TheSamba.com :: View topic - Installed Clutch and P-Plate (car in gear will barely budge)

Sun Nov 01, 2009 2:54 pm

I just installed a new clutch and pressure plate and got the engine back in the car and running. I have never installed or dealt with a clutch before so I must be missing something in the proccess.

The clutch plate gets pancaked by the pressure plate then the 6 or so bolts are tightened to 18lbs in cross pattern. the throw out bearing was fine and is still there. The clutch cable is meeting with the arm and the wing nut is about half way-ish? I don't know what it should be because I have never had a clutch in this car myself(bought it without)

My issue is that I can take my foot all the way off the clutch pedal with the car running and it wont die... I didn't want to keep messing with it in fear of burning out something but did get the car to budge slightly in reverse but not really roll more than an inch(and that was with my foot completely off the pedal)

ideas?

Sun Nov 01, 2009 2:56 pm

Did you adust the cable?

Sun Nov 01, 2009 2:58 pm

Jeckler wrote: Did you adust the cable?

how should I adjust the cable in my circumstance?

Sun Nov 01, 2009 3:00 pm

give it about a half inch or so of free play. this means to tighten the cable at the trans by holding the cable and turning the wing nut clockwise. couple turns then run to the front and see how far the pedal is down before it gets hard. tighten til you have about 1/2 to 3/4 of and inch. if it is hard to push down it is too tight. hold cable, turn nut counter clockwise.

Sun Nov 01, 2009 3:09 pm

mjenner's got it explained pretty well, but I'll add my 2 cents. The tighter the wingnut, the more the TO bearing is pressing on the PP. In your case, since the car barely moves with the pedal all the way up, that tells me it's WAY too tight. I'd unscrew it 5-10 turns, then check.
And the best way to check for freeplay is with your hand pushing the clutch pedal instead of your foot, you get a better feel that way, IMO.

Sun Nov 01, 2009 4:03 pm

off to the races! it worked after loosening it a substantial amount.
now i've got only a hundred more things to do like rebuild the carb because I see gas everywhere around it, and fix the backfiring, and on and on the list will go.

thanks all