Clutch Adjustment

[Nitrate]

81' 2000. My clutch pedal is too high when it engages. Do I move the adjusting nut toward the front of the car or toward the rear? RB

[DaveMarcotte]

You should have an inch of free play in the pedal before you feel the clutch start to engage. Here a helpful link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUk_KrZglV0

[Nitrate]

Dave, That's just the ticket ! Thanks, RB

[KevAndAndi]

RB, were you able to get the clutch adjusted to your liking? If so, how?

I'm a little confused as I thought the matter of freeplay and the clutch engaging too high were two related things but not the same thing. In other words, I would like the proper inch of freeplay, but I would like the distance between the floor and clutch engagement to be shorter. How do I accomplish this?

I'm pretty sure I have watched the video and it didn't have the answer. But I will double check later tonight when I have video-watching capability.

[DieselSpider]

RB, were you able to get the clutch adjusted to your liking? If so, how?

I'm a little confused as I thought the matter of freeplay and the clutch engaging too high were two related things but not the same thing. In other words, I would like the proper inch of freeplay, but I would like the distance between the floor and clutch engagement to be shorter. How do I accomplish this?

I'm pretty sure I have watched the video and it didn't have the answer. But I will double check later tonight when I have video-watching capability.

If you have the free play set to one inch and the clutch still engages too high that usually means that likely the clutch is near to its end of life. Some people use a rebuilt pressure plate when they replace the clutch however if they had to machine the surface too aggressively to get it flat again then that will also reduce the effective life of the clutch and can cause high engagement. I prefer to call it high disengagement since the clutch disk or pressure plate are so thin that the clutch disengages the moment you hit the end of your free play. Once disengagement gets too high the clutch does not get enough clamping force and slips under heavy load which then causes premature wear of the flywheel and can lead to warping from the heat build up.

How many miles on the current clutch in the car?

[KevAndAndi]

Thanks, Diesel. I actually have no idea about the miles on the clutch as there was no record. There is no slipping, though. At what point in the travel of the pedal would a brand new clutch dis/engage?

[Nitrate]

I did not get the clutch adjusted to my liking , I would prefer the clutch to engage 1" above the floorboard. I maxed out my adjustment and it only helped a little. My throwout bearing is making noise, and the cable is not smooth. I need a full clutch replacement. Sorry I did not respond earlier, didn't see your post until now. RB