[joe_padavano]

I'm considering using a cable actuated clutch on my current project. The car is a 1962 Olds F-85 wagon, and the Rotohydramatic needs to become a T-5. The stock-style clutch linkage has several problems, including availability, clearance for headers, and most importantly, the Z-bar looks like it will conflict with the steering shaft for my rack and pinion conversion. I originally considered a hydraulic throwout bearing, but these cars are unibody and there is a substantial structural brace welded to the firewall right where the clutch master cylinder wants to be. I could use a reverse pedal with the master cylinder under the dash, but this is undesirable for several reasons, including access and leakage.

I've started to explore the cable clutch mechanisms such as those on late model Mustangs, and more appropriately the kits for converting early model Mustangs. These look like they can easily be adapted to pretty much any car. What are the pros and cons of this arrangement, and I welcome anyone's experience with the conversion.

[burnt olds]

on your car they pushed lever method .
you'll need the pull method , as in putting cable hook up above the pin that the brakes and clutch pedal hang on under the tight dash .
room will be issue , also figuring amount of travel needed to actuate the clutch fork that is push type also .you will have to bring the cable in from trans side to pull it .then figuring the amount only needed to work clutch without over doing the pressure plate causing the fingers to stay in .
lot of work .
slave cylinder on bell housing pushing in fork better , but thin you get into mounting clutch master cylinder mounting of .
this any help ?

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by burnt olds

on your car they pushed lever method .
you'll need the pull method , as in putting cable hook up above the pin that the brakes and clutch pedal hang on under the tight dash .
room will be issue , also figuring amount of travel needed to actuate the clutch fork that is push type also .you will have to bring the cable in from trans side to pull it .then figuring the amount only needed to work clutch without over doing the pressure plate causing the fingers to stay in .
lot of work .
slave cylinder on bell housing pushing in fork better , but thin you get into mounting clutch master cylinder mounting of .
this any help ?

Thanks. I'm aware of these issues. I already have a clutch fork designed for a pull-cable actuation. The bellhousing has sufficient meat to move the pivot ball to the other side of the input shaft as necessary for the pull-style fork. I'll need to make a bracket to hold the sheath of the cable at the bellhousing. The early Mustang cable kits come with a metal quadrant for the cable that welds to the top of the clutch pedal arm above the pivot so the cable pulls correctly when you press on the pedal. The cable requires a hole in the firewall in front of the pedal and makes a C shape back to the bellhousing, under the exhaust manifold. The aftermarket cable has significant adjustment available where it attaches to the clutch fork.

[burnt olds]

now i'm wondering why you asked , if you know all the answers .
you using a 455 or 425 motor ?
i did this with the ford cable on a 67 olds .
i just welded the arm for cable hook up straight out off clutch pedal where the rod through column went , put the cable straight down against floor pan and exited out where
firewall roll to level floor board , in the radius part .will be out of way and behind the carpet .
then i took cable and led it back to where linkage hooked up made a bend and directed it back to original clutch fork , no flopping the ball socket from one side to another .
but maybe this has gone through your thinker already too .

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by burnt olds

now i'm wondering why you asked , if you know all the answers .
you using a 455 or 425 motor ?
i did this with the ford cable on a 67 olds .
i just welded the arm for cable hook up straight out off clutch pedal where the rod through column went , put the cable straight down against floor pan and exited out where
firewall roll to level floor board , in the radius part .will be out of way and behind the carpet .
then i took cable and led it back to where linkage hooked up made a bend and directed it back to original clutch fork , no flopping the ball socket from one side to another .
but maybe this has gone through your thinker already too .

Actually, I've thought about doing it the way you did, as it will be cleaner (no ugly cable in the engine compartment). I need to actually lay everything out and see how it fits. The advantage of using the radiused quadrant like the Mustangs is that the pull radius on the cable is constant throughout the throw of the clutch pedal.

The 61-63 F-85s are completely different from the 64-up A-body cars. The early ones are unibody and are much smaller. The engine is the stock aluminum 215.

[cobalt327]

I'm sure you've considered a juice throw out. Why was this passed up in favor of the cable set-up?

All I recall about the self-adjusting cable set-up was there were plastic components in the OEM version that I seem to recall not liking high-effort pressure plates. But there are numerous "cures" for this already.

And whoever came up w/that drive line needs to be whipped. An air-cooled automatic transmission? No thanks. Along w/the support bearing in the d-shaft, and a small diff- they sure didn't do us any favors...

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by cobalt327

I'm sure you've considered a juice throw out. Why was this passed up in favor of the cable set-up?

From the first post:

Originally Posted by joe_padavano

...I originally considered a hydraulic throwout bearing, but these cars are unibody and there is a substantial structural brace welded to the firewall right where the clutch master cylinder wants to be. I could use a reverse pedal with the master cylinder under the dash, but this is undesirable for several reasons, including access and leakage...

All I recall about the self-adjusting cable set-up was there were plastic components in the OEM version that I seem to recall not liking high-effort pressure plates. But there are numerous "cures" for this already.

Yes, it seems that the Mustang suppliers have pretty much solved this problem with machined aluminum parts to replace the plastic ones.

And whoever came up w/that drive line needs to be whipped. An air-cooled automatic transmission? No thanks. Along w/the support bearing in the d-shaft, and a small diff- they sure didn't do us any favors...

Oh yeah! The oddball axle is a problem and will require a custom axle to replace it. I'm still struggling with the two-piece driveshaft. It's not clear that a one-piece will clear the floorpan and besides, the trans output shaft and rear end pinion shaft are purposely not parallel.

I suspect that is why the stock driveshaft has a CV joint at the center bearing instead of a simple U-joint - to avoid vibrations.

This build will be an adventure.