new clutch flywheel master and slave cylinder. Clutch engages at top of pedal

[804CB7]

So basically I replaced the clutch with a stage 1 clutch and new flywheel recently when I did my motor swap along with the master and slave cylinder because I was having issues. So I get my new swap in today and go for a test drive but notice that the clutch engages at the very top of the pedal. My friend is telling me to adjust where the master cylinder rod attaches to the pedal however the only thing I see this doing is adjusting the travel of my pedal and not the engagement point (someone explain this to me if I'm wrong). The only way I see that master cylinder rod adjustment working is if I screw the master cylinder rod all the way in the pedal which would in turn reduce the distance of travel from the pedal to the floor. Then I would have to pull the pedal up so that it would suck fluid back through the system and cause the slave cylinder rod to pull into the slave cylinder more and giving a greater range of movement for the shift fork. Is that possible?? Am I making sense or am I just confused?? Help is greatly appreciated.

SN: The only other thing I could think of doing is cutting the push rod on the slave cylinder again allowing the shift fork to come farther back but I know there has to be a correct way of fixing this problem.

Hunter

[19dabeast85]

Your friend is right, you just need to adjust the length of the MC rod. I readjust it with every clutch job.

[804CB7]

Now after adjusting the mc rod would I have to bleed my system again?

[19dabeast85]

Now after adjusting the mc rod would I have to bleed my system again?

No, you only need to bleed it if you introduce air into the hydraulic system.

[804CB7]

well after messing with the mc rod all night I have gotten nowhere.. looks like clutch was assembled wrong when put on the motor or its junk.. Looks like I'll be buying a new clutch kit and spending another day working on the car

[JDMDriver]

well after messing with the mc rod all night I have gotten nowhere.. looks like clutch was assembled wrong when put on the motor or its junk.. Looks like I'll be buying a new clutch kit and spending another day working on the car

Buy oem from Honda. Yes they are expensive but really worth it and besides with you doing the job your already saving heaps.

If not get a good japanese brand clutch. A brand people seem to also recommend is Excedy.

Up to you but i like OEM. If the original factory fitted one has lasted the car more than a decade since new, you can be guaranteed the new OEM one will last you the same (and a clean peace of mind when you go to sleep every night for the next decade). Not to mention the OEM pedal feel and pick up performance.

[batever]

To adjust the height off the floor at which the clutch pedal disengages the clutch mechanism:

The very first nut on the master cylinder pushrod (closest to the firewall) is a locknut. Loosen it (in your case, a lot). Now turn the pushrod (it's threaded) clockwise so the pushrod screws into the direction of the passenger cabin, into the u-shaped bracket that attaches to the clutch pedal. This effectively shortens the working length of the pushrod. Tighten the locknut and test your clutch pedal. Actually you can probably get away with just testing the clutch pedal without tightening the locknut, come to think of it.

Repeat adjustment until satisfied.

Unless something is severely wrong this should fix your problem.

After you adjust that dimension of clutch pedal performance , there are also a couple other adjustments (again, with locknuts)


2) at the clutch pedal switch (way on top of the entire clutch pedal mechanism)--adjust it so that the clutch pedal switch contacts the clutch pedal when the pedal is 3/4-1 inch off the floor, then turn it another 1/2 to 3/4 turn) and

3) one adjustment (for overall clutch pedal travel length, I believe you are looking for 5 3/4 inches of travel but don't quote me on that) which I can't remember right now.

Probably what happened is that at some point somebody adjusted your clutch pedal travel to compensate for clutch disc wear over time. Now that you have a new clutch in, all that space is taken up by the additional clutch disc thickness so you have to adjust it back.

[batever]

Actually, one of those adjustment points allows you to adjust the clutch pedal freeplay, which is actually what I think you are writing about. But the pushrod adjustment might take care of that all by itself so try that first.

[h22cb719]

First off, with you saying you replaced the clutch master along with the slave leaves one question: did you bench bleed the master before you installed it?

Even with a new clutch, if the rod hasn't been adjusted prior to the install, it should hold the same adjustment you had before.

G'head and adjust till yer hearts content, my bet is there is air in the system more toward the master.

[batever]

First off, with you saying you replaced the clutch master along with the slave leaves one question: did you bench bleed the master before you installed it?

Even with a new clutch, if the rod hasn't been adjusted prior to the install, it should hold the same adjustment you had before.

G'head and adjust till yer hearts content, my bet is there is air in the system more toward the master.

If there was air in his hydraulic system it would cause slack in the system and tend to cause the clutch pedal stroke to go soft and not disengage the clutch mechanism until the bottom of the stroke, rather than at the top as he is experiencing.

[804CB7]

I messed with the master cylinder rod for a good hour one night... afterwards came to the conclusion that it in no way changes your clutch engagement just the engagement point of the pedal... regardless of where I adjusted the rod, the clutch wouldn't engage until the pedal was around half an inch from being all the way up.. It appears to me that the clutch wasn't installed correctly.. that's all I can come up with

[MikeW]

I hate the clutch pedal having so much travel. I prefer it to be tight and at the top. But thats just me.

[batever]

I messed with the master cylinder rod for a good hour one night... afterwards came to the conclusion that it in no way changes your clutch engagement just the engagement point of the pedal... regardless of where I adjusted the rod, the clutch wouldn't engage until the pedal was around half an inch from being all the way up.. It appears to me that the clutch wasn't installed correctly.. that's all I can come up with

I would agree with that statement. I guess I misunderstood your situation. Hopefully it's not the entire clutch but the clutch release fork and the release bearing... I've never done a clutch job myself so I don't know if those parts could somehow be reversed or mis-assembled so they hold the clutch plate off the flywheel almost as soon as you press the clutch pedal.