Clutch fork?

[Ironhead Dave]

I have a friend with a 98 Sidekick JX that about every 3-5 days needs the clutch adjusted. I will adjust the cable to get the right amount of play and it will shift great and it slowly will shift harder until the clutch no longer disengages at all. I am almost out of adjustment on the cable without having to move the arm. I realize that this is the wrong fix and there is a bigger issue but I don't want to just throw parts at it without some direction. I have checked the pedal, bushings, welds, and firewall. Everything appears fine there. I noticed where the cable hooks to the pedal that it acts like he pedal is slotted. It will move about an inch before it even starts to pull the cable. That translates to a lot more at the pedal itself. I also have measured from the bracket on the engine to the arm on the clutch to see if that distance changes at all showing the cable stretching. It does not change and I really can't notice any play in the cable either. However, if I turn the adjuster about 4-6 'clicks' (half turns) it will drive fine again. I have heard that the clutch fork is a weak point but I would think that it would have failed by now.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.
Dave

[Ironhead Dave]

A little more info after reading posts on here....I have not done the one inch test. The shift lever does feel a little loose to me. I drive a stick shift everyday and have my whole life so I am used to the feel of one. I can start the car in gear with the clutch in but it will roll slightly. When adjusted it will start, upshift, down shift, and go into reverse with no grinding or slipping. It used to last about a month before not shifting. Now it is about three to four days.

[fixkick]

I just needs a new cable
its easy fix.
that slack up top , of pedal is ALL wrong.
my guess, the cable is long ago worn out inside, binds and caused the top of pedal deal and makes doing free play impossible (like the all do about 150k miles)
its $25 fix.
happy holidays !

A little more info after reading posts on here....I have not done the one inch test. The shift lever does feel a little loose to me. I drive a stick shift everyday and have my whole life so I am used to the feel of one. I can start the car in gear with the clutch in but it will roll slightly. When adjusted it will start, upshift, down shift, and go into reverse with no grinding or slipping. It used to last about a month before not shifting. Now it is about three to four days.

[Ironhead Dave]

I just needs a new cable
its easy fix.
that slack up top , of pedal is ALL wrong.
my guess, the cable is long ago worn out inside, binds and caused the top of pedal deal and makes doing free play impossible (like the all do about 150k miles)
its $25 fix.
happy holidays !

A little more info after reading posts on here....I have not done the one inch test. The shift lever does feel a little loose to me. I drive a stick shift everyday and have my whole life so I am used to the feel of one. I can start the car in gear with the clutch in but it will roll slightly. When adjusted it will start, upshift, down shift, and go into reverse with no grinding or slipping. It used to last about a month before not shifting. Now it is about three to four days.

Great! That's an easy one. I will give it a try.

[fixkick]

I just needs a new cable
its easy fix.
that slack up top , of pedal is ALL wrong.
my guess, the cable is long ago worn out inside, binds and caused the top of pedal deal and makes doing free play impossible (like the all do about 150k miles)
its $25 fix.
happy holidays !

A little more info after reading posts on here....I have not done the one inch test. The shift lever does feel a little loose to me. I drive a stick shift everyday and have my whole life so I am used to the feel of one. I can start the car in gear with the clutch in but it will roll slightly. When adjusted it will start, upshift, down shift, and go into reverse with no grinding or slipping. It used to last about a month before not shifting. Now it is about three to four days.

Great! That's an easy one. I will give it a try.

if the car rolls when in gear, (1st or Rev) clutch to the floor (flat ground) that means the clutch is dragging.
1: free play wrong.
2: cable bad preventing above (they all do it at 150k miles or so)
3: the clutch is bad.

#3 is 10 hours hard labor, 4wd, and $200 cost. (for most folks DIY its a lost weekend this job, even with parts in hand)

the 1inch rule tells me what is wrong, 1,2,3.
but only if it play is gone, the free play in the pedal is about 1/2"
the pedal ratio is about 6:1 or in ours maybe 3:1?, so the lever play at the pedal is 1/3th of 1/2"

try to understand, the cable inside, deep gets rut grooves inside that totally mess up clutch actions and freeplay adjustments. totally.
its $25 and 1hr work.

here is the official page on this, Suzuki
http://www.fixkick.com/tranny/clutch/mik...ge_23.html

the bottom play is 5mm, or 0.197" or about 3/16" play but if the cable binds, it cant be set.

to do the 1inch rule
set the play to zero
then move your foot on the pedal and see that the lever below moves, 1 for 1, in that there is no take up slack
if the lever moves 1inch, with zero play for sure, then the linkage is ok but not the actual clutch.

keep in mind actual clutches can warp in 3 places. or crack in many, and cause drag. (if blown many up.)
but that cable is first, if pedal is not cracked, end to end, nor its end pivot not stripped out.(splines)
keep i mind all cables fail
all do;
and when they do, the drivers, force the pedal and damage gets worse., pedal , and splines wrecked. or worse. fire wall cracked.

I hope this helps.... do ask questions
and happy holidays!!!

[fixkick]

keep in mind we cant see inside the bell.
not ever
even the forks can fail in there, (rare)
or the throwout bearing is collapsing is common, as they all do, if no free play exists. they burn up.
but for sure pedal end is first. from there down, or labor shoots to the moon.

[fixkick]

the best way to do this is with 2 persons.
one at pedal
and
make sure all parts, move, and no slack, this means all parts move, as one, no delay , no slack , or this is wrong, (just for this 1inch test)
then the 1" rule,
the clutch must fully disengage, with no slack, and the bell lever moves 1inch, or the clutch itself is bad (in the bell what ever bad there)

once this test passes
set play to 1/2" in the pedal (this is center of spec)

[Ironhead Dave]

I will give the test a try and see. The cable will be easy enough. I am more than capable of replacing a clutch if needed, I just do not have the facility to do that anymore or the time. He will have to take it somewhere unfortunately.

[Ironhead Dave]

So it was not the cable. The slack at the pedal side was caused by the arm that it attaches to on the pedal being at the wrong angle. The arm was at the wrong angle because there was not proper penetration on the weld where the shaft attaches to the pedal. So even though the weld appeared fine on the outside, it was actually failing on the inside. Only after removing the pedal and clamping it in a vise to test it, did the pedal fall off in my hand. Btw... this is not a factory weld on this so it has been repaired before.

[fixkick]

So it was not the cable. The slack at the pedal side was caused by the arm that it attaches to on the pedal being at the wrong angle. The arm was at the wrong angle because there was not proper penetration on the weld where the shaft attaches to the pedal. So even though the weld appeared fine on the outside, it was actually failing on the inside. Only after removing the pedal and clamping it in a vise to test it, did the pedal fall off in my hand. Btw... this is not a factory weld on this so it has been repaired before.

yup they all do that.
every one. (cable bad)
100s seen. on forums for this...

if the cable is allowed to go bad, the person driving uses huge foot pressure, 100lb on the foot pedal gives you 600lbs at that cable and that tiny weld breaks
tell me what is better? breaking that or the fire wall cracks, and those do too.
its like the old statement in HS physic class, the immovable object and the irresistible force something must give.
its up to the designer what breaks first.
something must.

my web page shows all this... its all documented. and the index marks, on both levers.
its good news really, you saved 10 hour hard labor on a new clutch, seen many do that and all it was , was pedal or cable bad. all easy fixes, (with welder in hand)
happy new year.