A few of you may remember the dilemma I was having regarding no power gains in fifth gear. Well now I have an real problem. I took the car out today for a drive around the block and came into a nearby village, proceeded to downshift, and found out I couldn't shift into second gear. The clutch pedal dropped to the floor and after waiting for about ten minutes, I was finally able to get the car into gear and make my way home. To make a long story short, I had the family mechanic take a look at the car and he concluded that I need a new clutch. The clutch chatters and the pressure plate and/or throw-out bearing are bad.

My mechanic called his usual parts distributor and got a price on a Zoom clutch kit for about $385 which seems extremely high, but then again the employee that was working probably doesn't know his *** from a hole in the ground. I'd much rather get a clutch kit directly from AM seeing I also have a coupon.

I was thinking about the King Cobra; I've heard much better things about this specific product than any of the others.

My question to everyone is if you think this is definitely what I need. I'd also like to know if I need anything else with the clutch kit I purchase - be it a clutch adjuster kit, cable, or quadrant (AM suggests replacing these when the clutch is replaced). My theory is that while I'm at it, I might as well beef up the stock components.

Thanks guys - I appreciate your speedy reply.

 

well i have a cobra with the spec stage 2 clutch kit. you prolly only need the stage 1 unless you plan on making some major mods soon, the king cobra i also hear good things about so that one is up to you. as for the rest, get your flywheel resurfaced or switch to an aluminum one and go with the firewall adjuster and the steeda double hook quadrant. the steeda clutch cable sucks. stick with the stock cable, i'll be switching back to my stock cable whenever i get the time to do it. also, welcome to the forum and good luck with your stang....mine is in the repair shop cuz of a problem stated in my other thread with my potential big problem.

 

Thanks Pyrosis for the good input.

I hate to ask which specific clutch kit because it's largely based on personal preference, but I do want to know what I'm doing is right. The firewall adjuster and quadrant was just the answer I was looking for.

 

My mechanic just got a price on a stock replacement by Precision or Luck and I believe the price he quoted was about $150. Should I go ahead and just get a stock replacement or wait a day and dish out more dough for a King Kobra and Steeda clutch adjuster kit?

 

Well I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with the King Kobra while I'm at it but I'm not sure if I should get a MM quadrant and firewall adjuster or just stick with the stock parts.

EDIT: I went ahead and purchased the King Kobra clutch kit... should be in soon! I'm just going to use the stock cable and quadrant, should be fine.

 

NOOOO..... your stock quadrant is a junky piece of plastic. if you put in a stronger clutch you run the risk of bending and breaking that and even worse scarring your clutch plate. use the stock cable, but get an aftermarket quadrant. clutch adjuster is awesome, you wont regret getting it i promise that.

 

Well I did go ahead and order the Steeda firewall adjuster and double hook quadrant. I just wish I would have listened the first time seeing that these two parts may come in a day after my clutch kit arrives. Thanks for the input again Pyrosis.

I just don't know how to tell the guy who is doing the work that this is really what he needs because he specifically told me that I don't need a firewall adjuster because once I "start messing with the stock settings I'll run into problems." Perhaps I'll just explain (if what believe is correct) that I need an aftermarket quadrant to handle the beefed-up clutch and likewise need a firewall adjuster to cope with the aftermarket quadrant. Plus, won't the King Kobra grab differently than the stock disk and therefore need adjustment? I know you can adjust the setting under the car but it's a whole lot easier to do under the hood.

 

If you think he can't handle installing the firewall adjuster and quadrant then just do it yourself. Its a very simple install with the only hard part being getting the stock cable out of the metal clip that is on it (you have to cut this off). Otherwise its your car and you can tell him to just do what you want.

 

I'm pretty sure I can handle installing both items but I just hate telling a strictly-Ford guy that he's wrong. Then again, he handles a multitude of vehicles which I consider not to be on our level. I doubt he's putting any performance parts in a Focus...

 

lol prolly not....but ya theyre pretty easy to put on yourself. if by stock settings he means the height of the clutch then its up to personal preference, the only thing bad to have is the clutch right at the top or right at the bottom, you gotta give it just an inch or two.

 

Well my damn parts finally came in and I was just reading over the instruction sheet for the clutch kit. The very first recommendation they make is that a new flywheel be used because obviously if the stock flywheel is damaged it's going to ruin your new clutch also. I didn't bother purchasing a new flywheel and was simply planning on getting the current one resurfaced if it needs it; hopefully it's perfectly fine though.

Any thoughts? New flywheel, resurface, or neither? Obviously I won't know until tomorrow night the current condition of the wheel until I have a chance to look at it but just trying to get a feel for your ideas on the subject.

 

Unless the flywheel is scared or warped, just have it resurfaced.

 

Sounds good. My clutch literally just started acting up and I drove it maybe five miles after that so I'm thinking my flywheel is a-ok.

 

ya your probably ok on the flywheel resurfacing but if you plan on gettin better off the line feel and dont mind dumpin money into ur stang then go with the aluminum flywheel like me

 

Well I do plan to mod out the car but I think an aftermarket flywheel is quite a bit down on the list. I didn't plan to upgrade the clutch nearly this soon either but I figured while I'm at it I might as well!

 

Aluminum will destroy off the line performance and is a poor choice for a car driven on the street, unless you are making gobs of torque down low.

 

how do ya figure, less weight in the drivetrain means less dt loss meaning more hp to the wheels?????

 

Well, I finally got the new clutch installed! The old disc was literally toasted, but only on one side - there were simply just shreds of material at best. I'm very happy with the King Cobra so far but I have a few questions.

My mechanic did not install the Steeda quadrant and firewall adjuster because he said that I don't need it due to the kind of clutch that the King Cobra is. If it were a higher performance part then I would, he said.

I guess the question I have is is this valid? I hate to second-guess him because he has been working on Fords all his life and has quite a knowledge bank and he also races stock cars, so he surely knows what he is doing. I just would really hate to burn up a brand-new $300 clutch earlier than I should.

Secondly, my pedal feeling is quite different. I know obviously it will be, but I just want to make sure that it is "right." The clutch engages damn near the very bottom of the pedal throw (near the floor) and take maybe another inch to full engage leaving the right of the pedal travel all the way up to being just about even with the brake pedal "free." My understanding was that the clutch should engage at about half-way through the clutch pedal travel. My mechanic said that the clutch was self-adjusting and that this should fix itself. Also I was told that the pedal will feel much different (obviously) and that I'll simply have to get used to it.

Thirdly, I can expect to smell a slight burnt-clutch smell shortly after installation just as part of the break-in period, correct? Going along with this I want to know how I should drive for the next 500 miles. I am normally a very "slow" shifter unless I'm powershifting which is every great moon because I know it's not good for the clutch. As long as I go easy on the shifting, don't ride the clutch, etc. I should be a-ok, even if I do go WOT, right?

Thanks folk.. I just want to make sure my hard-earned money stays put where it is!

 

The burnt smell should be normal and nothing to worry about as long as it doesn't get a lot worse (don't quote me on this).

As far as break in for the clutch every clutch is different depending on the materials used. Do whatever the manufacturer recommends.

There is a thread or two somewhere on this forum explaining how to adjust your clutch with the stock quadrant. Sorry I don't feel like taking the time to find and link to it. Anyways although it may not be "needed" as your mechanic says, the steeda quadrant and adjuster are a nice upgrade and if you already purchased it is defiantly worth installing. The stock quadrant is made of plastic and will flex during hard shifting which can cause a mushy pedal feeling as well as cause you to miss a gear. All you need is the quadrant and firewall adjuster since the stock cable is stronger and problem free compared to the aftermarket cables.

 

He is retarded, you brought him parts to install and he does not do them. That's just not very professional at all. Install the firewall adjuster and quadrant yourself. It will give you better adjustment and no worry of the stock stuff failing. Which has happened to me while racing at the track and it sucks. And you want the clutch to start to engage just before half way up, with it fully engaged before its all the way up.

 

agreed on both of those, definately put on those since you bought them. smell is ok like teuf said before. i double clutched mine for the break in period but you really dont have to. dont do any WOT runs during the break in period cuz there is a chance that itll slip under the demand for the power. slow shifting is fine. the drop in gear and drop out the clutch is the worst thing for a new clutch anyway. and as for the height for the pedal, i wish mine was able to be adjusted down that far but as soon as i do my aftermarket cable stretches out and brings it right back to the top anyway. but for right now if you want to auto adjust your stock just turn the key to on, not start, throw it in first, lift up on the back of the clutch pedal and then slowly push it down. if you hear it click then its set, if you dont then it already was.

 

Just so I get this straight... the clutch should start to engage - let's say - about a third of the way up and be fully engaged at two-thirds pedal travel? I was told there should be some "free play" in the pedal anyways. I think I'm going to go ahead and install the quadrant and firewall adjuster today.

 

It needs to be full engaged before it gets to the top of the pedal travel. And you don't want it to engage at the bottom. So somewhere in the middle is good. Just play with it and find a setting you like that works. I have I want to say an inch or free play before it grabs at the bottom, maybe a hair more.

 

wish i did but no.....stupid aftermarket cable....btw dustin i love the look of your new sig

 

The new sig does look good! Spent a good part of the day today installing the quadrant and firewall adjuster. Never underestimated an install because the most seemingly easy installs always end up being such a pain in the ***.

I toyed around with the adjustment for quite some time, drove it up and down the street, and finally found a setting where I think I'm happy. Just like getting my power seat just in the right spot, I think it's just right. The clutch starts to engage about a third of the way up and is fully engaged at maybe two-thirds of the way up. I have a tiny bit of "play" in between the top of the pedal travel and when the pedal actually needs to be depressed; is this normal? I believe my mechanic told me at one time the clutch pedal should have a little bit of free play in it at the top of the pedal.

Thanks again for all the help folks... loving the new clutch and adjustment; makes driving a whole lot better! Now all I need is a short shifter!

 

ya its normal, lucky you dont have mine and hear it rattle when cruising, another downside of my shitty cable, not enough tension on the pedal. and the short shifters rock dude, you should def invest in one of them too...you see better shifting when you got that sittin in your right hand

 

All about momentum. With a heavier flywheel, when you let the clutch out, the momentum in the flywheel prevents any bogging. A lighter flywheel has less momentum, so to prevent any bogging, you need to let out w/ more rpms. That's why Aluminum flywheels are suited for cars w/ lots of torque or for road racing.

 

Well my clutch has been super so far. It grabs so much harder than the stocker I had in there when I purchased the car and I've been treating with care (most of the time).

However, I've been having a problem as of late. Occasionally when I pull into my garage at home, I'll hear a noise emitting from the transmission I'm assuming. I normally pull into the garage in first gear and when I stop I have the clutch pedal depressed, my right foot on the break, and still engaged in first gear. At this point I hear a "wa-wa-wa" sound coming from beneath the car. When I put the car into Neutral and release the clutch, the noise simultaneously dies away.

I have no idea what it is but it sounds as if the clutch cable is rubbing on something or it may be too tight because it only happens when I have the pedal depressed and I'm on the brake (like coming to a stop-sign or into my garage). My clutch is adjusted just perfectly. It took a while and a single click here and there since I installed it but it's right where I want it now so I can't see the cable being too tight or loose.

Any thoughts?

 

Does anyone have any ideas relating to my noise issue? I need to have quite a bit of body work done after the accident, but I will also need to fix this problem sooner or later also.

 

Sounds like the throw out bearing is making the noise by what you say. You may have the cable a little too tight or too loose.