Clutch effort reduction fix

[Paul Buxe]

When I first got Panoz GTRO 0042, the clutch leg effort was 140lb to just move the pedal and 180lb to push the pedal to the floor. UGH, way too much leg effort. I have Factory Five Cobra that I built and I knew that the pedal effort should not be this high.
Well the Panoz high leg effort was due to two things, 1) the hack job that the school mechanic did converting the clutch from hydraulic to cable and trashed the mechanical leverage and 2) the worn clutch pivot shaft and clutch pedal pivot (all a result of the school hack job). With the clutch fix the pedal effort went down to 40lbs from 140lbs. Now the clutch effort is very easy and the engagement is very smooth.



So I jumped into making the pedal assembly like on my Cobra.

• First thing to do is cut the clutch pedal just below the old pivot point and fabricate a new platform which you can relocate the clutch quadrant.
• Drill and tap the quadrant, drill out the pivot and press in a new bronze bushing. Not a good idea to have the aluminum quadrant pivot on a steel shaft. McMaster-Carr
• Remove the clutch/brake hydraulic assembly and drill new mount holes 0.750” rearward so the new quadrant will clear the firewall.
• Buy a clutch firewall adjuster from Forte’s parts in MA.
• Remove the square tube clutch bracket on the engine side of the firewall.
• Cut a 1” section out of the steering shaft cover to allow for brake pedal movement now that the clutch/brake assembly is moved 0.750” rearward.
• Weld in a double support plate for the clutch adjuster. Drill a hole for the clutch adjuster.
• Buy a clutch fork extender bracket from Forte’s parts. Bolt on the extender.
• Mount the clutch pedal with new pivot rod from McMaster Carr and add in a pedal stop.
• Bend the gas pedal to match the new position of the brake pedal.
• Hook it up and you are ready to go.

Let me know if you have any problems. This change also will extend the clutch pedal throw which makes for better feel when working the clutch.
Paul

[eric1h]

pics!!

[feqrags]

is it me? pic's won't open. sounds great just - i'm a needs picture person .. thanks

[Paul Buxe]

Sorry you can't see the pictures I posted. This is my first try at posting pictures, so...............anyway I can see them but...............if you will email me I can send them to you.
Paul

[sfbond]

Thanks for the fix! Please send photos to [email protected]

[Panoz26]

or send us the pics and we can post.....
either way.

[email protected]

[Paul Buxe]

Thats really strange, I can see the pictures on my computer, but I at my daughters house and the pictures don't come up on her computer. I used the "insert image" feature on the thread and it looked like it worked fine, but I guess not. Anybody have an idea why not? Anyway, I am sending the picyures toronbond so he can post them.

[Wess-RA]

Paul,

We've all had to struggle through this. Go to photobucket.com and open a free account. You can download your pics to that account. Then you cut from your download and paste into your reply thread on this forum. I'm not an expert as to why it works, but I imagine the format is changed to something this forum can interpret.

[wirewheel99]

hydraulic clutch kit includes pedal-master cylinder and resevoir-line and slave cylinder
$100

[Cobrafang]

Originally Posted by wirewheel99

hydraulic clutch kit includes pedal-master cylinder and resevoir-line and slave cylinder
$100

Are you selling this?

[eric1h]

Originally Posted by Cobrafang

Are you selling this?

Yeah, hes selling them, he said he had a few

[AIMidwest27]

Originally Posted by wirewheel99

hydraulic clutch kit includes pedal-master cylinder and resevoir-line and slave cylinder
$100

What is the size of that master cylinder ?

[wirewheel99]

It is a 1 1/8 Wilwood master cylinder with Wilwood aluminium pedal, stainless steel braided hydraulic hose, heat shield for the hose and a Wilwood slave cylinder...Hope this helps..

[eric1h]

Originally Posted by wirewheel99

It is a 1 1/8 Wilwood master cylinder with Wilwood aluminium pedal, stainless steel braided hydraulic hose, heat shield for the hose and a Wilwood slave cylinder...Hope this helps..

Hayes, if you still have this I'll take it, I really just need the pedal will you sell just the pedal?

Otherwise if i HAVE to I'll take the whole setup.

[NZGTRA17]

Originally Posted by wirewheel99

hydraulic clutch kit includes pedal-master cylinder and resevoir-line and slave cylinder
$100

Do you still have some of these for sale as I would like to purchase 1?

Thanks, Kel.