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Clutch cable help, 1995 Mark V

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Clutch cable help, 1995 Mark V

Postby hetman » Mon Apr 05, 2021 3:58 pm

Greetings again, friends! My clutch cable snapped while driving and I had to drive it 75 miles without a clutch. This was a new cable installed about 3500 miles ago at a repair shop when my Transit broke down the first time, on its maiden voyage after purchasing it, about 1 1/2 years ago. The problem then apparently was that the cable had slipped off the yoke at the transmission and possibly also snapped at the pedal. I can't remember everything. I know for sure that the clutch yoke/fork was worn out and bent, and I replaced it later with a good one a few months later when I replaced the clutch. Anyway, that is not the problem this time. When the shop made this repair 1 1/2 years ago, they jerry-rigged some kind of system using the 1995 parts but with a new cable for a manually adjusted clutch pedal system (because that was the only cable available during that emergency). My Transit, being a 1995, apparently has the older self-adjusting mechanism. Anyway, the repair seemed to work find until last week, and it snapped at the clutch pedal attachment just now.

I ordered new parts from the Transit Center, including the black plastic carrier which holds the end of the clutch cable as it bends around and attaches to the pedal. This black plastic carrier is designed for the manually adjusted system. I also ordered a new manually-adjusted cable, as I would like to switch over fully to that newer style. My Transit still has this black plastic carrier from the older self-adjusting system in it at the moment, but it seems to have been altered significantly to attach the new manually-adjusted cable, with holes drilled through it and bolted together to alter the pivot point of the carrier itself. Frankly, I don't know if any parts are missing, or needed to switch over to the newer manually-adjusted cable system. The new black plastic carrier to which attaches the cable doesn't seem to match up at all with my pedal! Do I need a new pedal as well, in order to make this work?!

So I'd greatly appreciate some guidance as to what parts I'm supposed to have: every single part, including springs, bolts, bushings, etc. And how to put everything together properly. The info in the Haynes manual is not very helpful. If I am going to need a new pedal to make this system work, that will present further challenges to me, since I only have the original pedal for the self-adjusting system. Also, please inform me as to the exact routing of the cable itself from the firewall to the transmission. There are plenty of parts and hoses down there, including the exhaust manifold, and I need to know the routing prior to doing anything with the pedal and cable attachment.

Thank you for your help!
Mike
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Re: Clutch cable help, 1995 Mark V

Postby Chug » Mon Apr 05, 2021 9:04 pm

It would probably be easier to replace the self adjusting mechanism and stick with that, they are cheap and work fine when not worn and slipping teeth every now and then.
Otherwise you will need to find a manual pedal as they are different. Can you not follow the old cable route or has it been removed?
But it just goes out of bulkhead and bends back close to the starter and into the bell housing.
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Re: Clutch cable help, 1995 Mark V

Postby hetman » Mon Apr 05, 2021 10:54 pm

Chug wrote:It would probably be easier to replace the self adjusting mechanism and stick with that, they are cheap and work fine when not worn and slipping teeth every now and then.
Otherwise you will need to find a manual pedal as they are different. Can you not follow the old cable route or has it been removed?
But it just goes out of bulkhead and bends back close to the starter and into the bell housing.


Thanks for the advice. I see that the pedals are in fact different (from the Transit Center) but not available so I'll have to either do as you recommend and install the self-adjusting mechanism or even rig it back up in the same manner as that shop did (but then it'll probably snap again down the line). I simply do not know if I have all the parts, for example a spring to keep tension on that plastic piece. Does anyone have a photo of what it should look like assembled? I have nothing as a reference point. As for the cable routing from the firewall to the transmission, yes, I can see that it's relatively simply but I'm not sure which exact route it takes, because it seems that since the cable has a defined length, it has to go in a certain way to fit around the various components, and I won't know how much slack I need underneath until it's hooked up to the transmission and the pedal. I will simply have to keep trying until it is right. Yes, I already took out the old cable, unfortunately without checking the routing prior to doing that.
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Re: Clutch cable help, 1995 Mark V

Postby hetman » Wed May 05, 2021 12:02 pm

Van is still non-op due to my failure to acquire either a clutch pedal for the manually-adjusting system, or the parts to make the auto-adjusting clutch cable system work. I've bought rebuild kits which include the plastic semi-circular ratchet mechanism but the kits do not contain the springs or other parts I need to complete my pedal assembly. I have also tried to rig up a manually-adjusting cable to my pedal (as the mechanic did a year and a half ago) but the cables I've bought are shorter than the one he apparently used, so I can't even use the system he built (which isn't quite right anyhow). I've tried also to attach the cable directly to my pedal but my cable is too long for me to make this work. I wish I could find a proper 1997-2000 clutch pedal for the manually-adjusting system.... so my van sits...

have a nice day.
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Re: Clutch cable help, 1995 Mark V

Postby MinorMatt » Wed May 05, 2021 2:26 pm

I've got a manual adjust pedal kicking around spare... its a late one through so has a hexagonal pad rather than the square one. I'm not at the workshop until the weekend, but I will grab it.

In terms of parts, everything on the old pedal gets binned and replaced by the new one.
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Re: Clutch cable help, 1995 Mark V

Postby MinorMatt » Wed May 05, 2021 2:29 pm

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Re: Clutch cable help, 1995 Mark V

Postby hetman » Thu May 06, 2021 8:09 am

MinorMatt wrote:I've got a manual adjust pedal kicking around spare... its a late one through so has a hexagonal pad rather than the square one. I'm not at the workshop until the weekend, but I will grab it.

In terms of parts, everything on the old pedal gets binned and replaced by the new one.


Matt, it would be a huge relief if you were able to pass that pedal and related parts on to me, and I'd be very grateful if you could. Please let me know how much you want for it. Thank you ever so much, good sir!
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Re: Clutch cable help, 1995 Mark V

Postby Chug » Mon May 17, 2021 11:06 pm

I know your getting a manual pedal Mike but here are some pics of the pedal and quadrant anyway because.....

I replaced the clutch cable, self adjusting ratchet quadrant and pawl today, it was a right b*stard :evil: maybe someone knows the correct method but after several attempts trying different methods....... :idea:
I ended up cutting an old box spanner and using the round middle section as a bush through the pedal to hold ratchet bit in line whilst I pushed the pedal onto the shaft and the box spanner bush out, this worked great but then I realised I'd put the pawl on the wrong way :roll: so I removed pedal and refitted the pawl the correct way, but when the pedal was refitted the quadrant wouldn't move enough to allow the new clutch cable to go in

So I took it all off again and pulled the ratchet quadrent all the way against its spring and wired it there, refitted the pedal and clutch cable then removed the wire and nothing, tried the clutch pedal the ratchet quadrant was supposed to move and take up the slack in the cable, I gave the pedal a wobble side to side, tried again, still nothing, got down and had a look whilst moving the pedal but nothing obvious, then gave the end of the ratchet quadrent a tap with the handle of a screwdriver and whoosh it moved sharply and pulled up the slack in the cable and all now seems fine. :D

It was much easier on my other truck when the quadrant kept slipping, I just swapped it for a manual pedal and cable :lol:
I was gonna swap it onto this truck but decided to do the ratchet and keep em both mobile. :roll:

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Re: Clutch cable help, 1995 Mark V

Postby hetman » Tue May 18, 2021 10:39 am

Chug, thanks for the details of your troubles! And the pictures. I am missing at least that main spring inside the pedal assembly, as well as the small bushing/bolt through the end of it (which I imagine could be replaced with a bolt). I appreciate your pictures and will keep them for reference, should I ever need them in the future. yes, I would like to have the spare parts necessary to be able to re-rig this mechanism, though I'm attempting to get the manually-adjusted cable pedal from Matt, which I'm hoping will be a right salvation for my van! ;) I can't believe it's so hard to get parts for these vans. They are not very old, and both Ford and aftermarket support is downright shameful. They don't want us to be able to drive these very excellent vans!! To have to junk a perfectly good van for the lack of one small part is inconceivable and criminal, if you ask me. Which no one is, I surmise. I just want to get her running again, and reliably, if that were possible. So thanks for the tips and I appreciate all the help you all have afforded me over the past 2 year struggle I've had with this Transit. Cheers.

Chug wrote:I know your getting a manual pedal Mike but here are some pics of the pedal and quadrant anyway because.....

I replaced the clutch cable, self adjusting ratchet quadrant and pawl today, it was a right b*stard :evil: maybe someone knows the correct method but after several attempts trying different methods....... :idea:
I ended up cutting an old box spanner and using the round middle section as a bush through the pedal to hold ratchet bit in line whilst I pushed the pedal onto the shaft and the box spanner bush out, this worked great but then I realised I'd put the pawl on the wrong way :roll: so I removed pedal and refitted the pawl the correct way, but when the pedal was refitted the quadrant wouldn't move enough to allow the new clutch cable to go in

So I took it all off again and pulled the ratchet quadrent all the way against its spring and wired it there, refitted the pedal and clutch cable then removed the wire and nothing, tried the clutch pedal the ratchet quadrant was supposed to move and take up the slack in the cable, I gave the pedal a wobble side to side, tried again, still nothing, got down and had a look whilst moving the pedal but nothing obvious, then gave the end of the ratchet quadrent a tap with the handle of a screwdriver and whoosh it moved sharply and pulled up the slack in the cable and all now seems fine. :D

It was much easier on my other truck when the quadrant kept slipping, I just swapped it for a manual pedal and cable :lol:
I was gonna swap it onto this truck but decided to do the ratchet and keep em both mobile. :roll:

CIMG0106.JPG

CIMG0111.JPG

CIMG0110.JPG

CIMG0107.JPG
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Re: Clutch cable help, 1995 Mark V

Postby hetman » Mon Jun 28, 2021 10:18 am

I want to thank Chug for his advice and Matt for the parts to fix my Transit. I have installed a manually-adjusting clutch cable and pedal, and the van is happily on the road again!
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Re: Clutch cable help, 1995 Mark V

Postby Altransit » Mon Jun 28, 2021 10:42 am

Always good to see a happy conclusion, thanks for posting back :D
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Re: Clutch cable help, 1995 Mark V

Postby MinorMatt » Mon Jun 28, 2021 11:02 am

Glad to hear all is good :)

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Re: Clutch cable help, 1995 Mark V

Postby Chug » Mon Jun 28, 2021 11:15 pm

Good to hear your back on the road Mike 8)
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