I jumped the gun a bit on the install since I wasn't planning on doing the project until as early as this coming weekend. With Lauren working and me having nothing else pressing to do I decided to install the clutch. I picked up the car from Darrell's garage and headed over to my parents house to get started. I pulled it onto the ramps and used a jack to raise up the rear of the car; ultimately using jack stands to hold up the rear of the car while my dad and I worked.
This sums up the order of the work we did:
1. Removed the Hurst shift lever inside the car.
2. Disconnected the (+) battery cable.
3. Removed the starter from the bell housing.
4. Disconnected the parking brake hardware and speedometer cable from under the car.
5. Disconnected the clutch cable from the throwout lever and bell housing.
6. Unbolted the exhaust from the headers.
7. Drained the transmission from the lower fill plug
8. Removed the driveline.
9. Unbolted the bell housing from the motor (6 bolts)
10. Put a jack underneath the transmission.
11. Unbolted the transmission crossmember from the frame of the car (2 Bolts)
12. Removed the Reverse light wires (2)
13. Lowered the transmission while pulling it back off of the motor.
14. Unbolted the clutch pressure plate (6 bolts)
15. Removed the pressure plate and clutch (set aside)
16. Unbolted and removed the original 4-speed flywheel (6 bolts) and removed the pilot bearing from motor.
I had always had a problem with the clutch cables not reaching the throwout fork, and today I figured out what the problem was. I was using the wrong throwout bearing for the setup that I had. I was using a T5 with a 4-speed flywheel, clutch and pressure plate (10") while using a throwout bearing for a T5. The pressure plate for the 4-speed transmissions is about an inch taller than its newer T5 10.5" counterpart:
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| 10.5" Left -- 10" Right |
17. Bolted new Flywheel to the motor (6 bolts)
18. Installed guide pins for pressure plate with brass mallet (3) and installed new pilot bearing
19. Put new 10.5" clutch up to the flywheel and used the guide tool to hold it in place
20. Set new 10.5" pressure plate on the guide pins and threaded the bolts
21. Installed the new Ford Racing throwout bearing on the throwout fork and attached it to the bell housing.
23. Started all bell housing bolts into the motor (6)
24. Jacked up the transmission and installed the crossmember onto the frame
25. Installed the driveline
26. Installed the parking brake, and reverse light wires (2)
27. Installed the speedometer cable
28. Installed high torque mini-starter
At this point it was time to remove the old clutch cable (from a fox body Mustang '88-'93) and re-install a longer clutch cable from a 96+ Mustang. When I had to do this during the Show and Go this spring it took hours to accomplish because it is inconveniently located under the dash. This time I wasn't going to spend that much time.
29. Removed driver's seat by removing 4 bolts from underneath car
30. Removed steering wheel (it hasn't been fully tightened down so I didn't need a steering wheel remover)
31. Removed gauges from dash and took off speedometer cable
32. Used alan wrench to remove clutch cable from Mustang Steve quadrant.
33. used alan wrench to install/tighten new clutch cable from 96+ Mustang after feeding it through the firewall.
34. Routed the clutch cable all the way to the front of the car
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| 96+ Mustang Clutch cable on '66 Mustang |
35. Installed the adjustable cable end on the throwout fork using two nuts supplied
36. Installed a C-clip on the backside of the clutch cable (backside of the bell housing)
37. Re-filled transmission with drained fluid
38. Re-connected the positive battery cable.
39. Installed the driver's seat
40. Re-connected the speedometer cable and installed the gauges
41. Re-installed the steering wheel.
42. Re-installed the Hurst shift lever (2 bolts)
The car drove great with the new clutch. The pedal was a little lighter to push in and I could even do it with my thumb (not quite two fingers like I've seen on YouTube videos.) While we had the car apart I tightened the bolts on the third-member since it has had an oil leak since we put it together. Hopefully that takes care of the leak.
I've been having another issue with the car not wanting to start right up when it's hot. it has a new distributor (electronic), coil, carburetor, spark plug wires, and spark plugs. It is getting fuel and spark so I'm not sure what the problem is...maybe the timing? That is going to be my next research project since it sucks to have a car not start when you stall on the highway in traffic or at a light. For now it's driving great with the new clutch and clutch cable. I'm happy with the investment. The job took from about 9am-3:30pm with two experienced people (my dad and me) and no significant breaks.
