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jc179

Clutch Pressure plate and throwout bearing woes

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Hi,

 

Recently my throwout (clutch release) bearing failed, and took the pressure plate fingers with it. I’ve since got a new pressure plate and throwout bearing, and re-installed them last night. This isn’t the first time I’ve done clutches in my life, but this was my first on the Mustang line up. Anyways upon re-assembly, I slide the transmission in, and bolted it down, and left the inspection cover open. The clutch cable was a little loose, but I wanted to test the operation anyway. So, I asked my assistant to press the clutch pedal down, they did so with their arm… and there was a crunching noise. After disconnecting the cable and inspecting the throwout bearing was broken into a few pieces, and looks to have sheer separated where the clutch fork presses on the back of the bearing, and separated it from the hollow portion of the throw out bearing its self…  

 

From doing some googling it seems that this issue has happened before, I was a bit worried that maybe the new pressure plate fingers are too tight, but I then can also recall previously pressing much harder with my leg on the pedal and not breaking this.

 

Would you say it’s a bunk bearing or something else is wrong?

 

I’ve read to get the ford “HD” bearing, is this a dealer item or online item? Not sure where I can find one, any ideas?

 

Also another question – to take up the slack in the cable, if you don’t want to putz around inside the car, can I adjust the slack in the cable, *roughly* by adjusting the 2 double nuts on the ball and socket on the end of the fork, towards the top of the bell housing? Since the transmission has to come down again, may as well adjust that too?

 

Thanks,

 

Jonathan

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im not sure on the throwout bearing stuff, but for adjusting the cable, the stock clutch quadrant will pick up the slack.  check out this link.

http://www.corral.net/tech/drivetrain/clutcha.htm

 

 

or just get a firewall adjuster if you have a solid quadrant already

 

http://www.cjponyparts.com/bbk-aluminum-firewall-clutch-cable-adjuster-1979-2004/p/BBK15050/

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First off, what year is your car? What transmission? It sounds like you have an adjustable cable, what about firewall adjustor or quadrant? I know it seems like a silly answer but do you know what you installed the throwout bearing correctly on the clutch fork?

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This is a 99 V6 multiport with a T5 borg warner... I have the quadrant from what I can tell, no FW adjuster visible.

 

I removed the old TOB and installed the new TOB on the fork just as I found the old, the fork is pressing on the rear of the bearing right behind the race would be essentially. The old bearing has marks from piviting on this location where the fork was pressing, but I can get a picture to see if I did indeed screw it up, or it was done incorrectly when someone else did the clutch, and I just dumbly copied their mistake.

 

Jonathan

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This is a 99 V6 multiport with a T5 borg warner... I have the quadrant from what I can tell, no FW adjuster visible.

 

I removed the old TOB and installed the new TOB on the fork just as I found the old, the fork is pressing on the rear of the bearing right behind the race would be essentially. The old bearing has marks from piviting on this location where the fork was pressing, but I can get a picture to see if I did indeed screw it up, or it was done incorrectly when someone else did the clutch, and I just dumbly copied their mistake.

 

Jonathan

You should be able to tell if its stock or not just by poking your head under the dash.  I would invest in a firewall adjuster if you do have an aftermarket quadrant. 

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thanks, that video is very much to the point! That being said, yes, that is how the bearing was installed, so it must have had some pre-existing defect.... damn.

 

Guess I'll be getting good at pulling the transmission down, hopefully this will be the last time!

 

BTW thanks for the links, may just get a FW adjuster if the self adjuster doesn't pick up the slack...


thanks, that video is very much to the point! That being said, yes, that is how the bearing was installed, so it must have had some pre-existing defect.... damn.

 

Guess I'll be getting good at pulling the transmission down, hopefully this will be the last time!

 

BTW thanks for the links, may just get a FW adjuster if the self adjuster doesn't pick up the slack...

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I'd look into getting the whole maximum motorsports kit IMO. I'm sure you've seen many of reviews on it and people recommending it but I've never had better clutch feeling out of my car.

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