Is there a way to shorten the clutch (pedal) travel
12-20-2001, 03:12 PM
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Is there a way to shorten the clutch (pedal) travel
Hey, I drove my brother's friend's 93 Mustang GT with T-5 and the clutch pedal only moves 3 or 4 inches AT THE MOST. It was really nice, made it very easy to shift (combined with his Hurst) even though I'd never driven even driven a mustang before.
On every other manual trans car I've ever driven--my 91 formula, 98 Z-28, 01 Z06, "1966" Shelby Cobra replica with TKO, 96 Stealth--you have to push the clutch in much farther than on that GT. Also, that is the only mustang I've ever driven so maybe that's not stock?
Without cutting the pedal, is there a way to shorten the distance that you have to push it in? Are there reasons why I would not want to do this? I really think it would be sweet. If someone had just told me about the clutch on that GT, I wouldn't have thought much of it. Having driven it though, it was very nice. First thing I had to do was back it out of the drive way. I had to do the whole back up a little, pull forward a little, back up, etc. while getting the car turned because he pulled in and then someone pulled in behined him. Anyway, having never driven the car, I never had to hesitate, never had any doubt the whole time as far as working the clutch.
On every other manual trans car I've ever driven--my 91 formula, 98 Z-28, 01 Z06, "1966" Shelby Cobra replica with TKO, 96 Stealth--you have to push the clutch in much farther than on that GT. Also, that is the only mustang I've ever driven so maybe that's not stock?
Without cutting the pedal, is there a way to shorten the distance that you have to push it in? Are there reasons why I would not want to do this? I really think it would be sweet. If someone had just told me about the clutch on that GT, I wouldn't have thought much of it. Having driven it though, it was very nice. First thing I had to do was back it out of the drive way. I had to do the whole back up a little, pull forward a little, back up, etc. while getting the car turned because he pulled in and then someone pulled in behined him. Anyway, having never driven the car, I never had to hesitate, never had any doubt the whole time as far as working the clutch.
Last edited by cort351w; 12-20-2001 at 03:14 PM.
12-21-2001, 08:57 AM
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Car: 1988 Pontiac Firebird Formula
Engine: 5.7 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
About the only way I could think of to shorten travel would be to move the mount point on the pedal, so that you get more piston travel for the same amount of pedal travel. (this could be done by either moving the pivot point of the pedal itself, or moving the point where the rod attaches to the pedal)
Or, you could make an "intermediate" linkage between the pedal and the rod that operates the master cylinder, you would notice a little more pedal effort with this method. (also, harder to fabricate)
Another alternative would be to go to a master cylinder with a larger piston bore. (not sure where you would get one though) Thusly, you would move more fluid for the same amount of pedal travel. (thus reducing the amount of travel required to disengage the clutch......)
Or, you could make an "intermediate" linkage between the pedal and the rod that operates the master cylinder, you would notice a little more pedal effort with this method. (also, harder to fabricate)
Another alternative would be to go to a master cylinder with a larger piston bore. (not sure where you would get one though) Thusly, you would move more fluid for the same amount of pedal travel. (thus reducing the amount of travel required to disengage the clutch......)
02-01-2002, 10:24 AM
#4
If you throw a couple washers between the slave cylinder shaft and the clutch fork, it'll do that. It'll make it nearly impossible to take off in 1st gear, just like a Mustang. My GTA was like that when I bought it, and since removing those washers, the car finally shifts like it should. You can't shift any faster with the shorter throw, and all it does is make it 10x as hard to take off in 1st gear.
02-01-2002, 03:56 PM
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You can't shift any faster with the shorter throw, and all it does is make it 10x as hard to take off in 1st gear.
I get the harder to take off part--hadn't thought of that. Why though would I not be able to shift faster? You can only push the pedal in so fast. I guess the effect may be negligible. It sure is nice though to have a short pedal travel. Oh, and a correction to what I wrote above: the TKO clutch has a medium pedal travel if the aforementioned GT had a short one and my car has a long clutch pedal travel.
I get the harder to take off part--hadn't thought of that. Why though would I not be able to shift faster? You can only push the pedal in so fast. I guess the effect may be negligible. It sure is nice though to have a short pedal travel. Oh, and a correction to what I wrote above: the TKO clutch has a medium pedal travel if the aforementioned GT had a short one and my car has a long clutch pedal travel.
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