fiestaturbo.com

[freak power]

you have not cut the quadrent tho!!!???

I would try this if i was you

[ianFRST]

good service from ap

[heeman10]

you have not cut the quadrent tho!!!???

I would try this if i was you

It wouldn't achieve anything though dude, I'd try it otherwise!

Mike - Yep, different length cables would be just like modifying the quadrant, I'd just have to adjust out the change in length with the bolt on the pedal, taking it back to precisely the same operation as before!

Am in Shrewsbury now, but will get to work on it all on Boxing Day, need to buy some more latex gloves first Sooo...should be running again on Boxing Day night/27th

[garyhurn77]

is the gear change really that bad or cant you actually drive properly

[freak power]

You could go to the gym and do a bit of work out on your left arm and leg

[heeman10]

I will dignify neither of those useless comments with a response!! Not original, and not helpful

[knuckles]

Cant you use a standard ford clutch ?

Or wont it cope with the extra power ?

[RS_Rawli]

Cant you use a standard ford clutch ?

Or wont it cope with the extra power ?

[knuckles]

how am i to know !

[jayrs]

that aint as a stupid question as ya think, cossie cluches from standard are not paddle ones, there standard

[MAD_Adamski]

in response tho james as we spoke yesterday i am aware that there is 3 types as said as they needed my chassis no for my cable!!! to get the correct one!

also as i did say yesterday altho you feel cutting the quad would do nothing! surely its worth a go!!!! better than scratching your head!

but i will measure what you told me too

[edders]

but i will measure what you told me too

eeeeeeeeeeewwww

ah well its great to hear itll nearly be ready

[mike_wall15]

Mike - Yep, different length cables would be just like modifying the quadrant, I'd just have to adjust out the change in length with the bolt on the pedal, taking it back to precisely the same operation as before!

I wish I had a diagram so I could see how it works myself. I know you can adjust the quadrant for the travel, but say you adjusted it AND had a short cable, then wouldn't that result in more lift of the clutch?

Anywayz, you'll know if it's still the same when you chuck it all back together. I can't help but think that there's a simple solution to this, especially as you can pretty much rule out the clutch and gearbox as being a problem. It must therefore be a cheaper fix!!

[heeman10]

knuckles - As Rawli said... The Ford clutch lets go at 160bhp or so of hard use without slipping.

Ad - Sorry dude, but I don't need another clutch cable. Just as with the quadrant, the only thing a different cable would do is change the natural attitude of the pedal. So if I did either or both, I'd just have to twiddle the bolt again to bring the pedal up/down to its usual position.

Mike - If I want a shorter cable/want to apply some tension to the cable without pressing the pedal (i.e. take out all slack from the cable and then adjust it further still), I can do that with the bolt. I have more slack/tension adjustment available to me, but don't want to have to apply tension to the cable via the adjustor. I need more travel, not more pre-tension really. I can do that by shortening the clutch lever arm on the gearbox, or finding a shorter arm.

I appreciate the replies boys and girls, please don't think that just because I turn down your suggestions I don't appreciate then/take them into consideration!

[jayrs]

have you thought of maybe bending the cluch control arm?

[Ollybee]

have you thought of maybe bending the cluch control arm?

Good luck on that one, they look harder than hard things.

[jayrs]

have you thought of maybe bending the cluch control arm?

Good luck on that one, they look harder than hard things.

damn have you people not heard or a press, or even a blow torch, vice and club hammer?

they do bend, however a easy way to do it would be to grind a slot all the way round the cluch release rod where the splin is so you have more adjust ment

[heeman10]

Jay - That would serve the same purpose as cutting the quadrant or buying a shorter cable. All it would do is alter the rest position of the cable pull system, so again, I'd need to adjust the pedal again to bring it back to the correct position again to compensate for the change in shape of the lever arm. It's the throw I need to increase

[jayrs]

pack some big washers infront of the release bearing

just joking mate

[heeman10]

Stop it!

1. Cut quadrant
2. Fit shorter cable
3. Bend clutch lever arm
4. Pack washers onto release bearing
5. Bend clutch pedal
6. Shim clutch cover away from flywheel, clutch plate from clutch cover, and clutch plate from flywheel
7. Chop bulkhead and weld 14mm further back, shunting pedal box to the rear of the car a little
8. Move clutch cable bracket on gearbox further forward

I'd better get busy!

On a more serious note, if I don't go with my parents on a random trip today I'll brave the cold and fit the clutch, then attempt to fit the gearbox. If I can get the gearbox in, then everything else can go back in including the turbo and manifold, then I can give it an oil/filter change and bang it back on the ground with a special new addition in the engine bay!

[jayrs]

a monedo i worked on a while ago now had the quadrant, but it had no teeth on it, instead it had adjustment on the end of the cluch cable gearbox end.
would something like that not be of any benefit?

[MarkRS2K]

a special new addition?

[knuckles]

There must be a clutch, gearbox and cable which can cope with big power. But can only guess this will cost many £££.

[heeman10]

Right, a large number of you seem to be missing the crux of the problem here, and it can only be down to the fact that I haven't explained it properly.

The problem is that the release bearing isn't pushing the clutch cover fingers QUITE far enough to fully release the friction pads of the clutch plate from the flywheel. Since I can't get a larger amount of effective travel from the clutch pedal (it can't swing any higher or lower because of space constraints, and I don't fancy cutting a hole in the floor), I need to gain the extra movement from somewhere else. A shorter cable, different quadrant (of the same diameter anyway - and a bigger one can't be used as there isn't enough space IIRC, and AFAIK Ford don't have any bigger quadrants), or different adjustment system isn't necessary, NONE of those would give me more travel at the release bearing.

The only ways I can get more lift at the release bearing (without adjusting the cable [which I could do with my current setup] to hold it under tension even when the clutch pedal wasn't being pressed) are the following:

1. Getting more travel from the pedal - this could only be done by chopping a hole in the floor, and due to the lever ratio in action here, gaining 5mm more travel from the pedal wouldn't necessarily be enough.

2. Shortening the clutch lever arm on the gearbox to help the lever ratio in terms of travel, which would give a heavier pedal, but more lift at the release bearing.

3. Going the hydraulic actuation route, which would be ideal, but more hassle than I can be bothered with/believe is necessary for my needs.

Option 2 is the option I fancy.

I appreciate people sparing even five seconds to think and reply, but hopefully the explanation above will shed some light on the reason I keep having to dismiss ideas

Update

Went out to work on the car today...why not?! It was between -4 and -6 all afternoon, but I wanted to get some bits and bobs out of the way. Started off with this little lot to keep me busy:



A closer look at the bits and pieces that have been accumulating over the last 3-4 weeks:



Clutch, back from AP Racing on Thursday, with all-new friction pads and a thorough inspection and test to conclude that it hasn't been fully releasing, nor is it damaged/distorted in any way



Shots of the turbo to show where the actuator bracket has now been stiffened using three webs, welded into place by Lee@Fusion Fabrication:





I will now be able to run 15psi of boost again, as opposed to the 10/11 it's backed down to in the last 18 months, giving me an extra 30-40bhp or so.

I got as far as fitting the clutch back on, then it took over 45 mins to fill the gearbox with oil before fitting it!! Since it's been no warmer than -2 for the last week, and as cold as -8 for the last week, the oil was verrrrrrrrrry thick. So when I should've been fitting the gearbox in daylight, I was still pouring, which means I'll have to wait till boxing day to fit everything else. Shame!

Mark - Nothing performance-related...but something annoying nevertheless! A nice looking header tank Chris (h196jne) kindly found for me in his scrappy

knuckles - Yep, my clutch will take big power, the Stage 2+ CTS gearbox takes quite a lot of power, and the cable can take the force required to deflect my clutch cover, it's just that I'm not getting quite the amount of lift necessary. I will get there!!

[garyhurn77]

bracket for the actuator loks alot better lets hope it'll now hold the required boost level

i dont envy you crawling round on ya back as i said earlier its -2to -13 here today and stood around fitting radiators is freezing let along climbing on the floor!

or is there osmthing your not telling us like you have underfloor heating in the workshop lol only messing!

so your gonna cut and shorten the lever arm thus giving more travel??

what if this fails to work?

or have you not gone there yet !

gary

[knuckles]

sorry i'm not helping at all am i

I still trying to learn about all this, and i guess i have all this to deal with if i want to make my turbo quicker.

So basically you have all the bits required for the big bhp but it isn't going to plan... you say the release bearing isn't pushing the fingers far enough. Are there different release bearings available ?

[XRMike]

Looks like you may be finally getting somewhere. Hats off to you for going out to work on it in the cold weather! Merry Christmas James

[Rhinopower]

if this doesnt work i take it you will go for the hydraulic conversion then? Something i am planning to do myself then later in the year

[heeman10]

gawy - Underfloor heating would be a nice christmas present...I'll PM you my address later! I did have the fan heater pointing at me for five minutes, but since I only have two plug sockets near the car, decided that the halogen light and radio were more important and chose to feeze! If shortening the lever arm fails to work, it'll be for one of two reasons. 1) It wasn't shortened enough 2) "Something else" is causing the problem, e.g. a flexible clutch cover body, but I don't anticipate that. I'll be taking a few measurements next time I work on the car (Boxing Day hopefully) to give an idea of how much I want to shorten the arm by.

knuckles - I think you are missing a few key points. Have a read up on clutch operation and release, or catch me on MSN some time Using a different release bearing would have just the same effect as a shorter clutch cable/modified quadrant/different method of adjustment etc etc, it doesn't affect the range of movement, only the starting point of the same range of movement. This isn't usually a problem, so I wouldn't worry about it when it comes to your car, just seems to be a problem unique to mine for whatever reason.

Mike - Yep, I'll get there if it kills me...and it may well do if I take it out on the icy roads to check my gear changes and set the boost level! Merry christmas to you too!

Brian - If it doesn't work the first time, I'll modify the clutch lever arm again, if it still doesn't, I'll need to assess things again and find out the true cause of the problem. Going too short on the lever arm would mean an undriveably heavy clutch pedal, but I don't envisage it needing more than a 10mm reduction. Will take my measurements and go from there. I won't say no to the hydraulic clutch, but wouldn't rather not, and it shouldn't be necessary. Yours will feel nice with a hydraulic setup though!

[jayrs]

silly question but your cluch arm hasnt snapped/split near the spline part has it? seen it before but that one was bad

[heeman10]

No dude, still shiny from new with shiny pinch bolt/nut and bits of the Ford sticker still on there lol Worth a shot, but I don't think it'd hold up to this clutch cover it was anything but solid.

[jayrs]

yeah i thought that but also thought i would mention it

[heeman10]

Definitely, even when you get to this point I'm sure you know the most RIDICULOUS things can still crop up overseen!

[jayrs]

yep

[clarky82]

my mate had the same problem with his ap paddle clutch on his cossie.he sent it back 3 times and in the end it was there mistake and the clutch fingers werent releasing enough.hope that helps