Enchurito Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 I have a 1987 Subaru GL and my clutch as of yesterday is almost completely nonfunctional. You can press the clutch pedal all the way to the floor and it BARELY lets me shift into 1st gear even if I shove as hard as I can to make it go in. Also I get a horrible grinding noise when trying to put it in reverse. The clutch pedal does absolutely nothing for maybe the first 7 or 8 inches it is pushed down and the last like 4 inches seem to only half way disengage the gears. It used to be that only the first about 2 inches did nothing so its like something in the pedal has slipped loose and I was wondering how to tighten it up to where I can actually use the clutch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Sounds like it's going to need a new cable soon. It's probably stretched and about to break. You can try tightening the cable on the clutch fork end but I doubt there will be enough adjustment to help you much. A new cable is about $25 and easy to install. Just go get one and put it in. It will feel much better. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themoneypit Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 yup. what GD said. and when you replace it, you'll have to adjust the hill holder cable as well. on my ea81, i hand "snugged" the cable, then did the same with the hill holder cable and worked out great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Yes - when properly adjusted there should be about 2mm of "free play" where you can push on the fork (pretty hard) and get some movement. It should not be so tight that you can't move anything or it will cause premature failure of the throw-out bearing. Then the HH is adjusted after you like the clutch feel - I just do that on a hill. It needs to release the brake right as the clutch starts to grab. It also functions as the clutch fork return spring. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'84 Flat-Four Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Also make sure you route the cable correctly. Run it under your heater hoses. May sound trivial, but it is not. It completely changes the functionality and feel of the clutch engaging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enchurito Posted July 1, 2010 Author Share Posted July 1, 2010 So where in the engine compartment is the other end of the cable? I know that one end is of course attached to the pedal and easy to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'84 Flat-Four Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 So where in the engine compartment is the other end of the cable? I know that one end is of course attached to the pedal and easy to see. With the spare removed, standing in front of the car, looking into the engine bay, it is behind the intake left of centerline. You'll see a 2-pronged "fork" on the top of the bell-housing with a cable heading away from you - this is the clutch cable. The two nuts on your side of the fork, as you're looking at it, can be adjusted to tighten the cable up, provided that you can. The other cable that is headed towards the front of the car is your hill-holder cable which routes itself under your spare and hooks up to the HH gizmo under your brake cylinder on the driver's side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cnc Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 Before you buy and install a new cable, it might be good to check the adjustment nuts on the end of the clutch cable. If they had become loose and backed off, it might give you the same symptoms. Find the fork that comes straight up out of the bell housing, where the cable slides into it. See if there is lots of slop in the cable. Tighten the nut (or nuts, if you still have the jam nut there, too. I suspect that the jam nut was not tightened,and backed off, allowing the adjusting nut to unscrew away from it's proper place. Good luck and let us know if you get it fixed. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 Hey, it's my turn to revive a dead thread, but I do so regarding pertinent information that I can't find (I have searched). I was just adjusting the clutch on my Loyale and I realized that all it has on the outer fork end is the two adjusting nuts (inner 12mm outer locking 10mm) and that's it.I seem to recall some of my other subarus having an assortment of convex washers and perhaps a small bushing IIRC sorted out among those two adjusting nuts, is my car missing bits on the adjusting end of the clutch cable? Does anybody have a picture of theirs that they know is factory original? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86BRATMAN Posted May 16, 2017 Share Posted May 16, 2017 That's how the ea81 and ea82 cables are. The ej cables have the other assembly you're thinking of. It will fit on the ea cable, but isn't needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted May 16, 2017 Share Posted May 16, 2017 No, this was definitely EA82. I *may* be thinking of the hill holder setup though, but this was on my old 1987 5 speed GL. It had an assortment of washers on a cable with a fork on the trans, but like I said, that may have been the hill holder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomRhere Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 (edited) Edited May 17, 2017 by TomRhere 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86BRATMAN Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 That's the same combobulation that is on my ej cables, my ea82 cable isn't like that. Interesting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomRhere Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 5 pedal boxes from EA82's, '86 thru '92, all have those pieces. Didn't look at the one on the BRAT. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 Thank you, Tom. That's exactly what I was remembering from my old GL. This Loyale I have does not have any of that, just the 12mm and 10mm nut on the end. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.