clutch adjustment

[Wes Bender]

David, you are doing what the FSM is trying to do, but with an additional measurement that the FSM only assumes. Also, adjusting via the Bowden cable (housing) minimally is OK if it doesn't cause other problems. I prefer the regular adjustment points.

Bill Romano: "If you look at the connection between the pedal and the cable, you'll note that you can move the pedal 20-25 mm (3/4-1-inch) of free movement before the cable begins to be pulled." This might be what is leading you astray Bill. The cable starts to move as soon as you start to push on the pedal. Any play is at the throwout beating/pressure plate interface.

[Martin Benade]

Bill what is confusing you is the concept of free play. There is zero free play in the pedal, cable, levers, or t/o bearing. The only free play in the system is between the T/O bearing and an installed engine.

[John Clarke]

Yeh 'Overthinking'
Cutch Pedal 'Freeplay' The amount of movement of the Clutch Pedal before it starts to engage or move / depress the Clutch Diaphram Plate. Adjusted I think at the Clutch Cable End at the Rear with the 2 nuts? And Clutch Pedal 'Travel' Adjustment to stop excessive clutch diaphragm depression achieved by adjustable stop plate below the Clutch Pedal.
Or am I 'Overthinking This' ?
Regards Jay

[Al Zim]

If you have an "A" car with the original transmission adjusting the clutch cable is easy. On the B and C cars it is a chore! ***Starting with the A cars: If you have the engine out of the car you can take the VW WING NUT style clutch cable adjuster drill and tap the center for an 8MM threads which is the size of the threads on the clutch cable end. Then grind or file a notch at the bottom of the release arm hole. This will keep the adjuster from moving. You can adjust the tension with your fingers instead of 2 wrenches. To keep the cable from turning you may have to hold it with a small pair of Vice grips. An aftermarket adjustment tool will be available soon!
T-5 and T-6 cars can will require the removal of the clutch cable from the transmission to adjust it at the cable. An easier method of adjustment can be adjusted by tightening or loosening 19MM nut on the Bowden tube. Purchase a cheap (from the pawn shop 17 and 19MM wrench. Cut it in half. This is why you should have purchased a cheap wrench. Spray some penetrating oil on the threads to allow easy movement of the nut. Check your free play as you adjust.
Some people like the clutch to be engaged when it is just coming off the floor and other may like it better higher up. As long as there is free play in the clutch cable when released everything should be OK. As the clutch wears out the free play in the clutch cable will become reduced. So keep your adjusting wrenches where you can find them. Al Zim

[Bill Romano]

OK, its beginning to sink in ... so adjust free play for the clutch cable at either end (the pedal end is a lot easier) ... make a coarse adjustment of the bearing face by setting the pedal stop to get around 50mm with pedal depressed (as would be established if you had a P35a tool) ... measure that actual distance carefully and the distance from the engine interface to the clutch contact point ... the difference should be one (1) mm ... adjust pedal stop as necessary to get to 1 mm ... modify free play to get 1 mm as necessary.

I'm pretty sure nothing you do with the Bowden cover will alter the cable length or position of the bearing face - it just guides the clutch cable from tunnel to fitting on transmission.

[Jon Bunin]

OK, its beginning to sink in ...
make a coarse adjustment of the bearing face by setting the pedal stop to get around 50mm with pedal depressed (as would be established if you had a P35a tool) ...

No

[Martin Benade]

The pedal stop has nothing to do with free play, and that 50mm dimension is set when NOT pressing the pedal.
As for the alternate method of adjusting free play,imagine if instead of lengthening the Bowdon tube by 1/2” at the threads, you lengthened it by six inches, then the cable would seem like it was six inches too short with none sticking out. So you could say you just shortened the cable by six inches.
To me the bowdon tube is something to set and forget, but it is a valid way to adjust the free play that some people prefer.

[Jon Bunin]

OK, its beginning to sink in ...
make a coarse adjustment of the bearing face by setting the pedal stop to get around 50mm with pedal depressed (as would be established if you had a P35a tool) ...

No.

Mr. Romano, you came to the forum seeking advice and understanding, but unfortunately you're not accepting the advice you're repeatedly being given.
Some of us do actually know what we're talking about.

At this point, perhaps you should just go ahead, do it your way, and attempt to get the recommended 50mm adjustment with the clutch pedal depressed to the pedal stop.

[John Clarke]

Correct Jon
And Very Politely Put. Repeated good advice given by very knowledgeable members , and misunderstood or misinterpreted again and again!
Frustrating. Bill needs to Engage a 356 Professional !
Kind Regards Jay

[Bill Romano]

Martin agree, disagree, agree .. on the disagree, when you don't press the pedal, you're looking at the TO bearing at rest ... there's nothing you can do to change that and it's over 2 inches on my transmission ... I haven't been able to get it to 1 31/32 inches with either or both cable length and pedal stop with or without the pedal depressed ... my engine is on a test stand so I can't get to the clutch to measure the engine surface to clutch.

Jon, I'm struggling with the assembly of a car I didn't take apart. Everything is a trial-and-error test and I've had to repeat a lot of things because of my ignorance and more than a little wrong advice from the forum. It's become obvious that clutch adjustment is not well explained in any document and in fact is pretty uncertain. So uncertain that someone installed his engine with clay on the clutch plate to measure to see if he had proper clearance. That's a hell of a lot of work for that piece of info. It seems there should be a step-by-step way to get it right the first time. I haven't seen that guidance yet. There's no way to ascertain the credibility of anyone who submits but every response at least makes you think and hopefully will lead to greater likelihood of success. So please don't take my responses and questions as an afront, I'm just trying to avoid more mistakes.

[John Clarke]

Understand your frustration Bill. But get a local 356 Expert to sort it out for You. Regards Jay

[John Clarke]

Deleted by edit (Double Post)
Jay

[Martin Benade]

Bill, I think words are failing us. I suspect if you clear your mind of what the service manual and us commenters haven’t communicated well enough you will be able to study the actual car and figure it out. A couple of misunderstandings are holding you back.
You can even just put the engine in and start adjusting, it’s not necessary to get that elusive 50 mm as a starting point.

[Bill Romano]

Thanks for your understanding ...

A recent reponse I submitted indicated I didn't think the Bowden tube was a factor ... it occurred to me as I mulled the situation during the night rather than sleeping that adjusting the Bowden tube actually moves the clutch cable. If you screw it in, you move some of the cable to the pedal end and maybe provide greater bearing movement .... I can't wait to try it since nothing I did yesterday got the bearing anywhere near 50mm.

[George Hussey]

we simply adjust the clutch so the pedal is absolutely at the top of its travel, but you can "wiggle" it about a quarter of an inch before it gets hard to push. This keeps the throwout bearing from putting tension on the pressure plate