Spring by Clutch Pedal

[JoeF]

I took up the wood panel behind the pedals for clean up and found the big spring on the left of the pedals broke and not connected to its posts. I think this has been this way since I have owned the car because I have seen the end of the spring sticking out under the wood for a while. I have been driving the car
(79SC) and it works fine the way it is. My questions are:
Was something done to this car eliminating the need for this spring?
Should I replace this spring?
Should I consider replacing anything else that might have been damaged while driving the car without this spring in place?
Why does the car function well without this spring?

Also, if I should replace it, under what catagory on the Pelican site should I look for it. I cant seem to locate it there.
JoeF

[philfran]

It sounds like your clutch pedal return spring is broken. Without the spring your clutch pedal will not come all the way back up toward you. The spring should have a long arm pointing to you that connects to the "pin" sticking out to the left from the clutch pedal pivot.

[JoeF]

philfran,
The spring is broke, no doubt. What I need to know is did someone do something on the car to eliminate this spring. The car works great without it, will I change that by putting in a new spring? The clutch pedal already returns completely. Am I putting a strain on another return spring somewhere?
Thanks, JoeF

[Dana_Drury]

When I got down behind my floor boards, I noticed that my spring was not hooked on at all (but not broken). I put it back on (what a nightmare), and then found that the back of the clutch pedal would push against the spring and hamper the movement when depressed so I pulled it off again.

Should it be on? What does it affect?

[911nut]

There are 2 springs in the clutch mechanism; the actuation spring that is attached to the clutch pedal and the omega (return) spring on the underside of the transmission. The actuation spring assist you by lowering the effort required to push the clutch pedal. If you don't mind your left thigh being bigger than you right, don't hook up the actuation spring.

[yelcab1]

With an 84 Carrera clutch, I need all the help I can get. Installing that spring is a big BITC#. Took me over an hour and a bucket of sweat.

In the end, I took a small pad lock, attach it to the end of the spring, attach a long cable to the loop of the padlock, and have my wife pull on it to extend the spring while I maneuver it in place. Then I unlocked the padlock and slip it out of the spring.

There must be a better way.

[john walker's workshop]

if the spring is on upside down, the clutch pedal will hit it when it's depressed. the pedal seems to operate fine without it. there's a tool made for american cars that is used to install the long return springs on brake shoes, which look similar to the clutch spring. it's a round rod with a depression on the end. loop the spring hook over the shank and hook the end on the pin and as you pull the tool, the spring slides along the shank and pops over the pin. the tool may need to be shortened a bit to fit down there.

[sayah]

Funny, I don't have the kidney shaped spring on my 75. The clutch cable stops at the transmission without any counter-leverage. The only thing that keeps the pedal up and away from the tub is the clutch return spring which like the previous contributor mentioned was a bi*** to install. I finally did it ,and now the pedal is still not returning to its full and upright position. New spring, pedal is not comming all the way up! I am considering trying to install another spring at the transmission end to pull or push the cable back in the correct position. The hell of it is the clutch is smooth, and operates fine, but the throw out is turning all the time, as it is still contacting the pressure plate.

What to do?

Any suggestions without removing the clutch?

Thanks

[BoogieOnSkis]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by yelcab1
"With an 84 Carrera clutch, I need all the help I can get. Installing that spring is a big BITC#. Took me over an hour and a bucket of sweat.."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There is a better way (if your 84's pedal cluster is like the one on my 82SC).

Remove the four nuts that hold down the pedal cluster (two of them are accessible under the belly pan).

Disconnect the master cyclinder link at the pedal cluster (you'll need a short hex wrench).

Now just lift the cluster off the floor and pull the clutch pedal towards you so that the spring pin rotates to the floor. Attach the spring, push the pedal back and it pops into place.

It takes about 20 minutes minus the bucket of sweat.

[Dana_Drury]

Originally posted by sayah
Funny, I don't have the kidney shaped spring on my 75. The clutch cable stops at the transmission without any counter-leverage. The only thing that keeps the pedal up and away from the tub is the clutch return spring which like the previous contributor mentioned was a bi*** to install.

Any suggestions without removing the clutch?

Thanks

Your car is pre-1977 when they added the Spring assisted clutch mechanism (which is that Omega Spring under neath).

I find my 911 quite easy to shift. When I install that spring, I found that it didn't allow the pedal to come all the way up, I might need to attempt it again seeing as John pointed out it might be upside down. It was a nightmare getting on by myself, but I did manage to do it, so I can do it again.

As for your throw out arm twisting, I am not quite sure I know what you mean, but, there are bushings in your clutch fork that deterioate, on a 1975 there is one between the clutch fork arm, and the housing cylinder that it arm slides through.

Apparently, according to the Haynes book there is meant to be one also at the top where the clutch arm slides into the transmission housing, just above where the clutch fork is. I couldn't find a part at all on Pelicans for it, nor did my local Porsche dealer have one (none of the Pet diagrams, nor the diagrams on Pelican parts). But it could be that your clutch arm shaft has too much play?