View GarageI imagine this has been covered on the forum somewhere, but I actually can't find any neat example of it being written out.
This is a very common requirement for people changing to a V8 and not being such a girl that they want a two pedalled variant.
Firstly, I just want to explain that Toranas never came with this setup. They had part-cable setups and "rat trap" mechanisms etc. only, until the UC came out (which came with a full cable system) but it was only a 6cyl drivetrain, and the travel in the cable is really not correct if you try and use this on a V8. So what you're actually doing here is converting a Torana to use clutch geometry more similar to an early Commodore, which had a full cable V8 setup.
You achieve this by putting a longer throw on the clutch pedal, so the cable travels further when you use the pedal.
(1) What pedal do you use for this?
Any clutch pedal from any LH/LX/UC Torana. They are all the same if you cut the extra bits off.
(2) What tools do I need?
Preferably an angle grinder, a die grinder, an drill with a step drill would be ideal, and any type of welder.
(Note: the welding job is portable, so you can just take your clutch pedal to your mate's place for it to be welded up if you don't have your own machine, but you will definitely need a drill and die grinder where the car sits)
(3) What do I use for a hook?
You can make your own if you've got a small offcut of ~4-5mm steel plate lying around, or you can buy a laser-cut one from Toranamuk (Craig) here on the forum.
(4) What do I use for a clutch cable?
A CC100 from Flexible Drive Agencies is fine, if I recall correctly. That's the same as a UC 6cyl setup uses.
(5) What do I use for a bellhousing and fork?
At the gearbox end, you need to use a Commodore-type V8 clutch fork, with a Commodore-type V8 bellhousing (a lot of CRS/Dellows etc. bellhousings are modelled around this, so it its usefulness is not limited to Aussie Four Speed gearboxes)
At the pedal end, these photos show me starting with a UC full cable pedal and converting it to Commodore V8 geometry with a laser-cut hook.
Standard 6cyl Hook.jpg 193.67K
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Standard Hook Position.jpg 186.09K
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You want to cut that hook off, and put the new hook on, this photo will help you get the right distance between the pedal pivot, and the clevis location for the clutch cable. It will be further away from the big bolt the pedal mounts on, compared to a standard Torana.
Position of Clevis with V8 Configuration.jpg 106.26K
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Weld it on like so:
V8 Hook Welded on.jpg 123.63K
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Earlier clutch pedals have the arm that points towards the driver, with the eccentric round rubber stop thing on it as pictured below.
IMG_20180307_203015.jpg 500.27K
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Adjusting the cable itself will adjust the "height" of the pedal in its home position. The factory omitted this arm on the UC full cable pedal setup, and I think it's probably best practice to do the same...
This pedal hook takes up more space under the dash, you will need to cut a recess in that area up above the steering column so it does not foul on the car body. I have successfully done this with a die grinder in an assembled car with the steering column just laying down on the driver's seat.
Clearance under dash.jpg 197.53K
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ALSO, you want to drill a new hole in the firewall for the clutch cable to pass through. If your car is a UC Torana with a full cable clutch, you'll want this hole to be a bit higher than the old one. I'm sorry, I do not remember the hole diameter.
If your car is an earlier car or an auto car or anything like that, you probably won't have any holes in this area to begin with. And a recommendation has been made to install a washer around the hole to spread the load - to reduce any risk of the firewall cracking.
Please advise if there are any mistakes I've made, or things I've missed.
