M46 clutch adjustment struggles

[Radtap]

Recently finished installing a new Sachs clutch kit into my m46 and I?ve been struggling with the clutch adjustment, it almost feels as if the cable is too short with the new clutch, no matter how I adjust the cable I can?t seem to get any kind of free play in the setup and the bite point is at the very top of travel, it?s not grinding and engagement feels solid, just occasionally slips in high RPM, I think the adjustment is causing the slipping. It was a complete clutch kit that came with a new TO bearing, I also installed a delrin cable bushing, I?m thinking that may be a source of my problems. Going to get the car up on ramps later this week and pull the boot back to take a peek inside there with a camera to make sure I didn?t screw anything up, I think I did though. Did I route the clutch cable wrong in the engine bay taking up the slack somehow? Ideas? Am I being an idiot?

 

[widewagon92]

I've been chasing similar issues with my cable clutch t5, almost bought a longer cable and modified it to make it work. I also have that delrin bushing but I haven't considered that might be an issue.

I finally got some good feel and free play in the pedal by putting some rubber in front of the pedal so it can only come up so far, setting the cable adjustment all the way out, and only using the retaining washer on the clutch fork (no rubber block). Put half a can of grease down the cable sheath too. Of course, this is a t5 with a shimmed pivot ball in the bellhousing and a hole I drilled in the firewall since it was originally an automatic, so ymmv. I also don't have a return spring on the pedal, just on the clutch fork.

It sounds like your TO bearing might be riding the pressure plate a bit. Mine was and I had similar high bite and high rpm slip. Cooked my TO bearing too. Make sure that bellhousing boot isn't pushing the fork into pressure plate, I overshimmed my pivot ball on my first install and with the boot installed there was no way to keep the fork off the pressure plate.

 

[dl242gt]

I know this seems basic. But if you are adjusting the clutch with the return spring on the throwout bearing arm. You can't tell what the free play is. Try loosening the adjustment all the way and see what you have.

 

[philski o'flood]

It had to be loose enough to fit through the fork right

 

[white855T]

The cable goes one way, under brake booster, running along the frame to the clutch fork.

 

[Radtap]

I know this seems basic. But if you are adjusting the clutch with the return spring on the throwout bearing arm. You can't tell what the free play is. Try loosening the adjustment all the way and see what you have.

I absolutely understand that so I took the spring off while adjusting with no luck. Adjustment completely loose and I still have zero free play.

The cable goes one way, under brake booster, running along the frame to the clutch fork.

I kept telling myself I routed it wrong, pretty sure I did. I sent it over the steering shaft and then it heads under the car, I?ll reroute it along the frame. Couldn?t remember how it was routed 3 months after taking it out.

I did also install a new rubber block on the clutch cable at the fork

 

[Radtap]

It had to be loose enough to fit through the fork right

There was enough that I could install the cable with the rubber damper and retainer but beyond that there is zero free play

 

[philski o'flood]

that doesn't sound right

 

[Mylesofsmyles]

I agree.

that doesn't sound right

There are two styles of Clutch Release bearings, with regards to Redblock Flat Flywheels. There are the Borg & Beck (found in earlier cars) and Sachs in the later cars. There's a good difference in the height of these bearings, and thus they won't interchange.

There are also a couple of different fork styles, for the difference in height of these bearings.

OP referenced new Sachs kit, but what was in the vehicle originally, and what is that fork for?

 

[Radtap]

Was a Sachs kit being replaced by a Sachs kit. Its the original clutch fork that came in the car. Clutch and TO were matched by manufacturer. The only fork differences I know are between hydro and cable clutch and flat vs dished. Any other differences should be taken up by clutch adjustment. The issue isn?t the bearing being too tall, it?s the cables travel being limited. Just needs to be rerouted when I can work on it

 

[Radtap]

Checked today and confirmed I had the clutch cable routed properly, I remember comparing the TO bearings when replacing and they were the same height so I took the delrin bushing out today and took a few mm off the face of the bushing and got a much better clutch feel, adjuster is still maxed out with no freeplay but I was able to move the bite point lower in the travel. I don't have a volvo bushing on hand to compare the thickness of the face. I might just order a rubber bushing and see if that helps.

 

[philski o'flood]

something aint right

 

[Radtap]

Isn?t there a longer cable or a different cable with more adjustment range? No clue what else could be the hold up. The new rubber damper at the end of the cable is slightly thicker than the original one was and the new delrin bushing was significantly thicker than the old worn rubber one, maybe those took up the slack? Could barely get the cable on and off this last time with blocks of wood holding the clutch

 

[philski o'flood]

did the same cable fit before the new clutch kit?

 

[dl242gt]

If you can get your hands on an original cable. They have unlimited adjustment.

 

[Radtap]

did the same cable fit before the new clutch kit?

Yeah I didn't replace the cable and had freeplay in the clutch before swapping however I remember that the adjuster was maxed out before removal but had just barely enough free play, no clue if it's a Volvo cable. Might have been cable issues from the start I never noticed

If you can get your hands on an original cable. They have unlimited adjustment.

I take the ones on iPD/FCP aren't the same one you're talking about? I've seen you mention that cable in other thread's I just need to find it

 

[dl242gt]

If I had to buy what is new now. I'm not sure what to buy. The original cable is a metal cover with a long spiral thread on the metal and that is your adjuster threads. There is a short rubber sleeve on it to protect it from the steering column. If you can find a good used one they last and last. The inner cable has a teflon liner. Gemo used to make a decent aftermarket version but they dried up years ago.

 

[2manyturbos]

I have one good used original metal sheath cable left. Get it before I have time to put it in my for sale thread.

 

[Radtap]

So it turned out to be a mix of lack of knowledge and a seized clutch adjuster. I had a steel sheathed cable in my car but had no clue what an actually adjusted cable was supposed to look like. Turned out the adjuster that threads along the cable sheath had seized and was instead turning the threads in that second plastic piece that mounts in a bushing which only gave me maybe a half inch of adjustment. Got a cable from 2manyturbos that wasn?t seized and swapped it in and got it adjusted properly, with the original cable out of the car I was able to tinker and find the actual issue.

 

[2manyturbos]

Glad you got it straightened out. Now you have a spare cable, or, one you can sell if you have it working like it should.