Can any of you tell me where the clutch adjustment is on the Speedster? 2 to 3 inches of pedal free play. Pedal has to be on the floor to shift.
Thank you
Paul
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VW transaxle- it should be a big wing nut on the left side of the transaxle at the top. Turn it clockwise so there's 1/2" of pedal play.
Anything else- I got nothin'...
If this is a new development beware. Cables generally stretch twice: a little bit right after they're installed, then quite a bit more right before they break.
If you have a hydraulic clutch, you may just need to bleed it.
Not sure if JPS uses a cable or hydraulic? Any thoughts? Ar only has 2000 miles so don’t think it ready to break. What is the easiest way or get to the wing nut other than putting the car on a lift which I don’t have.
Thank you
Paul
@Phisaac posted:Not sure if JPS uses a cable or hydraulic? Any thoughts? Ar only has 2000 miles so don’t think it ready to break. What is the easiest way or get to the wing nut other than putting the car on a lift which I don’t have.
Thank you
Paul
The car is going to need to be raised but it can be done without a lift. You will need a good jack and sturdy jack stands. That's the only way. Jack the rear up high enough to get under it. Put the jacks stands in position and get the car's weight on them. Slide under without a creeper to make the adjustment. Come in from the driver's side.
Also, Paul, while you're under there and making the adjustment, the adjuster looks like a really big wing nut at the end of the cable and up against a small (4" long) arm that is the clutch engagement lever on the driver's side of the transaxle near the engine. That wing nut, if it is a cheap Asian version, may loosen over time of it's own accord. Some of them, like on Jack Crosby's car, are made from soft castings that strip the threads out and let the threaded end of the cable slip through, losing adjustment.
My advice would be to remove the wingnut, take it to a local hardware store and get a regular nut with the same threads. It doesn't have to be a Nylok stop nut - just a regular nut will do, but a Nylok is bonus points.
Return to your car and replace the wing nut (bulbous side towards the lever), then spin the extra nut on behind it. Adjust the wing nut for 1/2" - 3/4" free play at the top of the pedal, then run the other nut up against the wing nut and tighten them both together. That way, the wing nut will never back off and you won't care if it strips the threads out.
@Gordon Nichols posted:Also, Paul, while you're under there and making the adjustment, the adjuster looks like a really big wing nut at the end of the cable and up against a small (4" long) arm that is the clutch engagement lever on the driver's side of the transaxle near the engine. That wing nut, if it is a cheap Asian version, may loosen over time of it's own accord. Some of them, like on Jack Crosby's car, are made from soft castings that strip the threads out and let the threaded end of the cable slip through, losing adjustment.
My advice would be to remove the wingnut, take it to a local hardware store and get a regular nut with the same threads. It doesn't have to be a Nylok stop nut - just a regular nut will do, but a Nylok is bonus points.
Return to your car and replace the wing nut (bulbous side towards the lever), then spin the extra nut on behind it. Adjust the wing nut for 1/2" - 3/4" free play at the top of the pedal, then run the other nut up against the wing nut and tighten them both together. That way, the wing nut will never back off and you won't care if it strips the threads out.
Gordon and Robert
Thank you, for your help.
Paul
Paul - To my knowledge there are two types of wing nuts, one of which has a couple of little nubs that sort of lock it into position on the cable against the throwout arm. It's easy enough to turn BUT you need to lock the cable in place. Vice grips can be used, but the best approach is a little bitty 13/64 wrench on the side of the cable in front of the throwout arm. The other cable has two nuts that lock against each other, which is a little more trouble.
If you have a hydraulic clutch you should still have the two-nut type of adjustment. Make sure that it against the throwout arm before you bother with bleeding it.
@Lane Anderson posted:Paul - To my knowledge there are two types of wing nuts, one of which has a couple of little nubs that sort of lock it into position on the cable against the throwout arm. It's easy enough to turn BUT you need to lock the cable in place. Vice grips can be used, but the best approach is a little bitty 13/64 wrench on the side of the cable in front of the throwout arm. The other cable has two nuts that lock against each other, which is a little more trouble.
If you have a hydraulic clutch you should still have the two-nut type of adjustment. Make sure that it against the throwout arm bef
@Lane Anderson posted:Paul - To my knowledge there are two types of wing nuts, one of which has a couple of little nubs that sort of lock it into position on the cable against the throwout arm. It's easy enough to turn BUT you need to lock the cable in place. Vice grips can be used, but the best approach is a little bitty 13/64 wrench on the side of the cable in front of the throwout arm. The other cable has two nuts that lock against each other, which is a little more trouble.
If you have a hydraulic clutch you should still have the two-nut type of adjustment. Make sure that it against the throwout arm before you bother with bleeding it.
Thank you Lane
The clutch wing nuts I have seen have a football-shaped bump that fits into the clutch arm. I have never had a problem with it.
There is even a special tool for it!
The nut isn't hard to turn with your fingers, but you need to hold the cable in place and stop it from turning with the nut. Where the threaded end piece is attached to the cable is pressed into a six-sided shape that a 13/64 wrench fits onto, which is easier to use than vice-grips.
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You can always tell a thread about something that is relatively easy to do.
Everyone who has been there and skinned some knuckles or stripped some threads or had to make three trips to the hardware store will be commenting. (Not coincidentally, this is the kind of thread that I generally comment on.)
My two cents is about Lane's 'six-sided shape' (neither of us knows what to call the thing). I usually take a different tack than Lane. I do clamp a small vise-grip on the 'six-sided thing' and then twist the nut. The vise-grip will eventually jam against something under there, keeping the 'thing' from turning, so you can adjust the nut with one hand.
For me, this always turns out to be one of those 'see or reach' situations. You can see the thing or reach it, but you can't do both at the same time. Or at least you can't without being a gymnast.
I won't tell you about the time I destroyed my pressure plate making this adjustment, as you'd have to be unusually inept to do that.
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Paul, for your visual reference here is a pic of the clutch cable adjustment.
Cable clutch = as pictured. (click on pic to enlarge)
Hydraulic clutch = there would be a slave cylinder (actuator) with a rod attached to where the wing-nut is located.
Hope you find this info useful! 
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Images (1)
You can also get this fancy clutch adjustment nut from Airkewld. It will be easier to turn that the wing nut
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Images (1)
@Karyadi posted:
You can also get this fancy clutch adjustment nut from Airkewld. It will be easier to turn that the wing nut
That’s great
Thanks for sharing
That last pict was from a repurposed sixshooter, just kidding
I'm able to jack the car up and remove the rear passenger side wheel. I use a make shift 4' x 3/4" x 1 1/2" piece of wood to release tension while my helper depresses the clutch. I turn the wing-nut by hand. I use 1/2" of play. I did experience the wing-nut backing out once.
Oops, I meant to say that I remove the driver side rear wheel. A crow bar could also work, if you aren't worried about scratching any surface areas.
Paul, I'm guessing the crow bar can be used to reach (without removing the driver side wheel) the lever the clutch cable goes through. Use the crow bar to release the tension on the clutch lever (I'm drawing a blank on what it's called) and then being able to more easily turn the clutch cable wing-nut to make your cable adjustments. I hope that makes sense.
Leveraging the clutch arm, taking tension off the cable. Then you no longer have to hold the cable to prevent twisting of said cable.
'Clutch arm' - that's what I was trying to think of. 
It's a sobering fact that getting old sure messes up your memory banks! 
@MusbJim and @DannyP are correct. I'm not known for being elegant at times, but that's a quick way to get to adjust the play. I don't have a nice lift so I have to make do with what I've got. Also, I have a Kennedy stage 1 pressure plate and there is no way I can even turn the wing nut without first releasing the tension. But my car is sitting pretty high so I have more space than others. The wheel does come off however.
I have a Kennedy stage 1 and it is pretty easy to turn the nut. Since you are adjusting free play nothing should be happening with the Kennedy.
@Michael McKelvey posted:I have a Kennedy stage 1 and it is pretty easy to turn the nut. Since you are adjusting free play nothing should be happening with the Kennedy.
So if you take off the drivers side rear wheel can you get at the clutch adjustment wing nut from the side without getting underneath the car?
Thanks
@Michael McKelvey posted:I have a Kennedy stage 1 and it is pretty easy to turn the nut. Since you are adjusting free play nothing should be happening with the Kennedy.
Yeah. I'm thinking the only tension should be the return spring. If you're engaging your clutch, your cable is way too tight. My Spyder is really easy to adjust. IIRC, it's 1/2-3/4 turn past where it engages the return spring. Easy to do with a channel lock on the Bowden tube and finger tightening.
I’m not engaging the clutch there is free play. But I think you are correct that the resistance is due to the return spring. Maybe it’s a leverage issue and I really ought to get under the car instead of reaching from the outside. My wing-nut is in terrible condition and it’s pretty hard to turn as well - not the wing part, but the other end. @Phisaac I can do without getting under the car (just my arm and shoulder). I’ve got other ailments (that I’ve overcome thus far) and I don’t like to get myself in weird body positions, so I manage the best I can. A two-poster lift would certainly help 🙂
@ZFNHSN posted:Oops, I meant to say that I remove the driver side rear wheel. A crow bar could also work, if you aren't worried about scratching any surface areas.
@Phisaac posted:Okay, I give up. What is the crow bar used for?
Yeah, inquiring minds want to know! what the h&ll do you need a crow bar for???
@MusbJim posted:'Clutch arm' - that's what I was trying to think of.
It's a sobering fact that getting old sure messes up your memory banks!
The problem, Jim, is you're letting yourself spend too much time sober!