So I adjusted my clutch cable (second time since October) the other day. It was great. Shifted into and out of 1st and 2nd like butter after adjusting it... at first.
Now I'm getting the same issues - usually when stopped on hills. But it's inconsistent. Uphill or downhill, or maybe it's once the car's warmed up. My transmission mount is square and a bit soggy. The new trans mount I bought that's supposed to fit is round and does not fit the square brackets I have. I have an M46 w/OD.

I checked what I think is the spot in the firewall that splits, but it looked like it had a reinforced steel grommet on it and like it was in good shape.

I'd just loosen the cable more, but I'm apprehensive about making it too loose to where it will not let the clutch make full contact.

Happy Bricking

Your post doesn't mention your cable's age. Old worn cable has all of these symptoms...
--
Patrick, '68 220 (used to drive 240s)

Judging from the newish black rubber bushing between the cable end and clutch throwout fork, it's not very old. Maybe a few years.

I gave the cable adjustment a few extra turns. Now the clutch DOES fully release, though I still think the syncros are worn. No more grinding into reverse, no more difficulty getting into any gear when stopped.

What I do have is a clutch that catches pretty durn high in the pedal stroke. I have long legs and short arms, and it's not very comfortable to drive it like this. Might be new clutch (and maybe M47 mk2?) time soon. This trans has worn synchros and needs new OD seals.

Something I did notice - there is a piece (about 1/4th) of a rubber bushing between the cable adjuster and the mount for the adjusted. Seems like it might be nice to have a whole one, but it's only about 1mm thick.


How does a clutch cable wear? Does it just stretch? If it stretches, it won't really un-stretch as far as I know.

Thanks!

The last statement in your post confuses me.

A cable that is not adjusted up tight enough will not keep the clutch from making a good contact for pulling power.

What will happen is that the clutch will not disengage the disc enough and therefore will "drag" that will keep pressure on the gear teeth and cause a tight shift feel or clipping sounds?

The engine motor mounts and the transmission mount can cause a shift of both the engine and transmission in relation to the cars body. A square mount might be for the automatics transmissions. I only have manuals in all my cars and have only had to change one because it looked nasty and soft.

This shifting will cause a change in the curve of the cable between the transmissions holding bracket and the upper entry point for the cable to the body. The curve takes up the play in the pedal. I suspect that drive train will move and settles in at different angles left to right, up or down, let alone front to back. You mention hills

There has been a problem, which I have noticed with my cables. It is the adjuster itself down at the transmission. I have caught the cable outer spiral sheath creep back into the adjuster housing with usage. The nut in there can be slipping from age and stress. There is rubber and plastic involved in the whole affair.

A cure that I use is to add a shaft collar. It is an item used for locking shafts against bearings on blowers and electric motors. I used a 3/8 inch ID unit.
It is a split ring with its halves held together by small bolts.
You put this onto the outside of the cable housing just above and against the adjusting nut "after" the final adjustment for proper pedal/throw out arm free play.

The collar allows the cable to flex or twist but the curve adjustment stay put. I could say forever but the mounts and possibly the aforementioned cracked firewall entry point can spoil that statement.
I have not seen that crack in the firewall on my cars but there is always a first time for anything.

Hope this gives you another point of view to what “Gives”.

Phil

Thank you for your excellent reply.

Sorry about the last sentence. Pronouns are bad. I mean that I don't want to tighten the cable so much that it begins to press the clutch fork into the pressure plate fingers while the pedal is completely released.


I think that I should just tighten the adjuster another half turn and see if it's too far out - to where it slips. I'll start another thread about the trans mount, or just measure the one I have and buy based on that.

The PO or his mechanic added a band-clamp to the outside of the cable to keep it from slipping back through the adjustment nut. I'm not sure the shaft collar is accessible to me, but I think the band-clamp will be good enough. What do you think?


Cheers!

Another thing you might want to look at is the clutch fork. Sometimes they bend.
A friend of my daughter's had a Ford of some kind that pulled the clutch cable through the dash.
I was able to fix it with some well-fitted big flat washers.
--
George Downs Bartlesville, Oklahoma

You gotta have an assistant push the pedal in while you look at the firewall plate...

Could also be the cable itself (down at the tranny)...

An assistant will be your friend with this one, I expect.

--
-Matt I ♥ my ♂

Or a baseball bat shoved between the front of the driver seat and the clutch pedal.

jorrell
ps. Yes having a live assistant is great so you can actually see how things move.
--
92 245 307K miles, IPD'd to the hilt, 06 XC70, 00 Eclipse custom Turbo setup...currently taking names and kicking reputations!

I would also look at the firewall from inside the car with a flash light. You can push the pedal while you look. It splits above the hole as well. Might even split up and then to the center of the car. We had two in a matter of a couple months split nearly identical. Get a Gemo cable if you haven't already.

Does it split above the black steel grommet?
I'll check for it again, while moving the pedal. The shift seems related to engine temp, so maybe the clutch is just right on the verge of properly adjusted.

I'll take a poke at it maybe tonight. Looks like rain though.

Cheers!

I had adjustment problems for over a year on both cars before it finally show the split enough for me to see it and cause the cable to not work. I found that once the split really starts to get serious that the cable will usually snap where its connected to the pedal because the cable is not aligned straight with the pedal. So having the cable to one side (toward console) just a bit will wear out that connection to the end piece hooked to the pedal.