86 BII Mitsu clutch engagement

[Grenade]

So, I'm a noob at this. I admit it. I've seen some clutch engagements that were about ridiculous, but this worries me.

I just recently got this Baby Bro into semi-driveable condition, and I was curious about something. The clutch only engages right at the top of the pedal. I'm fairly certain that engagement is usually supposed to be at midrange on the pedal, but I don't know these things for shite.

Is this normal? If not, what do I check first?

 

[adsm08]

Sounds like your clutch is getting worn out. On a hydraulic setup like this one it will engage higher and higher as the clutch wears. Especially if the clutch doesn't have a self-adjusting pressure plate.

 

[Spott]

So, I'm a noob at this. I admit it. I've seen some clutch engagements that were about ridiculous, but this worries me.

I just recently got this Baby Bro into semi-driveable condition, and I was curious about something. The clutch only engages right at the top of the pedal. I'm fairly certain that engagement is usually supposed to be at midrange on the pedal, but I don't know these things for shite.

Is this normal? If not, what do I check first?

If your FM145 is like the FM146 in my '88 Ranger, then it disengages after the first half-inch and the pedal is stiff like stepping on a brick.

I became concerned about the short travel, interpreting it as a sign of a badly worn clutch. I purchased all the necessary parts for a clutch replacement, including slave cylinder and rear main seal, and proceeded with the work. After getting the old clutch off, I found that it still had 60% of it's thickness left.

I installed all the new parts, bled the clutch, and discovered a significant change in my pedal behavior. Disengagement occurred about 2/3 of the way down the pedal travel, and required about 1/4 the force to push the pedal down. It felt like a "normal" clutch for the first time since I bought it.

In hindsight, I'm certain that the old slave (replaced by the inept PO) was mismatched to the master, and I was getting 4x the slave travel, but it required 4x the applied force.

If this describes your situation, then the solution may be similar. Regardless, I would recommend you purchase the factory service manual and follow the testing and troubleshooting procedures therein, as that will positively identify whether you have a worn clutch (or a mismatched slave) before you take the transmission off the engine.