2G, Gain clutch travel, fixing wear and gaining better shifts to boot

2G Gain clutch release travel for HD clutches (especially ACT's) without band-aid methods like extended slave rods and over shimming the pivot ball


In my never ending quest to perfect every aspect of everything about my car and the experience of driving it I recently found a simple/non-band-aid way to gain some clutch travel and help improve shifts on an OEM trans/ACT2600 combo. I recently performed the AWD swap and had to go back to a stock trans and put a new friction disk on my ACT2600 clutch (which made shifting above 7k RPM horrible again – I had been spoiled by my TRE front drive unit for the last three years. I was use to shifting as easily at 8500 RPM as I can at 4200 RPM )


Overview:

While inspecting, replacing, maintaining and adjusting the clutch system I discovered a few days ago that the 2G clutch pedal assembly gets some wear to it and you lose travel (just like the 1G cars but not in the same way)

The pedal will flex to the left (as observed from the driver position) when you are pressing on a heavy clutch and the thick metal gusset on the back of the pedal starts to hit the carpet/sound deadener and basically the floor before you can get a full release even with the upper stop backed out as far as you can take it. (I found the problem when I noticed the clutch interlock switch wouldn't let me start the car unless I stabbed the clutch really hard – so I started inspecting it)

Tools Recommended:

• 12mm open-end/box end wrench to adjust the master
• possibly a 14mm wrench of the same type depending if you need to adjust the upper stop
• A Razor knife to cut a small piece of carpet and sound padding away
• A place to test and enjoy the extra travel and smile

What needs done;
Push on the clutch pedal by hand and observe it it can drift side to side at all and if it's hitting the carpet with the back of the pedal where there's the 3 layer thick "gusset" behind the rubber part you place your foot on.

If it is hitting, take your razor knife and cut away a small chunk of carpet and the thick black padding/sound deadener under it, cut a piece about 4" x 4" where it's making contact. ( I will get a pic up tomorrow, it's late, cold in like single digit temps and I'm already comfy for the night)

Use the 14mm to un-jam the nut on the upper switch/stop and back it out as far as it can go and still work like it should (basically the pedal will hit the mount while still activating the switch, this is the highest you can set it)

Use the 12mm (sometimes this too is a 14mm) and back the jam nut loose on the master rod and adjust the clutch according to the video on Jack's we're all so familiar with. You may find that you can get too much travel now and this is without a longer slave rod or shimmed pivot ball (I have neither and I have room to spare for adjustment for further release, but anymore travel may be damaging to the PP) This is all from cutting out the one piece of carpet/padding-sound deadener

I already had my upper stop backed all the way out and my master rod adjusted according to the Jacks video (the pedal doesn't move up any further from this simple mod, I'm just covering all bases for the new guys reading this.
I can get way too high of engagement point now without coming close to shutting the relief valve in the master for fluid return) so I was able to setup some extra play in my pedal for good measure while still getting full clutch release for easy shifting at high RPM and the engagement is about 1/3rd of the way up from it's total travel (where I want it, but I can make it higher now too) Before removing the simple piece of carpet and black sound deadener/cushion I could just barely get enough release to make a clean shift without it dragging too badly at high RPM

Tips

• Other solutions that would involve removing the pedal assembly could go form rebuilding the bushings in the pivot or grinding metal off the back of the pedal to allow the extra throw, but this is clean,easy and takes under 5 minutes if you've already adjusted your upper stop and master rod position in the past
• Remember that too much throw on the PP diaphragm fingers can damage the clutch or make it start to drag again by over-throwing the release mechanism. So, only set it to within reasonable specs to get the job done. Don't use every bit of travel just because you can (unless you're working with certain twin disk clutches that require/call for as much as possible.
• This is for a 2g car only, and only 2g cars have the relief valve in the master cylinder that you test by pushing in on the fork/slave rod to test adjustment.
• While you're under there, unplug the clutch interlock safety switch. It's so nice no longer having to put that pressure on a bearing with no oil pressure to it on cold mornings, plus it's nice to just reach in and start the car like it was an automatic
• IMO, using extended rods and shimming the pivot excessively are just ways of covering up a problem you shouldn't have to begin with. I would try this before anything else, and if this doesn't gain you enough even on a perfect condition pedal assembly, I'd bet you have issues elsewhere that you haven't found or refuse to acknowledge. I've never needed to shim or use a longer slave rod to get a clutch to release correctly in my roughly 13 years of DSM ownership/wrenching and working on them for friends and money too.

Grab the pedal here and see if it will move to the right or left, a half inch or more and this mod will help you... It wont wiggle it will just be able to be pushed, or you can watch it happen with your foot

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Here's where I cut the carpet and you can see the pedal now contacting the metal floor pan, but the added travel made shifting SO MUCH better especially at high RPM

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