Truck question

Chuck52 · Feb 22, 2002

I've got a '91 F150 with the big six engine. Can someone tell me how to adjust the #%^ switch on the clutch so that I don't have to put my foot entirely through the floorboard to start the engine? I have a Chilton's manual which I think would be a fine sustitute for the old Sears catalog in the outhouse. By contorting myself upside down in the floor of the truck, I can see what I think may be the switch. At least there's a device on the clutch shaft with wires coming from it. Naturally, the wires are in one of those clips with retaining ears, only one of which is accessible, so I can't easily disconnect the wires without breaking it. Who designs these things?/w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif

My next rant will be about how I just paid the shop $71 to replace a burned out wire up under the dash of my Caravan that they should have found when they replaced the headlight switch which probably caused it to over heat, for which they charged me about $150! AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!! If I can get to it, I can usually fix just about anything. So I guess that's the idea....make whatever is likely to break so hard to get to that you'll give up and just pay them to fix it. /w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif/w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif/w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif

Chuck

rdln · Feb 22, 2002

But if they itemized the bill it would say:

Replaced wire= $5.00
Knowing which wire to replace $66.00
/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Those things are designed for quick assembly, not disassembly/w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif

find the hot wire and jump it to the wire that starts your truck.

Egon · Feb 22, 2002

Chuck:

All Vehicle design engineers should have to do repair work on the designs they have created. And it should be done in -20 F weather with a strong north wind blowing and no HOT COFFEE at hand. Then maybe, just maybe they could come up with a workable design. The Managers of the design team should also have to do the same repairs but at -40F temperatures with bare hands and no rerspite till its running.

Egon

Egon · Feb 22, 2002

Chuck:

Forgot to add:
All menbers of the board of directors and the three major stockholders of the company should have to sit in the vehicle wearing swim suits till the CEO can fix the problem at -50F with a strong north wind blowing.

Egon

Chuck52 · Feb 22, 2002

Egon, on re-reading my post I find that I have succumbed to the very thought pattern I have chided others for. I must keep repeating, "Assign not to malice that which can be adequately explained by ignorance." I'm sure the designers and their bosses aren't deliberately trying to cause me pain. They are simply ignoranuses. (spelled correctly) /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Chuck

TerryinMD · Feb 22, 2002

Chuck,

Are you calling them Anuses? tsk-tsk.... /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Terry

RobS · Feb 22, 2002

<font color=blue>Those things are designed for quick assembly, not disassembly</font color=blue>

A lot of truth to that, although there is increasing effort put into servicibility and recyclability (including disassembly). The other thing to remember is a '91 truck is nearly 15 model years old in design and many of the components may be much older.

I'm not saying it's right, just felt the need to defend my industry a bit. Kind of a micro-patriotic thing /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

rdln · Feb 22, 2002

I wish the government would stop making us cram the interior with safety devices and features which crowd in the occupants, kills babies in car seats, adds weight which we have to take away from other areas like STEEL panel thickness just so we can stay within CAFE standards.... Oh wait a second all that just spells job security/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif.

rdln · Feb 22, 2002

Thats true also, that connector was probably first used on an Edsel/w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif
By using that off the shelf item, Ford saved enough money to hire another line worker so the first one didnt have bend their waste more that 10 degrees while installing the IP.

Chuck52 · Feb 22, 2002

Geez. Eight answers and not a one any more useful than my offer to help someone on another discussion grow a third arm so he wouldn't have to buy a cordless grease gun.

Chuck

Jeff396 · Feb 22, 2002

Here's hack for ya....if you can see what you believe is the switch which causes the problem. Trace the wires back a bit to where it's more accessible, strip of ever so little of the insulation and jump the wires together. If it's it and the truck starts, solder a wire in and if it's not just get some of that liquid tape to cover it up.

Jeff

TerryinMD · Feb 22, 2002

Chuck,

If it is anything like my Dodge Stratus, you must push the clutch all the way to the floor to start the engine. One of them nice interlock safety features just like we have on our tractors.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that you may not be able to adjust the interlock engagement.

Terry

Chuck52 · Feb 22, 2002

Ignoranus = ignorant a**hole

osteopornosis = degenerate disease

From a post my joke-forwarding brother sent me. Can't remember any others. Pick a word and make a new one by changing a single letter.

Chuck

Chuck52 · Feb 22, 2002

Terry,

You could be right, but it is worse than it used to be. Unlike the degeneration I see in my own corpus delecti, I like to think this may be reversible.

Chuck

Robert_in_NY · Feb 22, 2002

Are you sure it is a switch and not the pressure plate. We had that problem with our 91' and the pressure plate was shot and needed to be replaced. It may also be packed with dirt preventing it from working properly as that also happened with ours once, we just cleaned it out that time.

hwp · Feb 22, 2002

Chuck52:

I have a '92F150 4x4 4.9 litre 5 speed and I have to push the clutch right to the floor to start it - always been like that.

JJT · Feb 22, 2002

I had a 93 f150, 5spd - same deal. Spoke with the dealer and an independent - NO ADJUSTMENT! It's an all or nothing deal. the 93 wasn't half the truck my 86 was.l

MikePA · Feb 22, 2002

So we don't pick on just US vehicles, my 1994 Geo Prizm (Toyota Corolla) has this same safety feature. It probably saved the front end of the car when I taught my daughter to drive as it prevented her from starting the car, with the transmission in gear without depressing the clutch. Of course, she's driving an automatic now. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

BobinCols · Feb 22, 2002

The clutch master cylinder rod that comes thru the firewall has a eye and that eye goes over a short clutch arm lever under the dash, where the 2 come together is a white plastic pronged bushing that wears out and might be your problem.

Chuck52 · Feb 22, 2002

Now that sounds like a possible. I bought this truck with 76K on it and it now has 100K. You always had to floor the clutch, but lately you darn near have to penetrate the floorboard. It just seems reasonable that there should be <font color=red>something</font color=red> that's adjustable in the mechanism.

Thanks. I'll contort myself under there agin and see what I can see.

Chuck