I had a good look at the pedal and fork today and I couldn't find anything that was bent. For now I'll put the second ajustment bolt on the otherside to get more tension until I get time to take it to be looked at.

Thanks for everyones help!!!!!!!!

The clutch cable should be adjusted so that there is free play at the clutch fork. Unlike a lot of modern release bearings the Volvo 140 bearing does not run in contact with the clutch cover plate. This adjustment is made at the clutch fork end of the cable. When correctly adjusted you should have free play (eighth to a quarter of an inch) when you move the fork towards the front of the car before you feel it contact the release bearing.

If at that point you have a strange pedal you have another problem.

The pedal has a return spring on it, it wraps around the fulcrum bolt, and then loops around the back of the pedal forcing the pedal away from the firewall, these break allowing the weight of the pedal to pull against the cable constantly, it will kill release bearings in short order.

Check the pedal bushes are not worn out

As someone else wrote, the release arms are weak, there was a redesign of it once, maybe twice.

Are you sure you don't have a dodgy cable, I know it is new but what you are trying to do is merely masking a fault elsewhere.

Or you have a faulty clutch

Regards

Chevy!

Just back from Esther's wedding and have forgotten whether yours

is a 140 or a 164. If yours has a ball on the end of the cable and

you can get to it, one thing you can do is press a piece of split

tubing around the cable between the fork and the ball. You can also

rearrange the nuts so both are on the same side and pull the clutch

a little further. You may also be able to do this at the upper end

of the cable too.

It sounds like you may have the wrong kind of throwout bearing.

On my 164 a number of years back I had the same symptoms (pardon me

if I am being redundant). It has a throwout shaft operated by a lever

and the fork mounts to the shaft inside the bellhousing. The lever

was welded to the shaft and eventually fractured, yielding through

about a 30 degree arc first. Really buffaloed me because I had adjusted

on almost a daily basis and about every time I stepped on the clutch

it gave some more. Fortunately I had another arm/shaft assy which I

put in when I pulled the tranny. Part of this problem was due to using

a Chevrolet V8 clutch that just happened to bolt up to my B30 flywheel.

It was a LOT stiffer than the F/S diaphragm clutch, not to mention about

an inch thicker too, requiring LOTS of mods to install without interference

with things inside the bellhousing. I'm back to standard now.

Best wishes on getting the thing straightened out!

/// Some where in the thread you said the transmission had been removed and replaced. Did you do it or have it done? Check all the motor and transmission mounts. The position of the motor and transmission in the frame will also set the pedal friction point.

I had this happen in an manual to auto transmission swap. The auto transmission mount would not match the holes in the frame so the mechanic took a torch and burned the holes out to oval. Both motor mounts were bad and the engine had slipped back about a quarter inch.

The condition inside the clutch will greatly change the position. If there has been wear on the fork ends that small wear is multiplied by the length of the lever outside the clutch. Check the correct dimension of that lever then the shape and dimensions of the fork ends. The throw out bearing in rare cases can fail in a manner that will change the dimensions of the clutch lever and it's action.

I'm not sure how well this would work, but couldn't you find some washers that fit around the housing and slide them between the little flange and the pedal box? Below is a picture of how it would work. I hope this turns out. I have never tried this, but it seems like it should work....

x = pedal box

| = existing flange on clutch cable

: = washer

- = actual cable, with loop (o) to fit over top of pedal

Chevy x::|

over o---x--|----- engine over here

here x::|

I had a similar clutch problem on my '71 142. The cause of my trouble

was a cracked clutch fork. The fork was bending enough to prevent

the clutch from fully releasing.

On the newer clutch-release mechanisms, a small hard rubber isolator bumper gizmo is installed between the fork and the cable. This 3/8"-thick thingy reduces vibration transmitted up the cable, but also "shortens" the cable due to its thickness.

Is that rubber spacer in place on your car?

Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)

I would suggest cutting a little off.

(the inner cable)