Clutch adjustment - pedal not fully returning?

[proporsche]

still..way too much space...plus when you touch the cable is the Omega spring have the tendency to move -it does not look like it??..there is no tension on the cable at all....have a look above-earlier, how i do the adjustment..

[Solamar]

Originally Posted by Locker537

I will try and fix the L-bracket, but will purchase a new one if needed. Unfortunately it does not appear you can purchase just the little piece that screws on.

I've got an extra L bracket. If you get stuck we can work something out.

[Locker537]

Originally Posted by Solamar

I've got an extra L bracket. If you get stuck we can work something out.

Thank you for the offer!

[Solamar]

I'm sure this was already addressed, but are your doing the two stage adjustment?

Step one with the cable slackened or un-hooked -



Step two, re-attach and pre-load the cable -

[Locker537]

Originally Posted by Solamar

I'm sure this was already addressed, but are your doing the two stage adjustment?

Step one with the cable slackened or un-hooked -



Step two, re-attach and pre-load the cable -

Yes, and I believe I am doing it correctly, but at this point I've lost confidence.

I thought the video I posted above looked proper, but Ivan disagrees.

[proporsche]

i have never done clutch adjustment by reading books ,sorry;-) i just go by what i know and what i learned from my mentor, back in the early 1980......we did not have the time to read we just worked together, sometimes overnight on engines so he passed the knowledge to me by working on 911`s
Ivan

[Solamar]

Originally Posted by stevej37

Yes..definitely. I had my 84 in the shop a few years back after experiencing the same thing. Tried over and over adjusting the cable. Clutch was working...the cable just wasn't working right.
I got it back and the mechanic said it was a $5 part..(plus 2.5 hours of labor)
He said it was the pin in the pedal cluster for the clutch. With age, it wears down enough to give the cable too much slack, at times. He said he sees it often.
Been working perfectly since.

Edit: Just checked my receipt....$170 for part and labor. Fair price I figure. The receipt didn't state the pin part number.

Hopefully the OP doesnt have this issue, but that was the beginning of my clutch engagement rehab.

This is the "$5 part" that your mechanic was probably referring to. It attaches the clutch cable to the clutch pedal cross shaft -



Which chewed up my pedal cross shaft which led me to completely rebuild the pedal box and replace the clutch cable -

[Locker537]

My pedal cluster looks good.

[pmax]

Originally Posted by proporsche

still..way too much space...plus when you touch the cable is the Omega spring have the tendency to move -it does not look like it??..there is no tension on the cable at all....have a look above-earlier, how i do the adjustment..

When the cable's too loose as in the vid, the omega works "fine". When the cable's per spec, the omega's too weak. I believe that's what I'm hearing from Ivan.

[carreradpt]

Locker, just my view. After setting up the cable and all adjusted best as you can, go to the front. Is the pedal all the way up? If not, pull your pedal all the way back and then take a look at where the cable attaches to your cluster. Adjust the slack out at that end. See if that cures your issue. Just a thought.

[Locker537]

After having dreams about cable adjustments, I decided to stop tinkering with it for a day or two.

I'll get back at it and post my results soon enough.

[stevej37]

[QUOTE=Solamar;10842478]
This is the "$5 part" that your mechanic was probably referring to. It attaches the clutch cable to the clutch pedal cross shaft -



I think #30 is what went bad on mine. It's been a while, but I remember the mechanic saying "I find these gone bad often. It's only a $5 part" Maybe that is the same as what your pic is showing at the top?

[Solamar]

[QUOTE=stevej37;10843895]

Originally Posted by Solamar

This is the "$5 part" that your mechanic was probably referring to. It attaches the clutch cable to the clutch pedal cross shaft -



I think #30 is what went bad on mine. It's been a while, but I remember the mechanic saying "I find these gone bad often. It's only a $5 part" Maybe that is the same as what your pic is showing at the top?

Part 7 is what failed on mine (pictured above) but I've heard that pin #30 can break and cause problems as well

[rubenmad]

I just finished rebuilding my pedal cluster and have started installing a new clutch cable. My cable seems to have much more tension where it connects to the omega spring.

Are you able to tighten the 15 mm nut closest to the front of the car in order to increase tension or have you bottomed out the nut. If so, you may need to get a new clutch cable. They tend to stretch over time.

[Locker537]

Little detour - the little L-bracket was bent enough that I now need to replace it.

[Locker537]

"Overnight parts from Japan..."

...well, not Japan, but rather surprisingly the parts I ordered showed up quick!



The casting on the new part doesn't look anywhere near as nice as the original, but dimensionally it's spot on. Maybe the additional aluminum used in the casting is for strength, but something tells me it's just cheaper manufacturing.

Not pictured is another circlip for the little finger "just in case" and the little rubber stop that goes on the pedal board for the clutch pedal. Mine is rather tired.

Back at it today or tomorrow...

[Locker537]

Time to conclude this project.

The clutch is properly and nicely adjusted as of a couple days (and probably 150 miles) ago.

So why was the pedal not returning fully?

My answer:

1. Not enough tension in the cable
2. No grease on the omega spring pivot

I ended up replacing the clutch stop bracket after Ivan pointed out it was bent, which I admittedly made worse trying to straighten it out. $160 lesson there, but that's how you learn.

I replaced the cable boot and the little rubber stop on the pedal board as well.

After this thread, and speaking with a knowledgeable local mechanic, it's clear that 1MM (.047 inches) gap is "too much". The procedure I ended up using was:

1. Remove the cable, adjust the gap between the arms to 1.2mm using the stop bolt
2. Re-attach cable and tighten just until the big arm comes off the stop bracket
3. Tighten the cable until the little arm hits the stop bolt, then back it off until you have enough clearance to clickity clack the arm with your finger. It's probably half of the "factory spec".
4. Have your wife work the clutch while you check the overall throw (what an inaccurrate procedure for me...).
5. Dab a little grease on any metal contact points that pivot.

So in the end, no parts were really worn. The stop bracket was probably "fine" had I not touched it, and the little "bind" in the pedal was due to insufficient cable tension and no lube. That little "cam" in the omega spring is suppose to be there.

Thank you Ivan, Solamar, and everyone else who shared thoughts.

[proporsche]

good job...;-) and you are welcome.....
Ivan

[pmax]

Congrats.

Originally Posted by Locker537

After this thread, and speaking with a knowledgeable local mechanic, it's clear that 1MM (.047 inches) gap is "too much".

I'm always impressed by the precision factory instructions for this procedure. The in spec gap is 1mm with 0.1mm margin according to Porsche.

[Solamar]

Nice! Glad you got it figured out