Do yourself a favor and buy a Ford OEM TOB no matter what clutch you go with, especially spec. Most aftermarket clutches come with shitty TOB's. I recently put a Spec stage 2+ in my gt and the TOB made noise from day 1. I have a spec stage 2+ in the mach and it started making noise @ about 25,000 miles.
The install is fairly simple but it is a lot of work.
Ford Heavy Duty TOB is the best to go with. As said def. just replace the clutch with the new TOB. Yes, get your Flywheel resurfaced. Also it is a good idea to replace your rear main seal and pilot bearing. All of this will be easily accessible with the clutch removed. I have a SPEC Stage I and love it besides the TOB. Mine is also 3-way adjustable thanks to Steeda.
The job itself can be tough. With a lift, air tools, and an extra pair of hands it isn't too bad. Definitely would be much easier the second time around, but I'm the type of person who gets satisfaction out of saying my car drives and the clutch works and I installed it. Do it!
Do yourself a favor and buy a Ford OEM TOB no matter what clutch you go with, especially spec. Most aftermarket clutches come with shitty TOB's. I recently put a Spec stage 2+ in my gt and the TOB made noise from day 1. I have a spec stage 2+ in the mach and it started making noise @ about 25,000 miles.
The install is fairly simple but it is a lot of work.
Well I must agree with that...I mentioned somewhere on here I believe that my TOB is already making noise again, but I believed that it was because something else was wrong causing my TOB's to go out, rather than my TOB being s POS..... Nice to know now....
I just did a king cobra clutch install without a lift and it only took about 4.5 hours to do. So with a lift it should be rather easy. My question to you guys since we're on the topic already is: Is there a specific way to install the throwout bearing? I noticed there is the ridge on the part that goes into the fork and retaining clip, but I can't tell if there is any particular direction the ridge is supposed to go.
I ask because everything went smoothly, but when I put it back together with the new pilot bearing, throwout, clutch, and resurfaced flywheel the fork vibrates when the car is running and makes a terrible rattling sound. I took the tranny back off and checked to make sure the fork was on to pivot properly and that everything was greased. But the fork still vibrates and makes that terrible chatter. Any ideas? Thanks in advance
Stock fork? Maaaaaaybeee it just doesn't seat well with everything else being new? Possible I say, some recommend to replace the fork as well when you do a clutch swap. When I go back in to replace my TOB with a Ford HD I'm going to replace the fork as well. Probably just a stock replacement, but at least it will have only been with one set-up.
thanks, yeah I suppose it could be. The reason I replaced my clutch at all was the same reason this thread started. My TOB failed terribly, so I imagine the fork could have been damaged as well. I guess its time to pull the tranny again and take a look. I just can't believe there was something else broken.
But there is no special way to insert the throwout bearing into the fork? I just want to make sure I didn't do something stupid, since there is that raised part of the TOB where it is inserted into the fork.
You'll know if it's the TOB if you put your toe lightly on the clutch and the sound goes away. had it happen to me too with 60k miles. changed clutch and put on new one, good as new.
and yes, while you're at it, at 90k miles i'd get rid of the factory clutch as it'll likely need replaced in the next 30 or so thousand miles. and you'll be 90% of the way there when you take off the TOB.
a bad TOB would only make noise while the pedal is depressed...the sound BEGINS when it hits the clutch, doesn't go away. if its making noise like he says it is then it seems like the clutch is draggin? OP just do the whole clutch and it should fix everything
yeah bc mine is well the pedal is not engaged.... just driving with my foot off the clutch it makes the noise and it goes away when i push the pedal in
I thought about it dragging but figured it was the tob... how can i tell if its dragging and also how can i adjust this... i have tried before to do the clutch adjustment that ppl have talked about on here...
something like while the cars off put it in first and pull the pedal back then pull it to neutral....
It'd be kinda hard to put the TOB in wrong. As long as the clutch fork held it in place before putting the input shaft thru it, then it's on there. The "indented" ring is held by the 2 clips on the fork.
my throwout bearing failed in a big way, it was in many pieces when I got the tranny off. It was screaming and squealing no matter what I did, clutch in, clutch out etc.
Another quick question, I got the new clutch release lever and it feels much tighter, its obviously not worn down. However, once I put in the TOB and mount the transmission there is still play in the lever. Is there supposed to be? I don't recall there being play when I did my old 5.0 clutch job so I'm concerned that possibly the wrong TOB was sold to me with my King Cobra Clutch kit.
The only thing I can think of the eliminate the play is that on the "indented" part of the TOB, where its installed on the fork and held by the clip, is a raised part so it is out of round. Its supposed to be there because it was on my old TOB too, but does that raised part of the TOB have to go in any specific direction? I first put the raised part into the fork first, but then the fork wouldn't slide onto the pivot ball in the bellhousing. So I assume the raised part either is facing out, toward the clutch cable, or it has to be wedged into the fork to prevent it from moving... but that doesn't make sense to me since it is a moving part.
Its frustrating that these 99+ mustangs are so much more difficult than the old 5.0s. Either that or I'm slightly retarded on these mustangs or am just having **** for luck.
well, the vibration is gone from the new fork... however there is still chatter although much quieter. I'm thinking I must have received a bad clutch kit. I took everything apart, cleaned it and put it back on ensuring it was to specs.
however, there is still as serious chatter/rattle. definitely a rotational vibration noise that increases with RPM... I'm at a complete loss now after doing a complete reinstall and checking every part.
+ would a tob be a light tick or nock comingi right by where the clutch is... it happens in any gear even neutral while its rolling i think, and it goes away as soon as i push the clutch in... It also has a quiet chirp while its just sitting and as soon as i push the clutch in even just a hair it goes away
Mine did something similar. When they took it apart they found that the pressure plate was actually touching the tob all the time, and that whoever installed it incorrectly before ****ed up the torque on the bolts, so everything was all cockeyed.
Ended up getting a tob, clutch, and all the other misc rebuild bs in there.
Make sure the clutch cable is properly adjusted, there should be 1-1/4" to 1-5/8" free-play. If it is too tight there will be a constant light load on the ToB and it can squeal/chirp/and make other noises when it really isn't bad.
If the noise disappears when you disengage the clutch then the ToB is likely OK.
well for a little update i put it on a lift to do my fuel pump bc that went out this last week and well it was on the lift i put it in gear and ran it to have a buddy of mine listen for the noise to make sure it wasnt my tranny...
the verdict is that its coming from the front of the clutch.... im assuming that i will need a clutch but i dont know exactly what part its coming from...
Is there any way to lube my clutch cable?
when i push the pedal in it creeks like a door.
thanks for all the replies guys
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