I've been reading some of the other posts regarding clutch problems on Mustangs. The problem I'm having with my clutch seems different then most of the other posts. When starting from a dead stop, the clutch doesn't engage until the pedal is 1-2" from the top. Sometime when starting on a hill, it feels like the clutch slips a bit until I get going. I've adjusted the self adjusting clutch cable several times but it doesn't seem to help. Right now it seems like there is no free play at the top of the pedal. I don't know if this makes a difference but a friend of mine told me that both pedals (clutch and brake) are suppose to be at the same height. In mine, the clutch pedal is about 1" higher then brake pedal. I had the car at the dealer and they said the clutch is about shot. I find that hard to believe because I only have 65,000 miles on it and I don't abuse the clutch.
Is there a way to know that the clutch itself is bad? Can it be inspected without removing the tranny? Could this problem be due to the clutch cable?
I want to take the vehicle on a long trip next week. Is there a possibility I could cause damage by driving the vehicle with this condition?
Sounds like your clutch may be at or near the end of life to me :( Good news is you have been paying attention and can now service it before you get stranded someplace or cause needless damage.
If the clutch disk is completely worn out there is a potential for metal on metal damage to the flywheel (or pressure plate) not to mention that you could end up stranded somewhere, so I would think seriously before driving it a long distance in this condition if you are already experiencing slippage. Once it starts slipping the wear increases fast.
If you do have a clutch job done, do it all -- replace the clutch disk, pressure plate , throwout bearing and pilot bushing. A complete job probably also includes a mild resurfacing of the flywheel as well.
You will get the longest life out of the clutch if you replace all the components at the same time.
Considering the majority of the cost to you is labor (if you aren't doing the job yourself), saving a few bucks on a throwout bearing, pilot bushing or pressure plate will seem foolish if you have to pay the mechanic to go back in soon to replace those parts when they wear out.
As for replacing a clutch at 65K miles, I wore out the clutch on mt 98 cobra before 70,000 miles and didn't really 'abuse' it, but did get 'on it' quite a bit. As I recall Ford increased the clutch diameter on the cobras shortly after the 98's and I can tell you that they needed to -- it was undersized to begin with and could be made to slip under full acceleration.
How does your 96 GT run? My wife had one and it ran HOT HOT HOT all the time. Ford never really solved the problem and there was a TSB on the matter. The problem was most prevalent in dry hot climates like Southern California where we live.
Steve
fro96gt wrote:
Mustangs. The problem I'm having with my clutch seems different then most of the other posts. When starting from a dead stop, the clutch doesn't engage until the pedal is 1-2" from the top. Sometime when starting on a hill, it feels like the clutch slips a bit until I get going. I've adjusted the self adjusting clutch cable several times but it doesn't seem to help. Right now it seems like there is no free play at the top of the pedal. I don't know if this makes a difference but a friend of mine told me that both pedals (clutch and brake) are suppose to be at the same height. In mine, the clutch pedal is about
1" higher then brake pedal. I had the car at the dealer and they said the clutch is about shot. I find that hard to believe because I only have 65,000 miles on it and I don't abuse the clutch.
without removing the tranny? Could this problem be due to the clutch cable?
could cause damage by driving the vehicle with this condition?
IIRC, part of Ford's solution to that problem was to remove the honeycomb grill. You'll notice it was no longer present in '97-'98 cars. I pulled it from my '96, put a 180°F thermostat in, and put a bottle of Purple Ice (like Water Wetter) in the system and it stays plenty cool in the summer.
Mustangs. The problem I'm having with my clutch seems different then most of the other posts. When starting from a dead stop, the clutch doesn't engage until the pedal is 1-2" from the top. Sometime when starting on a hill, it feels like the clutch slips a bit until I get going. I've adjusted the self adjusting clutch cable several times but it doesn't seem to help. Right now it seems like there is no free play at the top of the pedal. I don't know if this makes a difference but a friend of mine told me that both pedals (clutch and brake) are suppose to be at the same height. In mine, the clutch pedal is about 1" higher then brake pedal. I had the car at the dealer and they said the clutch is about shot. I find that hard to believe because I only have 65,000 miles on it and I don't abuse the clutch.
************************************************ While there is no way to diagnose it over the Internet, if you truly believe the clutch should still have life, you may want to see if the adjustable quadrant has gone bad. The pawls that lock the adjuster can fail with time and wear so it won't hold the slack. You could get an aftermarket quadrant and firwall adjuster and have a go of it. Total for the two pieces is $50-$75 depending on what you get.
I don't seem to have problems with my GT running hot, however, I don't live in a warm climate. I do notice that the electronic fan kicks on a lot especially when I drive in traffic even though the temperature outside is fairly cool. I have no problems on the open road.
Back to the clutch, with the little free play I have at the top of the pedal, do you think I'm running on the throw out bearing all the time?
I am not an expert on that aspect of the clutch operation, however if there is still some freeplay, I suspect that the throw out bearing is not engaged all the time. I suspect that the automatic adjuster would not adjust the linkage so much that the throw out bearing is engaged all the time if it is working properly.
steve
fro96gt wrote:
a warm climate. I do notice that the electronic fan kicks on a lot especially when I drive in traffic even though the temperature outside is fairly cool. I have no problems on the open road.
do you think I'm running on the throw out bearing all the time?
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