XR6 Ute Clutch Question

[Pict]

Hey guys, had my XR6 ute for a week or so now and love it to bits.

It's got 100,000kms on it and it in excellent condition, well maintained etc.

I've searched the forums to death about an issue I think I'm having with the clutch though.

I *think* my pedal box is buckled/breaking/broken. The clutch pedal is not aligned with the the other two pedals and looks a bit crooked. When I first got the car is was near impossble to put into 1st, and when changing gears it often felt like the clutch wasnt disengaged properly. It was also the heaviest clutch I have ever felt in my life. The clutch cable coming out of the engine bay was very loose, so I tightened it up a bit and it's now easier to get into gear etc.

So I have a few questions.

Is it worth taking my pedal box out and inspecting it?
Should I adjust the clutch further? What exactly is the clutch cable adjusting, pedal throw? or effect of clutch lever?
The clutch cable looks like it's almost at the end of it's adjustment (lots of thread hanging into the engine bay) - am I reading that right?


Cheers guys, sorry for the essay!

[LANKY 1]

Have you looked at where the cable goes through the firewall? On my old XF it has started to rip out and i couldn't change gears at all, noticed on my AU that it has allready been welded up

And the clutches are normally heavy because they are a cable and not hydraulic

[Pict]

The hole in the firewall where the cable comes through appears to be fine, I'm just worried the the pedal box is going to collapse.

When I adjusted the clutch cable, the pedal did feel a bit lighter tho

[FLOORED]

If the firewall is fine check under the dash with a torch and check where the pedal pivots on the pedal box and see if that is not broken.

[Pict]

Pedal box is not broken, it just seems as though the pedal may be bent to the side a bit?

I adjusted the clutch a bit more, which moved the pedal further out. It's no longer as stiff!

What would this indicate? The clutch cable is on its way out? I was advised that the clutch is only new and replaced ~5000km's ago.

What do you guys think?

[LANKY 1]

was just thinking a pic of the bent pedal would be good, but if the pedal box is all good, no idea how someone would bend the pedal.

[Pict]

The clutch pedal is probably an inch further out than the other printers.




Here is the clutch adjuster, it looks to be a fair way out.

[Pict]

Sorry they are huge :S

[LANKY 1]

Wow that is mega bent!!, it should be horizontal like the brake.
I don't know anything bout adjusting the clutch

[bodes-sh]

looks like that cable has stretched a bit, as for the pedal, if it is the actual pedal that is bent i don't think you can fix it, you will probably need a new one. as for the cable, you will need a new one of them soon too

[Pict]

New clutch cable sounds the go then.

I take it I can just order through Ford and install myself?

[webby_191189]

bent pin, ive got the same issue in my ute running an exedy heavy duty clucth

[Pict]

bent pin aye.. can I replace it? or will i need a new pedal box?

[mik]

sometimes clutch parts wear and cause binding or lack lubricant in places which places a lot of strain on the cable, firewall and pedal box, add to that people get heavier duty clutches that can load up the these items, then when they wear and bind even harder it can sometimes be the straw the breaks the camels back, clutch cables dry up on the inside and bind, some types of pressure plates can wear a ridge in the fingers that the throw out bearing/thrust bearing has to climb over every time the clutch is depressed , sometimes a bit of lubricant on the cable and a tiny smear of graphite or grease on the pressure plate fingers will turn a beast of a clutch into a corolla clutch, you used to be able to get at the fingers through fork hole with a long screw driver and a bit of lubricant on the end in earlier models not sure on these, i think, the rule used to be if you put your foot on the clutch with engine off and its easy and smooth , then you do the same engine running and its hard and sort of has a jerky spot that means the thrust is bearing is binding on grooves worn into the fingers on the pressure plate, if its just plain hard hard there could be a problem elsewere or a combination of problems, fraid cable etc, gee Gee that pedal looks quite bad, you need to get a better look up under the dash if possible, that is just an explanation of binding and does`nt cover worn clutch plate,slipping , etc,etc, i hope i`m not talking too much crap , its been a long time since i touched a clutch(wussy auto driver).

[webby_191189]

Originally Posted by Pict

bent pin aye.. can I replace it? or will i need a new pedal box?

well when mine bent it actually cracked all around the spot weld and was almost at breaking point but i straightened it and re-welded it. I have heard putting in new clutch cables can help a great deal

[FLOORED]

If the actual pedal is bent you will need to replace it and then check all other points that may have also been damaged from this.

[webby_191189]

Replaced clutch cable today. Best 60 well spent. If your pedal feels stiff replace the cable asap. Mine went from leg breakingly stiff to light as a feather

[Pict]

$60 eh?

Where was that from? Easy enough to install?

[webby_191189]

that was cost price from ford, cheaper than bursons and repco. Yeah easy to install especially if you have some ramps or a jack.

hop under the dash, pull the R clip out of the top of the pedal and slip the cable off. Take the plastic bushes out of the little bracket that holds to cable to the pedal then slip the cable out of the firewall. Have a look at where it runs on the threaded rod to see how worn it is.

theres a clip underthe engine on the middle of the cross member pull it out of there then on the pasenger side theres a black plastic box on the side of the gear box. Pull on the bottom of that and it opens then take the cable out of the fork. then reverse to put it back in.

Very easy takes half an hour. If doing it on the ground jack the passenger side front and pull the front wheel off. Heaps of room to work then

[webby_191189]

i think retail at repco was about $112 for the cable

[Pict]

Sweet as. Thanks man. I think i'll just chuck it up on the ramps.

You need to lube it before installed?

[webby_191189]

nah mate its a braided steel cable that has a plastic coating around it so it should be fine

[kenz]

Sounds like the pivot rod on the pedal box is bent where the pedal swings off. Had the same problem with an au ute a few years back. Kept tightening the cable and eventually putting a new cable in which helped a little while longer but in the end the rod on the pedal box bent so much I couldnt get any gears. The weld on the rod just tears away from the box. Ended up with a new box and after inspecting the old one, I welded some extra plates across the back of it where the rod is welded on for the pedal if that makes sense. If you try and get in there for a look at the end of the pedal you might be able to see where the rod is welded on and if its coming away or not.
But from the photo it kinda looked how mine did. The left hand side of my pedal was angle back more towards the firewall than the right hand side

[Pict]

Closer inspection, it's just a bent pedal - it has to be, nothing is broken. the pedal box does flex a lot, I think I will still remove it and reinforce it while im doing the clutch cable.

Cheers guys!!

[Pict]

Just so you guys know, www.fdrive.com.au do a cable to suit the AU for $67.

So far my service with them has been awesome, I'm going to pick up the cable at lunch time.

[something wrong]

Hey Pict how did this turn out for you, Did you replace just the cable or was the pedal & Pedal box broken as well?

[Pict]

Did the cable, fixed it 100%