Well this is what happened: I was driving around my hometown yesterday and after I shifted into gear I heard this odd click before i let off the clutch, and then when I stepped on the clutch the next time I had to shift my clutch pedal had gotten maybe 50% harder to press down. I figured that this was NOT a good sign so I called my ex boyfriend who was in town and had him look at it. He said most likely I had a Hydraulic problem and the hydraulic system needed to be flushed that it most likely had a air pocket or needed more fluid (I realize those arent the actual terms but forgive me).
He said it would get softer and harder randomly, and it has, and that it wasnt a huge deal right now but it will be at some point in the future, i asked for a time frame of "the future" and he said worst case scenario 3 weeks if i drive it hard.
What do ya'll guys think? (and if you could tell me the acutal terms thatd be great lol cause if i call a mechanic up and start saying the wrong thing gonna be like "stupid girl" but in reality i just havent ever been taught anything, I know more about cars than my own father! my ex boyfriend showed me how to change my air filter and i was proud of myself that i could do it which i did today, I'm trying to make him teach me as much as he can before he leaves for Iraq ) well anyways any information about how much this might cost or what i should expect would be much appreciated!
Well this is what happened: I was driving around my hometown yesterday and after I shifted into gear I heard this odd click before i let off the clutch, and then when I stepped on the clutch the next time I had to shift my clutch pedal had gotten maybe 50% harder to press down. I figured that this was NOT a good sign so I called my ex boyfriend who was in town and had him look at it. He said most likely I had a Hydraulic problem and the hydraulic system needed to be flushed that it most likely had a air pocket or needed more fluid (I realize those arent the actual terms but forgive me).
He said it would get softer and harder randomly, and it has, and that it wasnt a huge deal right now but it will be at some point in the future, i asked for a time frame of "the future" and he said worst case scenario 3 weeks if i drive it hard.
What do ya'll guys think? (and if you could tell me the acutal terms thatd be great lol cause if i call a mechanic up and start saying the wrong thing gonna be like "stupid girl" but in reality i just havent ever been taught anything, I know more about cars than my own father! my ex boyfriend showed me how to change my air filter and i was proud of myself that i could do it which i did today, I'm trying to make him teach me as much as he can before he leaves for Iraq ) well anyways any information about how much this might cost or what i should expect would be much appreciated!
Thanks!
this is for your 97, right? our cars(i have a 98) dont have a hydraulic clutch, we have a mechanically operated clutch. basically, all there is is a metal cable. when u push down on the clutch, it pulls the cable and that in turn pulls a lever in the transmission (shift fork) and that engages the clutch.
you said that when you pushed it in, it gave you a click, right? might not be the case with urs, but look into this as it might help. on my car, it did the same thing except it wasnt a click, it was a pop and went stiff, then really soft. it barely got me a few blocks down the road when the pedal went limp. turns out the cable itself had caught on something and got cut and just snapped under the pressure. if your car hasnt had anything done to the clutch cable assembly, you should still have the plastic quadrant (included a pic of the aftermarket metal one i have). i will be willing to bet that your problem is coming from here. either something broke or is about to break. check it, it will be under the dash, under the steerig wheel and right above the clutch pedal. check there to see if anything is broken/bent.
-xavier
__________________
RIP Gloria A. Torres
4/26/61 - 10/30/07
The best Mom-lady I could have ever asked for
sorry for the blurry pics, i wasnt too good with my camera at the time. in order, here are the descriptions on the pics:
1) these are the two cables, the original one (that snapped) on top and the new one on the bottom
2) thats what the clutch quadrant looks like out of the car. the cable runs in a grove in the semi-circular section.
3) here is a pic of it on the car, without the cable on it. see the grove where the cable goes?
4) this last pic is a close up of the snapped cable.
hope this has helped.
-xavier
__________________
RIP Gloria A. Torres
4/26/61 - 10/30/07
The best Mom-lady I could have ever asked for
So I need to check my clutch cable? Ok I will or I'll get someone to do it. How much is it to get that replaced if it is damaged?
not too much, not sure what the labor is on that, but the cable itself shouldnt be too much, i purchased an adjustable one from steeda for about $60-70, not sure how much ford charges for those. if the cable turns out to be good, follow up on what markwondi mentioned about the shift fork and/or throw out bearing.
question real quick, the click you heard, did it sound like it came from inside the car or outside the car(outside noise that traveled inside)?
__________________
RIP Gloria A. Torres
4/26/61 - 10/30/07
The best Mom-lady I could have ever asked for
It actually sounded like it came from my pedal so I wasnt that worried til I stepped on it again; but my car has drove fine today, basically back to normal. Would that mean it got loose of whatever it was caught on? I'll still have someone look at my cable and my clutch fork for me though just in case.
It actually sounded like it came from my pedal so I wasnt that worried til I stepped on it again; but my car has drove fine today, basically back to normal. Would that mean it got loose of whatever it was caught on? I'll still have someone look at my cable and my clutch fork for me though just in case.
yeah, it could be that it just got stuck on something and now its unstuck. still have someone check it tho. ive heard and read a few things about the stock plastic quardrants giving out after time, so if it were me thats where i would start checking. good luck
-xavier
__________________
RIP Gloria A. Torres
4/26/61 - 10/30/07
The best Mom-lady I could have ever asked for
It actually sounded like it came from my pedal so I wasnt that worried til I stepped on it again; but my car has drove fine today, basically back to normal. Would that mean it got loose of whatever it was caught on? I'll still have someone look at my cable and my clutch fork for me though just in case.
the stock quadrant that we speak of, is a self adjusting mechanism. to check for proper adjustment, lift the clutch pedal up as high as it will go and if its out of adjustment, it will make a clicking/ratcheting noise (coming from the pedal area). this is normal, however, if your clutch has never been changed it may be close to worn out. keep an eye on it and its operation.
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Sr. Master Ford nerd.
saludos caballeros del ovalo azul
Clutch suddenly got stiff, Hydraulic problem? 
which i did today, I'm trying to make him teach me as much as he can before he leaves for Iraq 
) well anyways any information about how much this might cost or what i should expect would be much appreciated! 
