How To
Properly Adjust Your Clutch Pedal
When
upgrading to a heavier duty pressure plate in any vehicle, the
pedal from the factory is not set for enough travel.
This page will provide you with the information you and/or
your mechanic needs to know when properly installing a high
performance clutch. If you are experiencing a new clutch
slipping or if the pedal height changes as the clutch heats
up, then the free play has been removed. The following
will allow you to properly adjust the pedal.
Almost
all clutch manufacturers check the travel needed to release a
factory clutch and manufacture their clutches to have the same
travel for full release. The problem is that with a much
higher clamp load pressure plate the clutch hydraulic system
can not release the same amount and requires more pedal travel
to move the pressure plate fingers the same amount.
The
clutch release system is fully hydraulic. In order for
the system to work properly. The system needs to have a
minimum of 16th of an inch of free play. Without the
proper free play, the fluid cannot return to the master
cylinder. When this occurs the fluid expands as it heats up
and causes the clutch to release and not fully engage and this
is why you feel the pedal engaging higher as it warms up.
If you follow these instruction provided, you will be insured
in having a perfect pedal adjustment.
To get
to the pedal adjustments one can get underneath the dash and
locate the clutch pedal assembly. There are 2 main areas
of adjustment. The rod, which in turn is what applies
pressure against the clutch master. Then there are 2
switches which the pedal rests on when not pushed in.
When the rod has been adjusted (the rod is turned further into
the master) the pedal is moved further up, but the further the
rod is moved the more pressure the pedal makes against the
switches. If you adjust only the rod you will definitely
have problems. By adjusting only the rod to the master you are
removing the free play needed to fully engage the clutch. So the switches need to be
backed out to allow the pedal to come up further for more
travel and then the free play can be readjusted.
Only
by adjusting both areas can the free play be retained while adding extra
travel to the pedal assembly to achieve a good release.
You
will see that the rod and switches are locked in place with
their very own 14mm lock nut. These nuts need to be loosened
and then the adjustments can be made.
The place to always start to insure the
proper adjustment is the switches.
If you adjust the rod first it is extremely
hard to tell if you have proper free play.
Disconnecting the electrical plugs from the
switches will make backing them up easier.
Once the 14mm lock nuts are loosened one can use
their hand to back the switches out.
Again, backing the switches out will let the
pedal raise up higher allowing more pedal travel causing the
clutch to release more.
To
achieve maximum adjustment the threaded part of the switch
needs to be level with the welded nut on the bracket they are
mounted to. You
can now see that the switches are no longer holding the pedal
down. Once the switches are level with the welded nuts you can tighten the 14mm lock nuts that
lock the switches.
Now
you can adjust the rod so that the switches close, and that
will raise the pedal up. You want the grey pins to
close, but no pressure on the pedal. So as you adjust the rod
the green pads will slowly come towards the welded nut until
it just barely touches the welded nuts and fully closing the
pins on the switches. Again do not go any farther then it
takes to fully close the pins on the switches.
To
adjust the rod, use needle nose pliers and turn the rod
towards the master or firewall (away from the driver).
The pedal will slowly come up with every turn of the rod.
Watch carefully and only adjust the rod so that the pins just
barely close on the switches . If you follow this procedure
exactly, you will end up
with a perfect adjustment.
Don't forget to
tighten all the 14mm lock nuts (3) when finished.
Attention!
