clutch cable adjustment

[TheBigJ]

I finally adjusted my clutch yesterday after 4K mi of driving gingerly on a slippery, not fully engaging, clutch.

 

Seems pretty stiff now. I can jam it up to 5k without slippage (previously slipped mid 3k's). But I didn't seem to be able to adjust the pedal play to within spec.

 

Haynes told me to remove a spring before loosening the lock and adjusting nuts in the engine bay. I couldn't find any such spring - diagram shows it is not a coil spring. So I loosened the nuts and felt the play in the lever which seemed correct. Then adjusted the nuts so the pedal free play was about where I wanted it... slightly more than the 10-20mm the manual suggests. Any reason not to just put it where I want it? Any reason not to drive without this spring now that I know it's missing?

 

Also I managed to destroy the boot on the bell housing to keep dirt out of the clutch assembly. Any idea where to get one of these for a decent price? My junkyards don't have legacy's as much as I'd like (on the other hand, I like to see them still on the road)

[Setright]

What spring? Maybe Haynes means the one on the pedal arm. It's supposed to help you press the clutch down and hold it down. Spiral job, that doesn't need detachment.

 

Some models have a regular coil spring acting straight on the pedal, I could understand if that needed removing.

[TheBigJ]

The spring it shows in the diagram is "V" shaped and is attached in the engine bay to the clutch lever, on the opposite side from the cable adjustment nuts. It presses the lever towards the front of the engine bay (lightly) so it's not free to move around (free play about 3/16" front to back) while the clutch pedal is up. The adjustment instructions said I should check free play in the lever as well as in the pedal.

 

My understanding is that the cable should be slack on the lever when the pedal is released... so that there is free play in the pedal.

[brus brother]

What model? How many miles?

[TheBigJ]

What model? How many miles?

 

90 Legacy 2.2 AWD, 265K, engine has 90K - replaced at 200 with a 30K engine, supposedly. Tranny replaced since then, (again, supposedly) with another of unknown age/miles.

[Setright]

The cable should still have minimal tension in it. If it is totally loose then you will have a hard time shifting gears without pressing the clutch all the way to the floor. And even then, the clutch may still drag.

 

I define "minimal tension" as: The ball that rests in the release fork, where the cable is attached should not have any clearance. It should be easy to move around, but should not lift away from the fork.

[brus brother]

Then, are you on the original clutch?

90 Legacy 2.2 AWD, 265K, engine has 90K - replaced at 200 with a 30K engine, supposedly. Tranny replaced since then, (again, supposedly) with another of unknown age/miles.

[TheBigJ]

Could be, I spose, but I really doubt it. 265K on one clutch? And I can't get it to slip if I try? I figure it was replaced with either the engine or tranny, or sometime slightly earlier. It could have up to 100K on it but I doubt any more than that - especially since it was slipping because of improper adjustment for an unknown # of miles (at least 4K).