Adjusting clutch engagement

[Pr3mium Brewed]

I've noticed that the way the clutch engages on '05 SRT4s is different than how it engages with the '03s, I was wondering if there is any way to adjust that.

Let me try to explain what I'm talking about since I'm sure that I'm not making very much sense. With the 03s if you have your clutch pedal pushed to the floor and begin to let it come back up, the pedal only travels about an inch before the clutch engages the gear and starts to move the car.

With the 05s when the clutch is to the floor, the clutch doesn't engage until the pedal has moved almost all the way back to its resting position. It sucks.

I've taught myself to just not push the clutch pedal in all the way, but I'd much rather have mine work like the 03s. Its especially useful for launching, i think.

I know I read somewhere that you can adjust the length of the the actual clutch pedal and that effects how the clutch engages, but I don't think that's the answer I'm looking for. Is there an actual mechanical difference between the 03s and 05s in that respect, or is this something that is adjustable?

[gudeman00]

It is adjustable, I actually did it on mine just a few weeks ago.

Climb under there on your back so you can see where the pedal is attached. You'll see a nut that is attached to the pedal that you can loosen and then slide the pedal a bit. Just loosen the nut and slide the pedal (not very far) to where you want it and then go test it.

Download the srt service manual if you want to look at pictures of what I am talking about.

[Pr3mium Brewed]

It is adjustable, I actually did it on mine just a few weeks ago.

Climb under there on your back so you can see where the pedal is attached. You'll see a nut that is attached to the pedal that you can loosen and then slide the pedal a bit. Just loosen the nut and slide the pedal (not very far) to where you want it and then go test it.

Download the srt service manual if you want to look at pictures of what I am talking about.

Yeah, that's the nut on the pedal that I was talking about in the first post. I talked about it once, very briefly, with service at the dealership and they were saying that adjusting the pedal wasn't the way to do it. I'm not sure if they were telling me that it was bad for the car just because it is, or if they were telling me it would be easy for me to mess up and damage the clutch though. To be honest I wasn't paying very much attention because the guy was annoying me.

Since I'm over at my folk's house anyway, I might as well go outside now and see if the pedals are adjusted to different lengths.

[gudeman00]

Yeah, that's the nut on the pedal that I was talking about in the first post. I talked about it once, very briefly, with service at the dealership and they were saying that adjusting the pedal wasn't the way to do it. I'm not sure if they were telling me that it was bad for the car just because it is, or if they were telling me it would be easy for me to mess up and damage the clutch though. To be honest I wasn't paying very much attention because the guy was annoying me.

Since I'm over at my folk's house anyway, I might as well go outside now and see if the pedals are adjusted to different lengths.

Well, I didn't talk to any service people before I adjusted mine. I just went out and did it. And now my clutch engagement is more to my liking. So yes, that is the bolt you will want to loosen to adjust it.

[Pr3mium Brewed]

Yeah, I went out and checked and that's what the difference is. Now as far as the techs, these are the same guys who told me that MOPAR doesn't make stage upgrades for the Neon. :lol: Just thought I'd get some feed back before I went and screwed around with anything. My guess is that if the techs weren't just talking out of their asses, they were saying that to keep me from screwing with it and setting the clutch engagement point incorrectly.

Here's some pictures from my crappy camera phone.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j210/pr3mium_brewed/SRT4/ec8329d0.jpg
2003 clutch line setting.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j210/pr3mium_brewed/SRT4/277508a2.jpg
2005 clutch line setting.

For the record, that is an 8mm bolt. A 5/16 wrench works, too. ;)

[gudeman00]

Yep, that's the one. Adjusting it worked absolutely fine for me.

[Pr3mium Brewed]

Cool, thanks.

Oh, did you get that thing I sentcha? http://www.topthat.net/webrock/images/pp9.jpg :lol:

[gudeman00]

Cool, thanks.

Oh, did you get that thing I sentcha? :lol:

Yeah probably a month ago :rofl:

[the_noob_pwner]

i have also noticed how it lets out at the very top in my 05 , kinda making it bog a lil which is :supergay: . gotta adjust mine tonight after work. thanks!

[Pr3mium Brewed]

i have also noticed how it lets out at the very top in my 05 , kinda making it bog a lil which is :supergay: . gotta adjust mine tonight after work. thanks!
:usa:

[DJ2]

the only thing I have sen people say to be careful with this is making SURE your clutch is fully disengaged when you depress it normally... after adjusting park on FLAT and LEVEL ground, with the car in first gear, hold the clutch in like you normaly would, not like you are testing it (because you know there is a difference) and make sure the clutch isn't catching AT ALL (car trying to roll fwd) if it doesn't you are good, if it does adjust the pedal up some more.. you will burn your clutch out quick if you aren't careful.

[SwervE]

My 04' is a pain. I can push it an inch or two before it engages. Its anoying to have so much play in the pedal. I find myself grinding gears sometimes because I don't push the pedal down far enough. I am just to lazy to adjust it.:lol:

[DJ2]

My 04' is a pain. I can push it an inch or two before it engages. Its anoying to have so much play in the pedal. I find myself grinding gears sometimes because I don't push the pedal down far enough. I am just to lazy to adjust it.:lol:
:ftard:

[Flakdodger]

I started having some clutch adjustment problems with my O3 lately. I have the Mopar Stage 3 clutch in it. I was noticing that it was starting to engage about a inch off the floor yet once the car got warmed up and you depresed the clutch all of the way you could smell hot clutch. Tried adjusting lto compensate but no luck. The other problem was I started having trouble shifting into reverse once everything was warmed up.

Took it to the dealer and they replaced the master cylinder for the clutch.

Problem solved.

[liteshow]

Well becareful how far you let that small piece of aluminum set away from the pedal. It has a tendancy to bend and break. Which means you need to buy a new master cylinder to repair it. And from what I heard it's tedious work.
This in my opinion is way to far out.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j210/pr3mium_brewed/SRT4/277508a2.jpg

I have a clutchmasters FX100 in mine and I bought the rage tek pivot extender but have yet to put it in. Maybe I'll go do that today before it's to late.

[th3_n00b_pwn3r]

Yeah, I went out and checked and that's what the difference is. Now as far as the techs, these are the same guys who told me that MOPAR doesn't make stage upgrades for the Neon. :lol: Just thought I'd get some feed back before I went and screwed around with anything. My guess is that if the techs weren't just talking out of their asses, they were saying that to keep me from screwing with it and setting the clutch engagement point incorrectly.

Here's some pictures from my crappy camera phone.


For the record, that is an 8mm bolt. A 5/16 wrench works, too. ;)

the thing i try to keep in mind when i go to the dealership is that dodge employs a bunch of punk ass kids that dont know 1/16th as much as you do about your car. just cuz they pass some stupid exam, they get certified. kinda shitty when dodge is sposed to be the best of the best service for ur car, and they are employing a bunch of monkeys in the service dept.