may have difficulty getting the transmission in first gear when stopped.
Turning the firewall adjuster OUT makes the engagement point farther from the floor since it tightens the cable. You push a short distance to disengage the clutch. Too tight a cable will cause clutch slippage.
Aftermarket solutions to the problem:
The quadrant needs to be replaced if you use any type of aftermarket cable or adjuster. My preference is a Ford Racing quadrant, adjustable cable and Steeda firewall adjuster. The adjustable Ford Racing cable is just as good as the stock OEM cable. It allows a greater range of adjustment than a stock cable with a aftermarket quadrant and firewall adjuster. Combined with the Steeda adjuster, it lets you set the initial cable preload and then fine tune the clutch engagement point to your liking without getting under the car.
Using a stock OEM cable, firewall adjuster and a single hook quadrant may result in not having any free pedal travel before the clutch starts to disengage. I found this out the hard way.
See Summit Racing - High Performance Car and Truck Parts l 800-230-3030 for the following parts.
Ford Racing M-7553-B302 - Ford Racing V-8 Mustang Adjustable Clutch Linkage Kits - Overview - SummitRacing.com Cable and quadrant assembly $90
The Ford Racing Adjustable cable is available as a separate part:
Clutch Cable, Adjustable, Ford, Mercury, 5.0L, Kit
[url=http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SDA-555-7021/]Steeda Autosports 555-7021 - Steeda Autosports Firewall Cable Adjusters - Overview - SummitRacing.com Steeda firewall adjuster. $40
Fix for the quadrant end of the cable popping out of the quadrant when installing a replacement cable courtesy of Grabbin' Asphalt
Help for those who have replaced the clutch assembly and are still having problems with adjustment:
The next step doesn't make much sense it you already have the transmission installed, but just for sake of discussion, here it is:
The throwout bearing sits in the clutch fork arm with the wave springs pressing on the rear flange of the throwout bearing.
Major differences between the distance between the flywheel surface and the clutch fingers may require tinkering with the clutch fork pivot ball. Stack your old pressure plate, clutch disc and flywheel up like they were when installed in the car. Tighten down all the pressure plate bolts and measure the distance between the clutch fingertips and the flywheel face.
Too much thickness will cause the clutch fork arm to sit too far back to get the clutch cable on the quadrant. It may even sit against the rear or the bell housing hole for the clutch fork arm. In that case, reduce the pivot ball height.
Too little thickness will cause the clutch fork arm to sit too far forward and bottom out against the front side of the bell housing hole for the clutch fork arm.. This will prevent the clutch from fully disengaging.
In other words, the clutch fork arm should sit positioned midway or a little towards the rear in the bell housing hole for the clutch fork arm when the cable is properly tensioned.[/url]
So I went ahead and got adjustable cable, new quadrant, and firewall adjuster.. messed around with it today, decided I would just use the stock quadrant for now till I had a problem which was a mistake. Adjusted the cable a little, went to push the clutch pedal and snapped the stock quadrant. Got the stock quadrant pulled out, couldn't get the new one in, alot thicker. Probably need to pick up a pry bar of some sort and try again.
I believe that there are 2 nylon washers, one on each side of the quadrant. Did you get them out too?
I didn't see any, it was the space between where the stock pawl adjuster sat and the rod it slides on, I couldn't even slide it out, had to cut it out
I'm a little unclear on how you're trying to install it. You should not need the pry bar until you're trying slide the cable onto the clutch fork, assuming you're using the non-adjustable style of cable.
The quadrant goes on first without cable attached. Just make sure that the cable is in a spot where you can get to it to slide it over the quadrant.
With an adjustable cable (Steeda), there's no reason to use a pry bar at all. You'd just need to remove the nut and adjuster from the end of the cable until everything else is installed, then with firewall adjuster spun all the way towards the firewall, snug the adjustment nut up nearly against the clutch fork. Finally, back the firewall adjuster out until the clutch is adjusted to your liking.
Which adjustable cable did you buy? If you bought it at a parts store, take it back now! They only make life more difficult. Stock non-adjustable, MM non-adjustable, or Steeda adjustable are the only ones that I know you can trust. Trust me, or learn the hard way!
Edited for clarity
Last edited:
The cable is no longer the issue.. I know how to install it and how it works. Being adjustable now made that part 10x easier
The new SR performance clutch quadrant, is not wanting to go onto the pedal assembly. It's a thicker than the stock quadrant, the space between the quadrant and whatever is to the right of it is very small. Removing the stock plastic quadrant was not easy and would not just slide out. I had to cut it out in pieces lol.
Ok, I think I get it. The cable is not your current problem, but keep in mind that it eventually will be. Within a few months, it will finally stretch, break, or become intolerably hard to depress. Though it is not your immediate frustration, you'll appreciate knowing about it.
I guess you're not trying to use the pry bar for the clutch fork, at all. Perhaps you want to use it under the dash, though to what purpose I cannot envision.
That you had to cut the stock quadrant is also beyond me. I think you're saying that the quadrant is apparently too thick to mount in place of the stocker. I never saw that problem before. The 2 pedal assembly rods have more than ample room to mount the UPR, McCleod, and Steeda quadrants I've installed on foxes. Perhaps you should take a close look at the two pedal assembly rods to see if they've been bent or if there is still something from the stock quadrant blocking the installation of the new quadrant. The only other possibility I can imagine is that the quadrant is for another car. I physically lay upside down so I can see what's going on when I install them.
I guess you're not trying to use the pry bar for the clutch fork, at all. Perhaps you want to use it under the dash, though to what purpose I cannot envision.
That you had to cut the stock quadrant is also beyond me. I think you're saying that the quadrant is apparently too thick to mount in place of the stocker. I never saw that problem before. The 2 pedal assembly rods have more than ample room to mount the UPR, McCleod, and Steeda quadrants I've installed on foxes. Perhaps you should take a close look at the two pedal assembly rods to see if they've been bent or if there is still something from the stock quadrant blocking the installation of the new quadrant. The only other possibility I can imagine is that the quadrant is for another car. I physically lay upside down so I can see what's going on when I install them.
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