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You Should Know This About Your Auto Clutch Cable

What Is Clutch Cable?

It is the clutch cable which would connect the clutch pedal to the clutch fork. Utilizing two levers and a cable, if you press the clutch, then it would become almost effortless in most applications.

Where Is Clutch Cable located?

The clutch cable would differ in each and every car as to where they are situated and to what they are connected. There are a lot of clutch cables which are attached at the top of a clutch pedal and they would be then routed to a clutch fork which would be situated on the bell housing of a manual transmission.

How Do Clutch Cable Work?

Are you searching how do the clutch cable actually work? Then all you have to do is to have a look below and then you will be able to understand everything.

 

The cable clutch shifting system would work in a similar way as any other clutch, but there are fewer pivot points. It is really simple. It would be lightweight and it would be most common type of linkage in a lot of vehicles which are available in the markets these days. The clutch pedal pivot would be connected by the cable directly to the release fork, which would eliminate practically all of the wear points which would be found in shaft as well as lever linkages.

 

The one and only downside of the cable clutch would be that you own your vehicle for a long period of time and due to that the cables would wear and stretch and they might also start breaking. Now if the cable would wear or stretch out, then it might be very difficult for you to put your car in the gear once again. If it would break, then you will not be able to shift at all.

Symptoms of Bad Clutch Cable

There are a few things which might cause your clutch cable to malfunction. Watch for the following symptoms if you suspect a bad clutch cable:

 

  • Transmission might start slipping out of gear
  • There might be hard clutch pedal
  • Clutch pedal might start sinking to the floor

Tools Needed for Clutch Cable

There are a number of skilled auto mechanics who have a goal of opening their own car repair shop at some point in their career. But let’s face it; if you want to put up an efficient as well as profit making shop, then you might need much more than mechanical skills. There are a number of tools which you might need to perform the car repairs quickly as well as reliably. Auto repair equipment that you will need to repair your clutch cable may include:


Top Brands for Clutch Cable

If customers trust a brand, then it would make them loyal, and if they are loyal, then they will surely buy more. We are well aware that customers want comfort, cheerfulness as well as satisfaction in their lives and that’s the reason why we offer top quality auto parts brands to our customers. We make sure to provide a positive experience to our consumers from the brands which we are offering so that they can form an opinion that a particular auto parts brand is trustworthy and would give them peace of mind while they are purchasing it for their car. Here we have listed out some top brands for Clutch Cable.


Apt Professional Auto parts Clutch Cable

BBK Performance Parts Clutch Cable

Ford Performance Parts Clutch Cable

Pioneer Clutch Cable

Luk Clutch Cable

Beck/Arnley Clutch Cable

Auto 7 Clutch Cable

Total Costs & Repair Times, Effort for Clutch Cable

There are a lot of factors which should be considered when you are thinking of replacing clutch cable. First you have to decide that if you require some related parts of clutch cable or a whole clutch cable. Then after that the next step is to decide what type of make as well as type of clutch cable you are actually dealing with and then from where will you get a brand new one. Just keep in mind that a brand-new clutch cable which would come from a warehouse would cost much more than the one you will get in a junkyard. After that the next point which should be considered is that from where you are going to get it replaced and how quickly it needs to be done. If you want to substitute your clutch cable, then it would generally range between $161 and $220. Talking about the parts, they would range between $77 and $112and the parts would be valued somewhere in the range of $84 and $108.

How to Change Clutch Cable?

Do you want to change your clutch cable on your own? Then have a look at the steps of changing the clutch cable below:

 

The condition of the clutch cable should be verified.

 

Step 1

 

First of all, you should try to put the car in gear. The clutch pedal should be pressed down and then the vehicle should be put in gear by moving the shifter to a gear selection of your own choice.


Just make sure that this should be done when the engine would be running and there should be plenty of room about the table. If there would be some grinding sound when you would try to move the shifter, then it would indicate that the clutch cable is not working properly.


After that the clutch cable should be replaced.

 

Step 1

 

The car should then be parked on a flat, hard surface. Just keep in mind that the transmission should be in neutral.

 

Step 2

 

The parking brake should be engaged to the rear wheels of the automobile. The wheel chocks should be placed around the rear wheels of the automobile which would remain on the ground.

 

Step 3

 

After that the hood should be opened up. It would then allow you to access the car engine.

 

Step 4

 

The vehicle should then be raised. A floor jack should be used to lift the vehicle up. This should be done until the wheels would be completely off the ground.

 

Step 5

 

Then the jack stands should be placed. The jack stands should then go under the jacking point locations. The vehicle should then be lowered onto the jack stands. In a lot of latest cars, the jacking points for jack stands would be on the pinch weld which would be under the doors along the bottom of the car.

 

Warning: Just be sure to follow the owner’s manual so that you can easily understand the proper jacking locations.


Then it is time to replace the clutch cable.

 

Step 1

 

Firstly, the tools should be grabbed. The clutch pedal should then be located in the driver side of the vehicle’s cab.

 

Step 2

 

The cotter pin should then be removed. The needle nose pliers should be used, and then there would be a need to remove the cotter pin holding a slotted anchor pin in the cable end. If there is a bolt holding on the cable end in your vehicle, then there would be a need to remove the bolt.

 

There are some automobiles which have the cable fitting into a slot on the pedal. Now if this was the case, then there might be a requirement to utilize the needle nose pliers to pull out the cable enough to move it out of the slot.

 

Step 3

 

Then the brackets should be removed. If there is any bracket from the firewall which would be inside the cab which might be securing the cable housing then it should be removed.

 

Step 4

 

After that the cable should be removed. The cable should be pulled through the firewall into the engine compartment. There would be some insulated cable clamps mounting the cable along the fender as well as the frame of the vehicle.

 

There can be sometimes where the mounting fixtures might become stripped out if the wrong size of the tool has been used. Now before it would happen, then there would be a need to drill or chisel them out.

 

Step 5

 

Then you have to collect your tools and creeper and then slowly go under the car. Carefully locate where the clutch fork would be on the transmission bell housing.

 

There can be some automobiles, where the exhaust might be in the way of the clutch fork.

 

Now if the exhaust would be in the way of getting to the bolts which would mount the cable to a bracket which would be next to the clutch fork, then there would be a need to carefully lower or remove the exhaust pipe. The nearest mounting points should then be located in the automobile’s exhaust system.

 

Note: Just keep in mind that the bolts might start breaking because of rust and then being seized on hard. Now if the exhaust bolts would start breaking, then there would be a need to drill as well as tap out the bolts.

 

Step 6

 

The clutch cable mounting bolts should then be removed. There might be some brackets which can be mounted on the transmission bell housing.

 

There can be some other brackets which might be mounted on the back of the engine, as it all depends if the automobile would be on the front wheel drive or rear wheel drive.


There might be an inline adjuster which might have threaded nuts on both sides which would allow the cable to move forward or back adjusting the cable. There might be a requirement to loosen the adjuster which would assist in aiding the removal of the cable.

 

Warning: The settings for the adjuster for the old cable should not be remembered.

 

Step 7

 

The cable end should then be slid. Just make sure that it should go through the slot on the clutch fork.

 

Step 8

 

Now when the cable would be removed, then it is time to inspect the condition of the clutch fork. Any grease perks which have been situated on the clutch fork and bell housing should then be lubed.

 

Step 9

 

The cable end should then be put in the slot of the clutch fork. The cable should then be mounted to the bracket near the clutch fork.

 

Note: If there would be a threaded adjuster in the cable, then just be sure that you have the adjuster all the way loose with many threads showing.

 

Step 10

 

The cable should then be routed through the engine compartment. The insulated mounting clamps should then be wrapped around the cable housing and it should be then attached to the locations where they came off.

 

Step 11

 

The cable should then be fed through the firewall of the engine compartment. It would then allow the cable to enter the automobile’s cab.

 

Step 12

 

The end of the cable should then be attached to the clutch pedal. The anchor pin should then be installed so that the cable can be held in place. A cotter pin should be used to lock the anchor pin in place.

 

Warning: The old cotter pin should not be used due to work hardening and fatigue. The reason behind this is that the old cotter pin might break prematurely.

 

Step 13

 

Then it is time to go under the vehicle and then adjusting nuts should then be tightened up on the cable. Then you should press down on the clutch pedal and then measure the pedal from the pad to the floor. There would be some movement of the pedal if it would be adjusted in the right manner. Most of the pedal clearance is from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch from the pedal pad to the floor. You can always have a look at the owner’s manual for proper clutch pedal clearance.

 

Step 14

 

Then you should go under the automobile and then the lock nut should be tightened up against the adjusting nut. It would then keep the adjusting nut free from any movement.

 

Step 15

 

The clutch pedal should then be inspected for an adjuster. There would be a threaded end of the adjuster and it would be separate from the cable.

 

The pedal as well as cable would then be attached by it. The adjuster should then be rotated clockwise so that the cable can be tightened up. The adjuster should then be rotated counterclockwise so that the cable can be loosened up.

 

Step 16

 

The lock nut should then be tightened up on the back of the adjuster. It would then keep the adjuster tight from any sort of movement.

 

Generally, this type of clutch pedal adjuster is situated on large automobiles like the pickup trucks, motor homes, and four-wheel drive vehicles.

Note: There are some automobiles which would have a constant-contact clutch release bearing and at the same time they need no movement of the clutch pedal.

 

Step 17

 

All the tools as well as your creeper should be collected. They should be then placed out of the way.

 

Step 18

 

The vehicle should then be raised. A floor jack should be used to lift the vehicle until the car would be fully off the ground.

 

Step 19

 

The jack stands should then be removed.

 

Step 20

 

The vehicle should then be lowered down to where all four wheels would be on the ground. The jack should be pulled and then it should be put aside.

 

Step 21

 

The wheel chocks should then be removed and they should be put aside.

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John Framigllia
Technical Writer
Our technical writer is known for simplifying automotive parts and services. Intuitive with various vehicles and manufacturers, he knows how to simplify complicated problems.