34 replies to this topic

[Heath]

My Torana is no longer driving because the clutch actuating system is stuffed. After battling for ages to try and get the bastardized cable out of the pedal, I have given up and come in for some advice.

I've had the system apart once (a long time ago), and I remember it being a massive pain in the arse - definitely the most unpleasant job I've done on the car. But until today, I didn't understand why it was a problem. I think I've now worked out that the clutch cable is a normal UC clutch cable that has had the end trimmed down and it is fitted into a pedal which it isn't designed for. What I don't know is what the hell the pedal is out of. It doesn't have a hook - it has a complex strainer setup (which I guess is made for a ball on the end of a cable, like the handbrake cable has)

The crappy setup is how it came with the car, I have just at one point pulled it apart and lubricated it before re-assembly, without really understanding what it consisted of

The incident/failure occured with a crack sound when I had my foot depressing the clutch to the floor - there was a 'crack' kinda sound, followed by the clutch pedal staying on the floor and not wanting to move from the floor. The ends of the cable still seem to be directly connected (what the?), and at first the clutch stayed completely disengaged (what the?) although that is no longer the case. I wanted to just pull it all apart to find out what has actually broken, and the only thing I can really spot is that the sheath of the cable seemed to have broken? I am so confused and it has put me in the worst mood. First time the car has ever broken down on me

Here are some photos...




Is this factory? Doesn't really look like it lol


I can buy a new UC clutch cable, but it won't suit this pedal and there is a significant waiting time. This pedal's little strainer linkage thing's pivot point is stuffed as (I can remember that from when I pulled it apart a long time ago) and it would be much more serviceable if I replaced it with a hook setup like it probably should have, but is a pedal with a hook on it going to cost me the earth? And am I going to be able to get one quickly? Can I buy a clutch cable that has a ball on one end and a hook on the other and what did it come out of or would it be a custom job? Is this the clutch pedal out of a rat trap setup? Please tell me what you can

Cheers

[TerrA LX]

is it a rat trap system?

imo convert it to a UC cable system.
You will need pedal, cable, folk, carrier and bell housing.

[rodomo]

UC pedal here for a LEND (read lend) until you get yours sorted, might have a cable too?

Did you read the bit about LEND??

[MRLXSS]

This should solve your problems... Don't think the BBQ 202 will blow it up anytime soon as well...

Heath's Saviour

[LXCHEV]

I think it's time you convert to the proper UC type setup too.

I personally have no idea about that current setup... not sure if it's factory or a hack job.

Somewhere buried in my shed, is a spare hook that I bought off Craig a while back. I never used it, as I ended up buying a complete pedal off him already modified. So if you decide to convert your pedal, you can have my hook for $10. Just let me know if you're keen, as I need to find it first!

What's at the other end of your cable... are you running the rat-trap with push type clutch, or this already a pull type full cable??

[Heath]

lol a slushie in my shitbox? No thanks!

Brett, SMS sent.

The car has a pull type full cable arrangement, the only problem with it is that the pedal end is really dodgy, and where it feeds through the firewall it isn't that glamerous either. Hopefully I can fix both of those problems

I just borrowed that UC pedal off Rob and I've found a spare UC cable in the shed. I'm gonna pull the car apart when I get a chance (working flat out atm) and see what I have to do to get rid of the strainer thing. I might just need to drill into the existing bracket and grind out an area to make it hook in, but I doubt it. I'll try and get Brett's hook and weld it on

I found these old photos of when I had it apart.


Now, how #@$^%& is THAT!? That is the pivot shaft between the pedal and the strainer.

[rodomo]

THAT is the clevis pin we spoke about

[76lxhatch]

I must say I'm a little surprised Heath, you don't seem to hesitate at a bit of custom work in most areas, but you can't make a little steel hook and weld it on the end of the pedal?

[Heath]

Yeah look maybe I am being a bit of a girl about it, it's just that I have no access to the problem area (I still haven't figured out why it isn't actually working!) and that I'm not really familiar with the system, or more to the point - how the system is supposed to be.

Half the things I have been reading are confusing the shit out of me. I just want a standard UC setup with the MC6 and everyone is talking about V8s with aussie boxes and 25mm this, getting rid of rat trap that. If I wasn't working on a complete car, things would be a bit more simple.

Anyway, I should have it sorted soonish, I just need to spend some time on it and I should be able to figure out which way to go

[76lxhatch]

I just want a standard UC setup with the MC6 and everyone is talking about V8s with aussie boxes and 25mm this, getting rid of rat trap that.

Measure the cable movement required at the gearbox end, and match it at the pedal end. Sounds like you have it under control anyway

[MRLXSS]

Sounds to me like you should just get an auto....

[Heath]

Matt, you are such a girl. Did you swap to auto because you broke your clutch pedal? lol

Anyway, great news. Got the frOcker all apart and made some findings. I bought the hook off Brett but I don't need it so I might chuck it in the blue car instead.

This is the only breakage of the cable

Looks like the sheath where the flange is connected has snapped and slipped up over the metal casing, removing the tension in the setup. From my observation, it is the only way in which the setup has 'failed'. Now unless there is a problem at the bellhousing end, that's it. That's all!

Bastardized end:

Strainer that they made it fit into:


What does this mean? Originally a rat trap or something else? Body plate says it came with an MC6...


Guess what tool I will be using? That's right, the angle grinder!

So yeah if you want to do a full cable conversion without doing any welding (or spending), just find an LX Sunbird pedal like mine

Cheers

[Heath]

Yeah that is the same as my pedal before I dis-assembled it. I think LX Sunbird. TO ME, there is no reason that a UC Sunbird pedal would be any different to a UC Torana pedal, because as far as I know, the gearboxes and clutch arrangements are the same. Which is also re-enforced by the fact that the 4cyl and 6cyl clutch cables have the same part number.

But seriously, that pedal is a good thing to have. All you need to do is remove the strainer and turn its mount into a hook by grinding it, and you have essentially a UC manual pedal. That might be no good for a V8 though, I dunno. Worst case scenario you cut the mount off and buy a $12 hook off Toranamuk and weld that on. Easy as piss

Mine already had that hole arrangement in the firewall, and I probably won't need to change it. I'll know soon enough

Edited by Heath, 07 October 2010 - 09:27 PM.

[MRLXSS]

Matt, you are such a girl. Did you swap to auto because you broke your clutch pedal? lol

Nope, because it was the weakest point in my driveline...

[Heath]

Well this setup obviously lasted a while too, but the cable really needed to be a fair bit shorter than it was. I compared the cable to the standard UC unit (which I have ordered a new one of, I should get it late Monday) and it did not match in length. Don't know what it was out of, potentially Commodore or full sized Holden, or something else again (don't know about Camiras and shit like that?)

Anyway I got the car driving about half an hour ago, just with a dodgy cable I had left over from the Brock UC, but it is fraying so it should be gone by Knox for Tuesday night. So it hasn't cost me anything so far, just used Rob's pedal as reference. But obviously the new cable isn't going to be that cheap. Doesn't help that I am getting it couriered across town either. That's what money is for though!



Looks a bit neater under the bonnet too now. Still a shitheap under there but progress is progress

No more dodgy brackets, just a zinc plated washer.


Thanks for the help all

Edited by Heath, 10 October 2010 - 03:30 PM.

[rodomo]

NO!
I won't answer my phone with 10 laps to go and a safety car!

(you should know better)